People&Places Stories from two Low Carbon Villages

In partnership with:

Low Carbon Village Project National Trust Green Energy and npower - working together for a greener future An experiment at two National Trust owned villages to understand what motivates communities to reduce their carbon footprints

Getting It 1 engaged P. 3 happened 2 here P. 6

Perspectives from the 3projects P. 8 How it all 4adds up P. 18

Getting people on 5 board... P. 22

The National Trust cares for places of beauty and significance for ever, for everyone, throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. As an independent charity, the National Trust receives no direct Government funding for its core work. Thanks to the generosity and active involvement of 4 million members and more than 61,500 volunteers, as well as many benefactors, tenants and other partners, the National Trust has grown into Europe’s biggest conservation charity, providing wonderful experiences enjoyed by 17.7 million people visiting pay-for-entry properties each year and countless more visiting National Trust coast and countryside places. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

RWE npower is a leading integrated energy company and is part of the RWE Group, one of Europe’s leading electricity and gas companies. They serve around 6.22 million customer accounts and produce over 10% of the electricity used in the UK. They supply electricity and gas to residential and business customers across the UK and are committed to providing them with the products and services to improve their energy efficiency and reduce their energy bills. They operate and manage a diverse portfolio of oil, coal and gas-fired power stations, with a generating capacity of over 11GW. They also manage a portfolio of cogeneration plants. RWE npower renewables, the UK subsidiary of RWE Innogy plc, is a leading developer of renewable technologies. It operates over 500MW of onshore and offshore wind farms, almost 70MW of hydroelectric projects and has over 1,000MW of new renewable generation under construction. RWE Technology provides services relating to the engineering and construction of new power stations for all RWE Group companies. www.rwenpower.com

National Trust Green Energy is a no-premium, green energy product for consumers featuring a Green Energy Fund to support investment in micro- and small-scale renewable energy at National Trust places. To date over 25 places have benefited from funding, installing a range of technologies from solar thermal to biomass. www.ntgreenenergy.org.uk

Forum for the Future is a non-profit organisation working globally with business and government to create a sustainable future. They aim to transform the critical systems that we all depend on, such as food, energy and finance, to make them fit for the challenges of the 21st century. They have 15 years’ experience inspiring new thinking, building creative partnerships and developing practical innovations to change our world. www.forumforthefuture.org

2 Getting 1 engaged

Turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper, and you can hardly escape the pictures of climate catastrophes, alarms about spiralling energy bills and other stories about how climate change is already having an impact on our lives. But understanding what positive actions you can make in your day-to-day life, and being motivated to actually take them, is trickier.

In the Low Carbon Villages (LCV) project, the National Trust worked with its energy partner, npower, in two rural communities to tackle the disillusionment and helplessness that many people feel about climate change. The project first began in Wallington in the winter of 2007/2008, with Coleshill starting in August 2008. Through a process of engagement over a three-year period, it aimed to develop positive and practical solutions that could set villagers on a journey to low- carbon living, by helping the two communities determine what would work best for them. A budget of £600,000 provided by npower, as part of a wider partnership with the National Trust, paid for the most appropriate measures identified within each village to save energy, cut carbon and encourage more sustainable lifestyles. It also covered the cost of a project manager in each village.

3

As these many and varied examples illustrate, there is no pre-existing template for ‘how to do it’. And the LCV project certainly wasn’t a matter of budgeting for a preplanned series of technological interventions that a project manager would then put into action in each village. Quite the contrary, explains the National Trust’s Head of Corporate The LCV project is not a lone venture, but communities face, and tackles them head Partnerships, Elin Horgan: “We wanted part of a wider learning process. More on. The consortium of environmental it to be community-led and to have and more good community work is being groups, builders and architects raises them decide their own priorities.” It was done these days on low-carbon living. demand for the scheme through PR crucial, and not always easy at first, for the The Transition Towns movement is a and marketing, and then supports project managers to establish a trusted great example, spreading awareness and homeowners by providing loans and a role working within the local community. engagement through everyday actions trusted network of builders, architects and Above all, says Horgan, the project’s accessible to all. There is inspiring work surveyors to do the job. successes underlined “the importance of to draw on from Ashton Hayes, from putting in the time and energy, to develop Dyfi Valley and from Kent Low Carbon Also in the southwest, The Bristol Green good relationships” and to understand Communities, to name but three of many Doors project, with “people ... learning the processes by which people make local initiatives, and web-based tools such ... energy ... homes” as the strapline on meaningful changes in the way they live as www.imeasure.org.uk can be used to its website (www.bristolgreendoors. their lives. help keep track of household energy costs org), stresses the sharing of learning and carbon. Up and down the country with no preaching or pushing; “We let Ruth Worton was closely involved with small groups are holding structured the householders speak for themselves,” Coleshill in particular, on behalf of Carbon Conversations, pioneered in it says, “and do not offer advice on npower, where she is now the Charity Cambridge, to explore practical steps retrofitting other than encouraging people and Volunteering Delivery Manager. and support one another through the to attend our popular events.” Meanwhile, Like Horgan, she places great emphasis psychological minefields of behaviour in Brighton’s trendy North Laine area the on community engagement as the key. change. Tidy Street project (www.tidystreet.org) Looking back, she says, it’s clear to her quite literally turned energy monitoring that “the most important thing is inspiring The Refit West project (www.refitwest. into an art form. Residents got smart people to change their behaviour”. This com), led by Forum for the Future, meters to record their electricity usage also means being realistic about what has identified the key barriers that every day in the spring of 2011, and a can be achieved – and how long it may graffiti artist painted a huge display in take. Intriguingly, she notes, “it’s the coloured chalk on the street, dramatising small things that really captured people’s the comparison between power use in interest”, unlocking the engagement that Tidy Street and assorted other places makes it possible to move on to other, around the world. sometimes tougher, issues. 4

