CommuniHeat update for Barcombe News (July edition)

I’m writing this month’s piece with my resident’s hat perched firmly on my head.

If you were at the event at the Village Hall on 25th June, it was great to see you. It’s so good to talk about CommuniHeat in 3D rather than on screens! If you’re planning to go to the Barcombe Bonfire Society event that’s scheduled for 4th July, I hope to see you there.

If you did come in June you’ll have seen the launch of “Our Energy: Barcombe.” This initiative is all about how we Barcombe residents can join together to make decisions around the future of our energy, based on the results of CommuniHeat. Because that’s what community energy is about, in a nutshell – ownership, resilience and empowerment for communities. By the end of the year we should know what some of the options are to take Barcombe towards Net Zero, and we’ll need to work together to decide what to do next. It’s about being prepared, and having a plan that everyone can have a say in.

So – what’s the best way to do that? Well, Ovesco suggests that a steering committee would be a good start, and this was one of the things that was introduced at the June event.

A steering committee would generally consist of a number of residents, with a broad range of skills. You might have prior experience of leadership – perhaps from chairing a local group or something similar. You could be skilled in marketing, engineering, law or finance. You might have experience of renewable energy and/or energy efficiency. But this isn’t an exhaustive list. Each and every one of you will have valuable skills, ideas and opinions they can bring, and no one should feel unable to participate. Remember, it’s Our Energy! And Ovesco is a community organisation based on cooperative principles, and is here to support and guide, not impose anything on the village. You might have a better idea of how to go about it – if so, the Ovesco team would love to hear about it. It’s up to all of us and we can all have a say.

Finally, if you haven’t yet signed up for a heat loss survey, please do. This project is nothing without the heat loss info. Remember, you’ll receive a free heat loss survey and some vouchers to spend at local businesses.

Let’s learn how to do this together, and share our learning with other communities!

To sign up for a survey or volunteer for the steering group, or share ideas or thoughts of any kind, email communiheat@ovesco.org or ring 01273 472405. You can also sign up for a survey or for the mailing list at www.communiheat.org. Or stop me for a chat if you see me out and about. I really don’t mind; I just love talking about CommuniHeat!