The South East Energy Agency has partnered with Library Services across the southeast to launch the Community Energy Hub, a free resource that helps people improve their energy efficiency and save money.
The Community Energy Hub is a reliable, independent, and trusted resource that helps households, community groups, and businesses better understand their energy use, and access grants and energy-saving information. Users will gain “practical tips and come away with the knowledge and resources needed to make a positive impact on the environment and your bank account!” according to the Project Coordinator, Michael Deen, Communications Officer, South East Energy Agency.
Four libraries in the southeast have been chosen to pilot the free resource, including, Loughboy Library, Waterford Central Library, Carlow County Library and Wexford Town Library. Following the initial pilot phase, the partners hope to expand the service through all libraries in the Southeast and beyond.
The initiative includes free monthly Energy Drop-in Clinics. Everyone is invited to drop in for expert advice and to embark on an energy upgrade journey.
Community Energy Hub launching across Southeast Libraries
Mr Deen commented,
“The partnership with the libraries is incredibly important. Libraries are a central part of our communities and play a pivotal role in raising awareness of environmental issues. The Community Energy Hub is an additional resource our Libraries now have, providing meaningful ways we can make our homes cheaper to run, more comfortable and better for the environment.”
The low-carbon website includes user-friendly tools such as the Home Energy Grant Finder, to help people identify specific grants applicable to their homes. Other features include an energy jargon buster, energy saving tips and a guide to understanding energy bills with realistic examples from Ireland’s energy providers. The Energy Upgrade Journey guide helps break down energy usage and provides the steps anyone can take to make big savings on their energy bills.
“The Community Energy Hub will provide independent and trustworthy information to make well-informed decisions on how to reduce energy bills and reduce environmental impact. It’s not always about Home Retrofits which can be expensive, the resources and tools on the Community Energy Hub will guide users through a step-by-step process from the small to the big changes we can make to make a real positive impact.” Mr Deen concluded.
The library offers a range of support services, including CODEMA Home Energy Kits to monitor energy usage at home, available on loan with a library card. The SEEA will provide additional kits as part of the initiative. Library staff are on hand to help people, especially those who are less tech-savvy, navigate the new Community Energy Hub.
Additionally, the Community Energy Hub is a sustainable platform This website emits less CO2 than over 93% of websites. This is achieved by adopting sustainable web development best-practices. The platform was built by Jonathan Bell & James Corscaddan, founders of Sprout*, a sustainable no-code website builder. The website code is optimised for energy-efficiency, large images and videos are replaced with intentionally used lightweight graphics, and the website is hosted with a ‘green hosting provider’ which prioritises energy efficiency and offsets emissions.
Anyone wishing to embark on a sustainable journey can avail of a free one-to-one consultation with an Energy Engineer at the local library or call in to use the new money saving resource.
The Community Energy Hub is now live and available to all online at https://communityenergyhub.ie/ or via the local library service.