As Fiona Bennie, Principal Sustainability Advisor at Forum for the Future, says, “This type of research is a very powerful way to get to the heart of what makes people tick, and to help us create sustainable alternatives to current products and services that are desirable and accessible. As we spend quality time with individuals in their own context, we can really get to know them and understand their everyday behaviour and what incentives/benefits it will take to change their behaviour.”

Particular insights from this project on reconciling conservation with cutting carbon are especially relevant for the National Trust, which is seeking to reduce There were several reasons why the LCV high hurdle when money is tight. There’s its energy use across 300 historic houses idea appealed to npower, says Worton. no shame in the fact that rising energy and properties open to the visiting public, The company wanted a project with a prices and the desire to save money 360 holiday cottages and thousands strong community element to tackle are many people’s biggest motivating of tenanted buildings in its care. In the people’s disillusionment about climate factors for cutting energy consumption. Energy: Grow Your Own report launched change, and was keen to help show And delivering a clear ‘quick win’ like the in 2010, the Trust sets out an ambitious how solutions could be both accessible successful insulation programmes at both target to reduce its use of fossil fuels and attractive. Cutting carbon in villages can be a crucial factor in drawing for heat and electricity by 50% by 2020 older buildings was another important people into new initiatives, sustaining and through conserving energy and generating challenge. Working with the National Trust developing their interest in participating its own power. By 2020 it aims to be offered, in Worton’s words, “a fantastic – not to mention the media coverage, providing half of its overall energy needs opportunity to do that”. bringing good publicity to all concerned. from renewables and only 10% from oil, cutting its dependence on electricity It would also complement npower’s The project managers in both villages generated from fossil fuels from 46% existing role as the National Trust’s assiduously kept everyone abreast of now to just 27%. And whilst doing so, it energy partner. Launched back in 2007, progress with regular newsletters and wants to share stories of its progress to the groundbreaking partnership was meetings. A website was used to spread show that improving energy efficiency and developed to encourage significant the learning as they went along on what investing in renewables is compatible with investment in microgeneration of was working well and why (see overleaf), conservation. renewable energy, stimulate innovation the initiatives that really sparked in carbon saving measures and enable enthusiasm, and the others, seemingly consumers to ‘green’ their own homes. attractive on the face of things, that fell on stonier ground. Among a range of measures, the National Trust and npower unveiled the National At the end of the project, Forum for the Trust Green Energy tariff, and a business Future came on board to help npower supply deal to National Trust properties. and the National Trust understand the National Trust Green Energy is a no- behavioural change element. Forum used premium, green energy product for ‘people-centred research’ to get under consumers featuring a Green Energy Fund the skin of the project and find out what to support investment in micro- and worked well and what lessons could be small-scale renewable energy at National learned for other communities trying to Trust places. To date over 25 places have go low carbon. This type of research was Some of the renewable energy benefited from funding, installing a range chosen because it gets to the core of what technologies that the National Trust is of technologies from solar thermal to individuals think and need. It goes much keen to deploy were potential candidates biomass. deeper than surveys or questionnaires for use in Wallington or Coleshill. But and seeks to understand what people the first low-carbon steps should be to The £600,000 budget provided really do, rather than what they say they eliminate waste and maximise efficiency by npower for the LCV project was do. This type of research is informal and before investing in costly technology. This undoubtedly a major source of strength qualitative. It covers a smaller number may involve any, or usually all, of three for the scheme. It’s not impossible to of diverse people – demographically, approaches: better insulation, smarter run a project that doesn’t depend on professionally and socially – with the appliances and – often most crucially – such an injection of capital, by tapping aim of getting insights from alternative behaviour change. All of these require into what communities (and individuals) perspectives that often uncover latent time, tact and insight on how to achieve can get ‘for free’, but the ‘is it worth needs, hidden barriers and interesting buy-in across the community. it?’ calculation can be a discouragingly stories.

