Energy Drop-In on Tuesday 14th March from 11am to 3pm in the Ormidale Pavilion in Brodick.

Arran Eco Savvy’s energy team will be there, as well as representatives from several organisations that can provide advice and energy support.

We hope to see you there and please spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested!

Safe and Warm Energy Adviser from Citizens Advice Bureau

The Safe & Warm Energy Adviser for Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau, Amanda Mackie, will be available to talk to people worried about their bills or wanting to cut their energy usage.

People interested in this service are encouraged to bring their bills along for Amanda to have a look at.

Home Energy Scotland

Some of the things Home Energy Scotland can help you with:

• Free advice to help you lower and understand your energy bills
• Information on prepayment meters
• How to use your heating controls effectively
• Information on funding and what is available
• Free water saving devices, to help you reduce your energy bills
• Information on home renewable and their free in-home service
• Home energy checks
• Extra support for you, or someone you care for, through their Energycarer service
• Warmer Homes Scotland programme: Warmer Homes Scotland is designed to help people make their homes warmer and more comfortable by installing a range of energy saving improvements.

Home Energy Scotland can be contacted on: 0808 808 2282

North Ayrshire Council

North Ayrshire Council launched the Energy Smart campaign during 2022 in response to the energy and cost of living crisis.

The Sustainability Team work in partnership with Home Energy Scotland and can provide practical advice on how to save money on your energy bills. In addition to this the Energy Smart Emergency Payment is available to provide much-needed funds to low-income households to help with their energy bills.

Further information and to apply for the crisis payment is available at

The Wise Group: Area Based Scheme Projects

The Wise Group are endorsed by North Ayrshire Council and will be offering advice on Area Based Scheme projects. 

Message from The Wise Group:

In a typical household, over half of fuel bills are spent on heating and hot water so with energy prices reaching record levels and causing a significant impact on people’s finances, all homes share the same concern and are looking for effective ways to reduce their energy consumption.  We are reaching out to homes that require energy efficiency measures to improve living conditions, reduce energy costs and generally improve their home for future generations and families, which also has a positive effect on the environment.
 
The range of energy efficiency measures will vary from one household to another, that is the reason why an in-depth assessment will be conducted to determine which recommendations will be suggested.  We welcome you to register your interest for external wall insulation to improve the energy efficiency of your dwelling, subject to survey.
 
Please note that expressing interest at this stage does NOT guarantee the installation of any measures but simply notifies us of your interest in the project as we remain at the early stages of our proposals.
 
Private let
Subject to qualifying criteria, grant support may be available to private rental homes. If you reside in a private rental property, I recommend for you to inform your landlord as improvements to the home will be to benefit your living conditions.
 
Endorsed by North Ayrshire Council
This is a genuine offer approved from North Ayrshire Council, please access webpage below, where you can be directed to contact the Wise Group’s email inbox:
www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/business/land-and-property/energy-management.aspx
 
Do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any further questions, we will be more than happy to discuss any enquiries you may have, by email: EES_ABS@thewisegroup.co.uk

Arran Eco Savvy Energy Team: winter warmer kit and Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)

Arran Eco Savvy’s energy team will also be at the event with some energy busting items from their “winter warmer” demo kit for people to look at, including items such as:

• window insulating film
• heated throw cover
• air fryer
• slow cooker
• electric clothes dryer
• insulated curtains
• dehumidifier

There has been lots of interest in the media about household goods that might be able to save money if used through the winter or by replacing appliances that use high energy. We have some available for people to look at and trial to see if these can make a difference in your home.

Andrew will also be available to talk about Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), how they can be beneficial for improving the energy efficiency of your home, and how to get an EPC on Arran.

Zero Waste Cafe Pop-Up

Make sure to bring your appetite as we will have to Eco Savvy Zero Waste Cafe serving their delicious healthy soup, teas, coffees and a selection of baking.

Our range of zero waste goods will be available, including:

• flour
• oats
• pasta (plain and wholemeal!)
• rice
• red lentils
• broth mix
• gram flour
• quinoa

Please remember to bring your own containers so you can take away as much or as little as you need.

We will also have:

• Tinned items
• Locally grown produce (seasonally available)
• FREE SEEDS!

Everything is available on a suggested donation basis.

Jess and Donna will be there to discuss ways of avoiding food waste. If you have any questions about how to use up some items you have at home please don’t hesitate to ask, we’ve got lots of lovely recipe ideas and cooking ‘hacks’ to share!

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ZERO WASTE CAFE WILL NOT BE GOING AHEAD IN LOCHRANZA ON THIS DATE. Sorry Lochranza!

If you have never been to the Zero Waste Cafe before here is a short video (with some lovely Arran scenery!):

eBike and etrike trials

As well as this we will also have lots of different ebikes available for folks to try out.

You can do this in a safe area away from the road, with our ebike team on hand to show you how to use the ebikes and to answer any questions you have.

We have an ebike loan scheme where you can borrow an ebike for free for several weeks to see how it can fit in with your life. Have a chat with our team if you are interested!

Jumble table

And don’t forget to have a peruse of our “jumble table” with items from the Eco Savvy shop in Whiting Bay.

We will have a selection of pre-loved winter wardrobe items and interesting bric a brac to browse.