Islay Energy Trust

We hear a lot about cutting our carbon emissions, but what is it all about and is it really worth doing? If you’ve read the article on global warming in a recent issue of the Ileach, then you may already be convinced of the need for action. If you are not, perhaps you would just like to reduce your living costs? It really doesn’t matter what motivates you, the fact is we need to stop wasting the Earth’s resources, and by doing that we will reduce our carbon footprint and save money into the bargain.
Islay Energy Trust’s Carbon Savings Project has been tasked with reducing Islay and Colonsay’s total carbon emissions by 300 tonnes in each of the next two years. That figure may seem a bit meaningless, but if you think of it as equivalent to the saving made by fully insulating 100 lofts, then it begins to come into perspective. If every household on the two islands was able to reduce their carbon emissions by just 300kg (and that could be as little as 2% depending on your current energy use; simply turning down your water heater thermostat to 60C and your central heating by 1 degree will go a long way towards that), then the target would be reached very easily – and we would all be a bit better off into the bargain. Over the next few months, we will be distributing Home Energy Survey forms which can be used to give you tailored advice on how to reduce your energy bills, and also how to access grants for loft and cavity wall insulation – help with these is available to all households.
So how do you work out your carbon footprint? There are lots of calculators out there on the Internet, some of which are more thorough than others, and probably none of which is completely accurate, but they do give a good indication of where you are using more energy than necessary, and advice on how to cut down. You might like to try the one on the Energy Saving Trust website – it will take around 10 minutes to work through. Ideally you should have your latest energy bills to hand, (or at least an idea of your monthly spend) and an idea of the number of miles you drive in a year. If you don’t have access to the Internet, or have difficulty using the calculator, feel free to call in at the Islay Energy Trust office, on the middle floor of Custom House, Bowmore, and Lindy will do it for you. Don’t be depressed by the result, or feel guilty! If you live in an old house and have to drive to work every day – both fairly common in rural areas – then your result may well be higher than average. What’s important is that there are small, easy measures you can take to cut your energy usage, and after a while they will become routine.
After all, we used to waltz out of the Co-Op with armfuls of carrier bags….