5 It happened 2 here

Coleshill in Oxfordshire and Wallington in the heart of Northumberland have at least three things in common, besides their individual charm. Both have historic rural settlements built by local landowners on their estates. Both are now almost wholly owned by the National Trust, with most households being tenants of the National Trust rather than owner - occupiers. And both, in the last three years, have been coming up with some vital lessons for the future. Through the LCV project, the National Trust and its energy partner, npower, have been working on a community-wide basis with the people who live there to help them find ways to reduce their carbon footprints – and their energy bills.

Their shared characteristics help make these two villages especially interesting as case studies for other communities in which energy- saving solutions must be reconciled with conserving our rural and built heritage. In some ways, however, it’s their differences as much as their points of similarity that have shaped the stories of the project to date.

6 The two villages were chosen to champion low carbon living for reasons of practicality Carbon, conservation and community and passion. Wallington was already running the Wallington Carbon Footprint spirit in rural Oxfordshire Project which looked at how different land management practices can influence carbon storage in the soil. It was therefore a natural progression to engage the local Coleshill’s characteristic early Victorian community in how they could reduce their own carbon footprint through behaviour semi-detached cottages on Church Lane change and energy efficiency measures. Coleshill was the ideal second village for and School Lane and along the B4019 the project as there was already a lot of enthusiasm from the site’s general manager were built in the 1850s to accommodate Richard Henderson and it was located close to npower and National Trust head offices workers on the Buscot estate, of which in Swindon. Both npower and the National Trust felt that if you could put low carbon Coleshill formed a part. There’s a pub on living into practice in these communities, you could achieve it anywhere. the main road, as well as the flint-and- stone church and the school. Coleshill Park was given to the National Trust by a grandson of Thomas Cook after World War II, but unfortunately the 17th-century house at its centre was destroyed soon afterwards in a fire. Most of the village, also owned by the National Trust, has fared better in conservation terms and is either Grade I or Grade II listed. Coleshill is part of an estate comprising of 7,500 acres, three villages, 161 cottages and 11 farms.

The National Trust has an application form (and a waiting list) for would-be tenants of its 62 properties here, and prefers to let to people with local ties or a line of work that will contribute something to village life. It’s a stable community where people generally know their neighbours, Warmth without mains gas in Northumberland and a Coleshill event can be quite a party. People tend to stay long term, sometimes Wallington in Northumberland has an attractive rural setting; tenancies don’t often for generations, so the older age groups fall vacant and receive plenty of interest when they do. And, like Coleshill, it owes its are particularly well represented. Dairy existence to the need for housing for a large landowner’s workers, in this case on the cattle are the mainstay of farming, though 13,500 acre Wallington estate some 20 miles north west of Newcastle. A mile or so nowadays many local people travel out south of the village, the impressive Palladian mansion and gardens of Wallington Hall, to work, 10 miles away in Swindon, or which date back to 1688, are among the National Trust’s major visitor attractions in the elsewhere along the M4 corridor. That North East region. There are 32 households in the estate village of Cambo and a further makes them quite car-dependent, as the 60 scattered throughout the estate on farmsteads and in small groups of cottages. All bus comes by only once a day in each but five are tenants of the National Trust, including 73 cottages and 14 working farms, direction. Recognising the importance of whose beef and lamb feature on the list of local produce sold in the farm shop at a local shop, volunteers from the village Wallington Hall. run one (in Trust premises), where the cafe-cum-meeting-place (and sometime Wallington’s housing stock is generally older than Coleshill’s. The ‘new’ settlement of exhibition venue) offers an alternative to Cambo was laid out in the 1730s and 1740s to rehouse estate workers in solid stone- the pub for local meetings. build terraced cottages under slate roofs. Improvements and additions were made in the 19th century, but Wallington is out of reach of mains gas; homes rely instead on All the buildings are pre-1930s, so there’s oil, electricity or solid fuel for heating, and with very few exceptions they have only no scope for the cavity wall insulation that single-glazed sash windows. One of the farms is off the electricity grid too, and has to is often one of the biggest ‘quick wins’ generate its own power. for improving energy efficiency in post- 1930 housing. Mains gas is available and The main community facility is the village hall in Cambo, where local meetings tend to most of the houses rely on it for heating, take place and other activities ranging from the Women’s Institute (WI) and the Tea although some have oil or solid fuel, which Club to bowls and yoga attract their own regular clientele. There are a church and a typically works out as more expensive and school (not owned by the Trust) just up the road. But for the nearest local shop you carbon intensive. have to go another mile to Scots Gap, where the old railway used to run, and where the National Trust has its regional office. The county town of Morpeth is about half an hour away by bus, but the bus only runs on Wednesdays and Fridays. There’s no village pub, and the general consensus is that people tend not to go out much in the winter, though social interaction does get easier when the weather’s warmer. Many people work for the National Trust, or did until they retired, and they may well have lived in the village all their lives. There are some newer arrivals, and some properties now let to people not employed on the estate, who tend to travel to Morpeth or Newcastle for work, but this nevertheless remains quite a close-knit community, especially among the farmers. 7 Perspectives from the 3projects

8 Wallington

Coleshill

9 Wallington

“Wallington is a quiet place,” Celia Robbins reflects, “especially in winter, when people tend to stay in. There’s no regular meeting place like a pub, so contact with the community in general is quite infrequent – the village fete, occasional quiz nights, Christmas events. Witness the excitement over the Cambo Valentine’s Dance!”

