Sustainable Merton offering free advice
Residents in Merton Park and Colliers Wood are among those being visited by Sustainable Merton as part of a scheme to help local homes save energy.
It follows Merton council's successful bid for £76,000 from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
The borough has now launched a campaign to inform residents about two major energy initiatives – the Green Deal and the Big London Switch.
Sustainable Merton will be visiting residents in Cricket Green, Colliers Wood, Mitcham and Merton Park this month, offering free advice on how they can reduce energy in the home and switch to a cheaper electricity tariff. The charity has already approached more than 500 homes across the borough.
Merton council is the only borough in south London to have also won a bid for funding to provide free energy assessments to a number of businesses in the borough. To help support the local economy in these difficult times, the council is working with Merton Chamber of Commerce to identify local businesses which could benefit from having a free energy assessment carried out on their premises.
Cabinet member for environmental sustainability and regeneration, Councillor Andrew Judge, said: "Merton Council has always been leading the way when it comes to the environment. At a time when energy bills are soaring, it's important that we help residents, particularly the most vulnerable, get cheaper energy deals and improve their home energy efficiency. Switching collectively to one domestic energy provider to get better energy deals can benefit us all as residents."
Merton Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive, Diana Sterck, said: "Merton Chamber of Commerce is delighted to be continuing its partnership with Merton Council by working with local businesses to see how they can benefit from the Green Deal. This is an essential part of our Greening Business Programme which offers free advice to local businesses about how they can become ‘greener’ and save money in doing so. I would encourage local businesses to come along to our event on 21 March to find out more."
More information on the Green Deal is available at www.merton.gov.uk/greendeal. Merton residents who would like to take part in the Big London Switch can find out more at www.biglondonenergyswitch.org.uk or by calling 020 8274 4901.
March 15, 2013