We team up with Applecross tenants to measure energy use
A project which aims to help Highland tenants tackle rising energy costs is now underway following the installation of monitoring devices in eight of our properties at Craite Barn, Applecross.
The project will see us and project partner Community Energy Scotland use the devices to gather data on electricity usage and inside temperature at each home over the next 12 months.
As part of the project, Community Energy Scotland will provide each participating tenant with a monthly analysis, enabling them to identify opportunities to manage their energy use more effectively, and potentially make their homes warmer or less costly to heat.
It will also offer a comparison of usage trends before and after the launch of Applecross Community Company’s new renewable energy initiative – a 90kW hydro-turbine and district heating scheme set to provide heat to around 22 local properties by November 2015.
Once the project is complete, we plan to share the findings and lessons learned with tenants across the region in a bid to help reduce energy wastage and tackle fuel poverty.
Speaking of the project, Calum Macaulay, our Chief Executive, commented: “The rising cost of power and heat is just one of the challenges facing highland households today and Albyn Housing Society is committed to supporting tenants to save money on energy bills by providing efficient homes and offering effective advice.
“By working with Community Energy Scotland and our tenants in Craite Barn, we aim to gain a better understanding of how our tenants use energy so that we can provide valuable energy saving advice and inform the design of future housing developments.
“We are very grateful to the Scottish Federation of Housing Association (SFHA) for supporting the project through its Energy Ideas Fund, and we’re very pleased to be working with the team at Community Energy Scotland, which will use the data to provide valuable advice and expertise to our tenants in Craite Barn and beyond.
Kirsten Macdonald, Innovation Development Officer at Community Energy Scotland, added: “It’s great to hear that the energy monitors have now been fitted, and that the data for the tenants’ first reports will soon be collected. The project’s findings will be really useful to the residents of Craite Barn, and will hopefully help each tenant manage their energy usage for a more comfortable and efficient home in the long term.
“It will also help to inform the forthcoming district heating scheme which is an ambitious step forward for the Applecross community, and an initiative that could be replicated in other communities throughout Scotland.”