To build her relationship with the community, so essential in her role as LCV project manager, Celia came to set great store by such events. A mince pie and mulled wine evening she organised proved particularly popular. Her regular newsletters kept people informed, and distributing them (backed up by fliers for particular events) was also a way of getting to talk to people face to face. Cakes, too, could win hearts and minds. The gingerbread house Celia made for a Christmas raffle made its mark, as a WI member greeted her at the following year’s summer fete as ‘the gingerbread lady’ – a welcome alternative to being pigeonholed as the ‘low-carbon lady’.

10 With no pub or shop in Cambo, the village insulation and upgrading the efficiency time was right to raise the big question hall is the key community facility. Celia of old windows were the top priorities. of renewable heat. With oil so expensive, joined the village hall committee even Gradually, however, the cumulative effect and deliveries vulnerable to disruption, before she moved to Wallington part way of engagement and action built up both people were increasingly interested in through the project. Its meetings were connections and credibility. Celia felt the alternatives. Could a biomass-fuelled a vital point of contact, its members an momentum pick up when the sheepswool district heating system be the answer for a excellent sounding board, but inevitably loft insulation programme was rolled out, village with no mains gas? the committee consisted of the village’s providing people with solid evidence of handful of existing activists. How, then, real benefits. As she says, “You need to Overcoming her previous reluctance to draw others into the LCV project? She show you can deliver on the practical to go door to door (“I’d felt it was too tried a focus group, built around the four stuff. In a stable community, people have intrusive before”), Celia facilitated a initial takers for the offer of Efergy energy very long memories. They have seen a lot village-wide conversation that simply meters, but this group proved to be too of people come and go with new ideas. couldn’t have happened before the LCV small to build up a momentum of its own. It takes a long time to build trust with project, culminating in a meeting attended the community and I don’t think there by no fewer than 35 people. Celia was Engaging people in discussion on is any short cut. Opportunities to meet “really impressed by people’s grasp of the priorities for the project was a gradual informally are limited and this adds to the concept of district heating, and how well process, she realised. It called for a length of time it takes to begin to be part informed the discussions were”. Getting learning approach. “The issues were quite of things – it would be hard to force the a biomass boiler for the National Trust’s technical and people weren’t always in a pace.” regional office helped make the renewable position of knowing what they wanted. heat options more tangible, but a more You need to do some groundwork Promoting the smart meters, upgrading general district heating scheme ultimately before you can have an informed debate. the energy performance of the Trust’s looked unaffordable – although the The same is true within any group of offices, arranging the loft insulation, government’s Renewable Heat Incentive people. Even within the National Trust, looking into draughtproofing, boiler could change this. for instance, we have no consensus on efficiency, secondary glazing and the internal wall insulation.” possibility of government grants, working “One of the main things we wanted to do with the local school on energy and its was to bring the community along with At both Wallington and Coleshill, it soon local food initiatives, completing the us, to get them to believe in what we were became clear that the basics of energy planning, procurement and installation doing,” says Celia. Was that harder for her saving had to be addressed before most processes for a farm-based wind turbine – to do, as an ‘outsider’, than it might have people would feel motivated to engage there was plenty to be getting along with. been for a local person? further with the LCV project, for which loft Then, towards the end of the project, the

11 Her reply is a considered one: “Community leaders are a very valuable commodity, but they are always overstretched.” Relatively few people could be described as active in the community; most “have been more recipients than volunteers”. Certainly, it’s vital to make good use of those networks A 6kW wind turbine now provides the Tommy Middlemiss still lives in the of trust that already exist. The suggestion, power for Emma Gray’s off-grid sheep house he was born in just before World for instance, that those who were using an energy meter should ‘pass it on’, helped farm. Installed in March, it’s working so War II. As a gardener, he says he’s get meters into the hands of neighbours well that she rarely needs to resort to “pretty green” – but pretty down to and friends who would never have looked the diesel generator, which previously earth about what energy saving means at them on their own. In its small way this consumed a massive 6,000 litres of to him. “Eco-motivation is 90% saving was a big success, and made the point fuel every year. As well as reducing the money, 10% doing good. I’ve cut my that sustaining an initiative isn’t always generator’s annual carbon footprint electric bill – by half – from turning solely down to the project manager. Ultimately, though, Celia’s experience tells of 15 tonnes by up to 90%, it saves her the TV off and not using things as her that the LCV project did need to have a tidy sum in fuel. As someone who by much,” he says. Responding to items on first call on somebody’s time. Elin Horgan her own account is not mechanically the telly as well as Celia’s newsletters, at the National Trust concurs. “With Celia minded, she’s also delighted to have he then takes the action as he sees and Jo [at Coleshill] on the ground,” what she sees as a low-maintenance fit by himself. Already a convert to she comments, “people could make solution. That was its main attraction low- energy lightbulbs, he rates the suggestions safe in the knowledge that there was someone there to implement for her when she applied for the farm loft insulation fitted by the project as them.” The challenge in other villages tenancy last year, with the planning “brilliant”. The “massive difference” would be to replicate this set-up, as it permission for the turbine in place. from that made him interested in the would rely on the time and energy of a Now she’s happily telling people about draughtproofing too, but he didn’t volunteer rather than a paid employee. her clean energy supply – though want a central heating boiler, so he’ll without making any claim to know go on managing with just the fire in his much about how it works. Ironically, sitting room. the installation was somewhat delayed by excessively windy weather, but she’s had no trouble with it since – save the need to find ways of using the power (for example, by turning on the washing machine) if the turbine is still running when the battery is fully charged.

