Make a difference today!

Let's banish the unfilled cavity wall!

WFEG proudly announces an initiative to help Whittington and Fisherwick become the first community in the UK where all households have insulated cavity walls!

There has never been a better time to consider insulating your home. Energy costs are sky high and thanks to the grants currently available, the cost of insulating has never been cheaper.

The pay back in energy cost savings is estimated at just 12 months!

* Cavity walls insulated - £150 (standard house up to 4 bedrooms)
* Loft insulation and top up - £199 (as above)
* Free to over 70’s and people in receipt of benefits

By having your cavity walls insulated, you can cut the heat lost through your walls by more than half, saving up to 30% on heating bills, and considerably reducing your carbon footprint.

Through our initial energy health checks we have learnt that up to 60% of the village homes in Whittington and Fisherwick do not have cavity wall insulation. This is bad for our environment and bad for our pockets.

We have teamed up with Lichfield District Council’s approved installer to help us insulate as many homes in the village as possible. They will visit and carry out a survey to show how your house could best be insulated, and then provide you with a quotation. They have access to all of the grants available and will advise on the most cost effective way of getting your house insulated.

Typically, if you have up to a standard 4 bed detached house, the cost of cavity wall insulation could be as low as £150, and if you are aged over 70 or receive benefits there is a good chance it will be FREE.

It is also currently recommended that loft insulation thickness should be 270 mm.

Full loft insulation or top up starts at £199 for a typical 4 bed property, and again, if you are over 70 or receive benefits then it is very likely to be FREE.

Also, for every house that is insulated in the village, the installer will donate £20 to WFEG to fund a community insulation or renewable energy project in the Parish.

To register your interest, or just find out more, please contact our Project Co-ordinator Julian Floyd by calling 01543 432910 or click on the link to email him: julian@wfeg.org.uk

All wall insulation on offer has a 25-year guarantee from the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Association.

REduce

Waste that is not created in the first place does not need to be reused or recycled - so it's the FIRST PRIZE!

Ways in which we can reduce waste include:

• Change incandescent light bulbs for the energy saving versions - they use much less electricity, last much much longer, and are now freely available in all types and sizes - they're a lot cheaper than they used to be, too!
• Avoid over packaging - buy food loose and use concentrated products
• Compost at home using a composter, compost heap, wormery or food digester - saves buying soil conditioners - a double benefit for keen gardeners!
• Use mechanical power e.g wind up radios and torches...or solar powered garden lights, calculators etc
• Stop "Junk Mail" using the mailing preference service (www.mpsonline.org.uk) and share magazines and papers around, or donate them to your dentist or GP - they're bound to be more recent than the ones they have!
• Repair shoes, clothes etc. Avoid disposable items.
• Use services - hire equipment which you use only occasionally, or club together with friends and share.

REuse

Using an item multiple times, sometimes in different guises reduces waste. Reuse saves valuable resources - pass it on!

• Reuse paper of all kinds including wrapping paper and gift bags, postal packaging, boxes and padded bags.
• Say "no" to plastic carrier bags - use a "proper shopper". If you get your shopping delivered - give the bags back to the driver.
• Donate old computers to charities such as www.crash-it.org who refurbish them and pass them on.
• Donate unwanted items to charities such as St Giles Hospice or The Birmingham Settlement. You can also send items such as spectacles, mobile phones, printer & toner cartridges, foreign currency, aluminium foil and postage stamps for charitable recycling.
• Use rechargeable and refillable products.
• Buy products made from recycled materials.

Recycle

• Lichfield DC provides excellent recycling facilities to us all - use them as much as you can!
• You can recycle aluminium cans, glass, textiles, paper and cardboard, "hard" plastics and green garden waste using the council's domestic bin and green box system, and there are wider facilities for recycling batteries, waste oil, paints etc at the Lichfield Waste Disposal Facility.