By the Energy Know How team
Julie and Sharon visited the Redwood centre in Maltby following a previous introductory visit. The group we went to meet were all elderly and they meet regularly for refreshments and a chat.
The group were very welcoming and friendly and participated in two energy related games to stimulate discussions. The first was to highlight where heat is lost from a home which led to an in-depth discussion about insulation, draughts and the greendoctor service which offers free home visits for minor draught proofing installations.
The second game was to highlight that small changes in behaviours can result in savings on energy bills, the group did this activity in small teams and matched pictures of an activity with the potential annual savings. They were very competitive with their results. This again provoked a good and lengthy discussion about energy saving measures and the general cost and unfairness in the energy market around standing charges particularly for low users and those that live alone.
We also discussed Priority Services Register and the importance of being on that for the elderly and those with health issues.
This was a very enjoyable session, and the ladies were very engaging and interested. All the attendees were given thermostats to help them to monitor the temperatures in their homes and leaflets with our contact details on should they require any help in the future or have any questions they did not wish to ask in front of the group.