12 Ann Hetherington and John Pearson The energy-saving case for upgrading Another who “passed on” the meter were among the original four triallists old and inefficient kitchen appliances is habit is Tom Dower – though his of the Efergy energy-monitoring meters. strong. Why, then, so few takers for the architect father Robin admits to being It just “seemed like the sensible thing offer of free new ‘smart’ fridge freezers too impatient to get the best out of it. to do”, says John – and it still does. with ‘dynamic demand’ technology? Tom himself, on the other hand, took “It’s like another child. We check we’ve Most baulked at obstacles that seem to monitoring right away, plotted his switched things off when we go to bed. glaringly apparent only in retrospect, household’s consumption through We don’t leave things on standby. I such as where to put something that the year on a spreadsheet and even stopped leaving the cooker on because big in a small kitchen, or the hi-tech “drew a fancy graph”. He and his wife, even the light loses power. And we are appliance’s need for an always-on returnees from London with their own always telling Euan [their son] to turn broadband connection. It was a three children, are into their third year stuff off.” They passed their enthusiasm salutary reminder that behaviour- with the meter. They’re still using it on to an elderly neighbour, too, and changing technologies need to fit with after moving house again, and Tom got her a meter to try, which she’d lifestyles rather than vice versa. reckons it has cut their electricity use by probably never have taken otherwise. a third. Everyone in the village seems to have heard how much they’re saving just from turning off the towel rail in the bedroom: “We think it was costing £200 a year!”

13 Coleshill

Like Celia, Coleshill project manager Jo Trussler quickly became aware of the importance of winning the recognition and then the trust of the people in her village. She followed a similar pattern by producing a regular newsletter as her key communications tool. Jo was also determined to make a special virtue of openness. “I have always been very honest and open with the community,” she says. “I’ve never hidden anything. Anyone can see the project plan and a summary of the budget.”

One thing that worked better in Coleshill than in Wallington was the creation of a kind of steering committee or focus group. Jo was able to rely on a group of half a dozen people whom she used as a “sounding board”. Having asked people to join this group, generally either because of their interest in energy saving or their active involvement in the local community, she had what she describes as “full transparency” with them.

14 Holding meetings in the local pub, which wasn’t an option available to Celia, was another For the same reason, creating and thing that helped Jo with informal communication and drawing in people other than maintaining momentum is important. Jo the “usual suspects”. As she describes it, she launched the project in Coleshill with a felt that things moved slowly in Coleshill presentation to the parish council, then did an open invitation for anyone to find out more at in the first year of the project there, with the village pub: “I turned up and it was full of people.” For this and for subsequent meetings, people developing a degree of scepticism says Jo, “the pub has been brilliant. Most people like to go there, it’s accessible and a relaxed and waiting to be shown how they might environment. People can eavesdrop, and just come along because they can have a pint, then benefit. “Once things started happening on find themselves joining in the discussion from the bar. If you held a meeting in a room, they the project,” she says, “people began to buy wouldn’t come in because they couldn’t get away.” into it a bit more. Once the loft insulation happened, it gave people more faith. Then The volunteer-run village shop was another great resource. On one notable occasion, as Jo you bounce off the community and develop describes it, “I arranged a meeting on energy meters, with an expert from npower to explain things with them.” how to use them, on what turned out to be a horrible rainy evening two and a half years into the project. The npower representative had come a long way, and I was expecting a complete She did discover, though, that offering an disaster, but the village shop was packed, including people I didn’t even know were reading open proposition is not necessarily the best the newsletter. What a nice moment!” way to empower community choice, when her idea that people could apply for “free Jo is a great advocate of the attitude that if one thing isn’t working, you try something money” from an LCV-backed community else. “You can’t get everyone interested, and that’s OK. Work with the people who are fund attracted just eight applicants. Even enthusiastic.” That was the rationale for the orchard project, the eco-driving lessons, those who did apply were seemingly the experiment with a community fund. Or take Coleshill’s now celebrated bees. “The reluctant to ask for anything too expensive, four people involved have given up a lot of time for training,” she says, “and they’re really and it transpired that they needed guidance dedicated. What’s more, it has created real community interest, with people talking about it on what to ask for. And sometimes the “free perhaps more than anything else. And one thing this project has really brought home to me stuff” was turned down for very human is that once you’ve got people involved in one thing, then they’re more likely to show interest and practical reasons and worries, such as in other areas of the project.” people not wanting the builders in to do loft insulation as they’d make “such a mess of the carpets”, or turning down secondary glazing because it would ruin the aesthetic appeal of the period windows.

