Eco Savvy’s Energy Challenge
This year Arran Eco Savvy has an even larger project ahead of themselves and have hired 3 new employees to add to the team!
The overall aim of the project is to reduce the carbon emissions of the island, by providing FREE domestic energy audits and advising locals on the best way to make their homes more energy efficient. Audits conducted by Derek and Charlotte offer you information on ways to cut your energy bills, your eligibility for grants, schemes and loans, thermal imaging of your home and renewable energy. Once the audit, which takes around an hour, is complete you will receive an action plan tailored to you on cost effective home improvements.
On top of this, from mid-August every person who signs up has the opportunity to have our EPC 
assessor conduct a survey on their house free of charge! It is now a legal requirement for a property to have an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) if it is being put up for sale or rent and an EPC is a calculated way to examine the main heat loss from your home.
Throughout August there will be energy advice drop in surgeries being held at the Eco Savvy Shop in Whiting Bay EVERY TUESDAY. At least one of the auditors will be present to answer any questions you may have and get you booked in whenever suits you best.
Please also call: 01770 302 642 or email: ecosavvy.energychallenge@gmail.
Meet the Eco Savvy Energy Team
Ruth: “I’m Ruth and I am the new Project Administrator at Eco Savvy so you might be hearing from me if you are interested in getting an energy audit in your home 🙂
Having recently fled the mean city streets to pursue the dream of living nearer nature and the outdoors I am so excited to be part of an organisation seeking to make a positive contribution to the future of Arran and its community.
I love working in the not-for-profit sector have previously worked for the charities Myeloma UK, the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust, the mental health charity Mind and volunteered at a foodbank. My interests include skiing, travel, hillwalking, reading and Star Wars. I work 20 hours a week with the fabulous Eco Savvy team and will be in the Eco Savvy shop in Whiting Bay every Tuesday if you would like to pop in to find out more about our energy efficiency project or sign up for an energy audit for your home!”
Charlotte: “Hi, I’m Charlotte, Eco Savvy’s new energy auditor. I have been visiting Arran since I was a child and planned to just move over for a summer season, but I fell in love with the island and have now been living here for a year. I am originally from a small village outside Glasgow and studied geology and petroleum geology at Aberdeen University. During this time the oil industry in Aberdeen crashed and I realized my interest lay in protecting the environment rather than exploiting it. After graduation I went straight on to study for a MSc in energy & environmental management. I have a strong interest in the aims of Eco Savvy and the Arran community, so am incredibly grateful and excited to start in this position working alongside the vastly experienced Derek.”
Derek: “I am an ex-coal mining engineer born in Ayrshire and have been involved in renewable energy for the past 15 years. I have experience in the field of heat pumps, solar thermal and hydro power. I was employed to survey domestic and commercial properties to verify their suitability for renewable heating systems.
I believe it is paramount that we all take any measures we can to minimise and eventually eradicate our dependence on the use of fossil fuels to create a cleaner more sustainable future and reverse global warming. Oil/gas will run out sooner than we think and it is essential we make changes to the way we heat our homes and how they are constructed in future. Eco Savvy will carry out a free energy audit on your home which will allow you to make an informed decision on improvements you could make to your home to reduce your heating costs. You can then budget for these changes and possibly invest in a replacement heating system if viable.”
Jude: “Hi I am Jude, Eco Savvy’s Project Manager. I came to the island a year ago where I was immediately immersed in the Eco Savvy’s Micro Hubs Project! Challenging but also rewarding, I am delighted to be a part of another project that aims to make a significant difference to cutting carbon emissions locally. I would encourage anyone that lives on the island who wants support in reducing their carbon footprint through a decrease in their energy consumption, or is interested in implementing renewable technologies, to get in touch. In the last project we managed to save a total of 101.9 tonnes of CO2e and this project we are aiming even higher!”