Dashboard Afternoon at Energy Local Bridport
Energy Local Bridport recently held a cake-fuelled social afternoon to help members with their Dashboards. Club officials Pete and Ali helped members log in and view their data. Active member Malcolm shared his Dashboard and wowed the group with his energy management; with some savvy planning, Malcolm uses about 95% of his imported electricity at the match price or the cheaper night time rate.
Most interesting was Hilda’s Dashboard! Hilda is a keen baker and jam-maker, and kindly shared her Dashboard with the group. Since joining Energy Local Bridport, she’s avoided enormous electricity bills by training herself bake on windy days. A look at her Dashboard shows how well she’s doing, matching half to three quarters of her monthly electricity use to the local wind power.
We also looked at the Realtime Power Data display 
on Hilda’s Dashboard. The line graph showed us how much electricity her home had drawn that day. A lot of the graph was a low, tooth-like pattern – the baseload of gadgets like the fridge and Wifi router that run in the background. There were some really noticeable peaks in Hilda’s use around midday. A bit of light questioning revealed this was when Hilda had put the kettle on and used the hob to prepare lunch. The line graph provided a great visual reminder that appliances making heat use a lot of power, and we feel it in our wallets.
Tips were also shared between members about slow cookers, PV, electric cars and washing machines. All in all it was an informative session – thank you to all who attended. We recommend a getting together over a cup of tea and Dashboards to other Clubs as a great way to further understanding of energy use.
Energy Local Team Meetup
This month our team also got together to discuss all things Energy Local. As a team that’s expanding across the UK, it was great to meet in person to brainstorm exciting plans for the future and how we can continue to support all of our lovely members. And of course all team meetings must feature our Energy Local teddies and some cake!
Funding opportunity for West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire local authorities have recently launched a new grants scheme to fund climate friendly projects. This could be a great opportunity for community groups in the area to engage with Energy Local – pass this on to anyone you know in the region who this may be of interest for! Find out more here.
Shine the Spotlight on your Community Energy Heroes
Community Energy England’s 2023 Awards are here and they’re looking for nominations of true champions in the sector. The awards highlight innovative projects, inspiring leaders, and impactful initiatives that are shaping the future of community energy. This year the awards will be held in Manchester on Friday 17 November. Nominations are open to all members of Community Energy England and will close on Friday 1 September. Find out more here.
Having problems with billing?
If you have any questions or concerns about your Energy Local tariff or bill, don’t hesitate to contact us directly (beth@energylocal.co.uk) as we meet regularly with our suppliers and will get through to their Energy Local team rather than general enquiries. This will allow us to be made aware of any problems so we can address them quickly for you!
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