15 Jo’s efforts to make the project as wide as possible, embracing initiatives like the fund, the orchard and the beekeeping as well as the direct energy-saving side of things, reflects her understanding that “different things motivate different people”. It may be mainly a desire to save money that brings some people in, but for others it may be more a matter of wanting to live a greener life, or just an interest in doing something in their community that they could not Jo is also aware that once she is no longer there, with the time to keep on top of things, have done before. She has, however, been motivation for the activities that people undertake for themselves can start to slip away. concerned to ensure that key aspects of the “I’ve learnt that, sadly, you need doers in the project.” Accordingly, wherever possible, she has project, such as the draughtproofing work tried to design in features to help keep the various new ventures going. On the other hand, that was still under way in mid-2011, do get she reflects, “The community talking to each other is very powerful. Perhaps I could have satisfactorily completed. relied on that a bit more.”

Coleshill is buzzing with interest in bees. Setting up two hives in the village cost very little of the LCV project budget, and the sale of honey should provide a stream of income to keep this initiative going. Expert beekeepers from the surrounding area have shared their skills and knowledge to train up four volunteers to look after them. The bees feature regularly in the LCV project newsletter, and seem to have become the biggest talking point in the village. The revival of a local community orchard has been a similar success.

16 Sue Homersham rates the Coleshill LCV project as a big success, and she’s clear about why: “It has done what it said.” A long-serving former parish council chair, the driving force behind the village newsletter and one of the team of village shop volunteers, Sue actually decided to hold back from a leading role on Jo’s steering group on the simple grounds that it would be better if others came forward. She reckons, though, that “most of the hard work has been done by Jo”, Dave Barker and his partner, Emma, have felt encouraged to grow more of their whom she describes as “an intelligent own food. That’s on top of Dave’s new-found role as a volunteer beekeeper and enthusiast”. As someone who knows their concern for energy saving, which was the original reason they got involved. more than most about community “Once we realised how bad we were, it woke us up. I honestly thought we had activism, Sue’s overriding advice is that enough with 100mm of insulation,” he recalls. His two pieces of advice for other “you have to engage and you have to projects of this kind? If things take too long, people tend to lose interest. And don’t communicate”. The right sequence try to rely on committees of volunteers, where people tend to drift away; “You need of activities, too, is important: “If you someone like Jo.” tinker at the edges you don’t hold people’s engagement.” Her main regret is the lack of progress on cutting car “Eco-driving” seemed on the face of it to be a good fit with a project aiming to fuel use. A radical step like car sharing cut energy use, but to Jo’s surprise the lessons she organised in Coleshill attracted may be hard to reconcile with our few takers and quite a bit of adverse reaction. “I think transport is quite a touchy current mindsets, she says, “but we subject for people and you can step on people’s toes really easily,” she said have got to look at our lives and think afterwards. However, those who did take part have changed the way they drive as about things a bit differently”. a result – one in particular gets an extra 50 miles out of her tank because of her new driving style.

17 How it all 4adds up

“We used to pay £60/month on gas, but now we’ve had the loft insulation done we pay £39/month. And we keep our wine up above the kitchen because it’s so cold – none of the heat escapes!” Vilma, Coleshill

The value of this project in Coleshill and Wallington cannot be captured in a simple ‘before and after’ calculation of carbon emissions. Maximising its impact in those terms was important and is explored in this section, but just as important was learning as much as possible about community engagement with carbon reduction issues, which form the basis of the later recommendations.

18 In Coleshill, a carbon footprinting questionnaire was used in an effort to establish an initial baseline figure. But this was complicated by the fact that the Defra calculator chosen developed over the course of the project, and so it became difficult to compare over the period. Carbon footprinting is necessarily based on a range of assumptions, and the results can be more dependent on these assumptions than on the underlying data. The figures arrived at for Coleshill households ranged from about 2.6 to 14.6 tonnes of CO2 per year, and averaged 6.3 tonnes, compared with a national average of 4.5 tonnes. It does seem likely that the footprint of Coleshill In both villages, the main energy-saving actions undertaken is above the national average, due in part to the type and were loft insulation, draughtproofing and fitting hot-water condition of the properties there. cylinder jackets. This quantitative analysis looks only at these actions in domestic households, not in National Trust offices or The data collected in Wallington focused on energy communal facilities, such as the village hall or the shop. expenditure, using bills as evidence. The average Wallington household energy bill came out at just under £1,300 per The next question might be whether these actions were good year, broadly in line with national averages. Using conversion choices. David Aeron-Thomas, Head of Metrics at Forum for the factors for the relevant types of fuel used, this produces an Future, says that it’s often most useful to discuss this in terms annual average CO2 figure of 12.6 tonnes. The very different of the potential for cost-effective savings on energy bills – the methodology means that no comparison could be made with metric that’s most widely appreciated across the community. the Coleshill figures, even if a lot more expensive work were to His tabulation, based on Energy Savings Trust calculations for be done on checking and resolving anomalies. typical UK households, rates the actions as follows:

up-front cost in £ annual saving in £/year payback in years Loft insulation to modern 270mm standards: from existing 0mm 250 145 2 from existing 50mm 250 40 6 from existing 100mm 150 10 15 Draught proofing 100 25 4 Hot water cylinder jackets 15 35 0.4

19 So all of them, evidently, should be well worth doing (and fitting a hot-water cylinder jacket is an absolute ‘no-brainer’). The sheepswool insulation chosen for both villages admittedly did cost more than these standard figures allow, but estimates suggest that standard insulation would have paid for itself within just five years on average in Coleshill, and eight in Wallington (where the existing standard was generally somewhat better). The sheepswool insulation was chosen out of a desire to support Welsh farming – a decision made on wider sustainability considerations than cost alone. Using the But the real eye-opener, says Aeron-Thomas, is how this is above estimates for the potential impact of the three main overshadowed by what can be achieved ‘just’ through changing interventions implemented in the project, the annual whole behaviour – which typically could reduce energy bill on average village savings resulting from the households who participated by £200 a year per household for a minimal outlay. On that basis, in Coleshill might amount to £5,300, and in Wallington to Coleshill might look forward to savings totalling £6,200 from £3,100 (or about 3% of its total energy expenditure). Those behaviour change alone, and Wallington an even heftier £9,200, if totals would break down as follows: half of their households engaged positively and actively with this dimension of the LCV project.

Coleshill Although there’s simply not enough data from the project to Loft insulation £2400 from 53 households confirm the magnitude of savings actually achieved at this stage, a final energy survey at each village is planned and this will help Draught proofing £1100 from 45 households to fully account for the lifetime savings achieved through the Hot water cylinder jackets £1800 from 50 households Low Carbon Villages project. Final results will be available on the National Trust website from April 2012. In an ideal world, says Wallington Aeron-Thomas, you’d want your data analysis to have established a baseline annual cost at the outset, with figures collected Loft insulation £1500 from 61 households consistently across the project. Then you’d collect the evidence of Draught proofing £800 from 33 households how that figure changed over time following the different actions. Hot water cylinder jackets £800 from 22 households Even then, however, the weather might be different, human factors would impact on how different measures performed in practice, and so on.

20 “There’s a long way to go before accuracy becomes the most His other point, though, is something of a warning about crucial thing,” Aeron-Thomas readily concedes. What is more trying to make things too easy. If there had been more pressure important, he stresses, is that the quantitative analysis should on people to do their energy assessments and calculations help people become more aware of the materiality of their themselves, he believes, “they’d have had to get more involved, actions. Then, as he says, you’ll see which actions offer the best and would have learned more”. Instead, both project managers prospects for giving your project the invaluable momentum took on the main burden of data crunching and reporting back. that comes from success, by “doing the quick wins and getting While he sympathises with their desire to remove hurdles to the best bang for your buck”. Understanding the figures is participation, Aeron-Thomas would have liked to see the project critical for another reason – it shows the enormous relative managers pass more of this responsibility to each household. significance of behaviour change versus technical changes. The more they get involved with the metrics, he believes, the more people will learn, and understand, and want to take It might not be the first thing you’d expect from the metrics effective action. Which, in the end, is more important than expert, but if you ask Aeron-Thomas about the main lessons collecting the data. of this project, he puts a twofold emphasis on engagement. One aspect of this is the importance of a social hub in the village. The pub, where onlookers at the bar can get drawn into meetings, is a clear case in point. “Bring back community assets that are multifunctional,” he says.

21 Getting people on 5 board...

The LCV project brought to light many insights into why and how people are motivated to take part in community projects. Forum for the Future, the leading sustainable development charity, conducted some people-centred research in both of the villages to explore and distill those insights for the benefit of other community groups around the UK.

From this research, Forum have identified five key recommendations we would make to anyone wanting to start up an LCV-type project.

22 1. Go with the grain opportunities for others to tell the story and others prefer a chat on the doorstep. of the project and pass on information? A local email list may work well – and Design your project around existing People who’ve got used to using an energy don’t forget opportunities like Facebook passions, networks and schedules monitor themselves, for example, may and Twitter! • Groups and networks within the village be best placed to pass them on to their • But don’t just broadcast information are powerful routes into your community. neighbours and get them to give it a try. to your community – encourage They take time and effort to build, so Understanding who trusts whom is a conversation and debate. Respond to make the most of those that already great help when trying to reach across issues as the project develops and work exist. The local WI group, the village communities. with your community to deal with them council, or even something as informal together. as a gardening group can be excellent 3. Be collaborative, vehicles for your project. At Cambo’s not prescriptive • Bring things to life by making them local school, for instance, keeping pigs Share ownership and tap into passions visual. Whatever you are trying to explain and chickens provides the children with or suggest, use images and film wherever • From the outset, it’s important that learning opportunities, and food too, possible. Thermal imaging, for instance, is the people in your community feel they while supportive local vets provide free or a great way to dramatise how homes leak are contributing to the direction of the low-cost treatment to the animals. heat. And seeking help from people with project. Let them, with your help, call the an interest in photography or film could • People with full-time jobs can probably shots. Run sessions to gather their ideas be a way of getting them involved. only make evening or weekend meetings, about what they would like to do and try but a morning coffee meet-up may suit to build a project that cuts across different • Bring things to life by telling real stories. those with children at home or older motivations. They are usually the most powerful way members of the community. And tune into to bring home what can be done. ‘Did you • Some people are driven by saving money, the cycles of community life. People meet know Sally saved £200 by switching off while for others it may be the opportunity up less in the cold dark winter months, her towel rail?!’ is a much more persuasive to do something new, fun or fulfilling, especially in rural areas, but they might message than simply ‘Switch off your such as beekeeping or growing food. You be tempted out by a mulled wine evening. towel rail.’ may be surprised by people’s ideas, but In the summer, try a BBQ or tree-planting go with it; it’s really important to build • Sell the solution, not the product. Not day. up enthusiasm and excitement for the everyone loves new technology, and not • Open meetings don’t have to be held project. everyone loves change, but more people behind closed doors. If you arrange will embrace new ideas if they can see the • Beware of getting stuck on tricky something in the local pub, for instance, solution they offer. Take loft insulation, subjects. People can be very sensitive people feel more relaxed and can easily for example. It’s fairly boring in itself – but if you try to tackle car use in a rural eavesdrop at the bar. That means there’s making an old house cosy for Christmas is community, for instance. If you feel this is a good chance of involving them passively something that people really do desire. the case, build up trust by focusing first (at first), and so drawing in a wider group on areas where people are more ready to than the ‘usual suspects’. 5. Be patient! take action. You can return to some of the Change takes time… 2. Find your advocates tougher issues once you’ve got a bit of momentum. • If you are already a trusted member of Make the most of those who want to get the community, you are likely to find it • Remember, too, that it may be stuck in easier to set up a project like this. If you something you hadn’t expected that • In any group there will be some people are new to a community, it will take more puts people off – like fear of the mess who are more keen than others to take time. But either way, people don’t change the builders might make outweighing the up new ideas. Make the most of them, overnight. Be patient, keep going and financial attractions of loft insulation! whether they’re ‘keen greens’, technology keep being collaborative. buffs or just the kind who like getting 4. Communicate and share • Be patient for those who take a stuck into new stuff. Keep in touch and bring it to life little longer than others, and don’t be • Use their stories and their experiences disheartened if there are some in your • Keep your community up to date with to help others understand what you’re community who don’t want to get news and progress by using a mix of the trying to do. A ‘pass-it-on’ approach involved at all. Work with what you’ve got, different channels at your disposal. Some can help tap into the power of peer-to- be positive, and the others will start to people read newsletters, others keep an peer communication. Can you create prick up their ears and get interested! eye on noticeboards or the village website, 23 So what’s next? “The Low Carbon Village project has given us some valuable insights into how we can work with our tenants to help make our housing stock more energy efficient – both in terms of appropriate interventions and also how to effect behaviour change. We will be sharing the learnings across the rest of the organisation and externally to our supporters in the hope that they might be inspired to set up similar projects in their own communities.” National Trust

“The Low Carbon Village project was designed to help tackle the disillusionment that many feel around climate change. Both Coleshill and Wallington are fantastic examples of how you can take simple steps to put low carbon living into practice. We hope that other villages will benefit from our project learnings and be inspired to not only implement energy efficiency measures in their own homes to help reduce their carbon footprint and save money, but also to work together to create a more sustainable way of living for their wider community.” npower

“We hope this project will inspire others to take action and involve their communities in low carbon living. The experiences of people in both villages show that there are many things we can do immediately to reduce our impact, even in our old housing stock. Understanding people and how they can be motivated to take part in projects like this will be crucial. Working together in our communities will play a major part in helping the UK to reach its goal of 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2025.” Forum for the future

Low Carbon Village Project National Trust Green Energy and npower - working together for a greener future

Report researched and produced by: Project team: Forum for the Future National Trust: Elin Horgan, Celia Robbins & Jo Trussler Overseas House, RWEnpower: Ruth Worton 19–23 Ironmonger Row, Forum for the Future: Fiona Bennie & Madeleine Lewis London, EC1V 3QN, United Kingdom Written by: Roger East Design by: Nice&Serious - www.niceandserious.com Registered charity number: 1040519 For more information please contact: Company limited by guarantee: 2959712 Louise Burdett: [email protected] Ruth Worton: [email protected] Date of publication: January 2012 Fiona Bennie: [email protected]