Forum Topic

Borough Wide Energy Conservation?

Does anyone know which councillor is in charge of the borough's energy policy?I ask this because in a time where we will experience an energy gap there is going to be a need for a reduction in energy consumption across the country. Also with prices going sky high it makes sense for the borough to seek ways to reduce its energy bills and thus the burden on the local tax payer.There are two areas I believe that should be looked into. One is reducing consumption by using such things as hybrid/LPG vehicles, LED street lighting and traffic lights(like in Denver, USA) as well as installing energy saving light bulbs in all council buildings.The other is to investigate the feasibility of local power generation through wind, solar and maybe utilising the local rivers (the Queen is building a hydro-electric plant on the Thames to supply Windsor Castle, she can see what's coming.)

Paul Davis ● 7118d7 Comments

All the plans I've seen still rely on a centralised power supply. This is potentially dangerous, putting all our energy requirements in one basket.We need to start planning for decentralised power supplies. We can't have oil, gas or coal power stations like Battersea and Bankside in urban areas anymore but we can have local supplies of wind, solar and hydro.

Paul Davis ● 7108d

There doesn't seem to be a problem in that respect.  The ideas for sustainable and other options seem to have been covered pretty well e.g. http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/publications/policy/index.shtml

David Johnson ● 7108d

I'm not too worried about carbon emissions although they are a concern. My primary worry is that we're heading towards an energy gap so who in the borough is tasked with making sure the residents get as much energy as possible our of local resources?It's not too clever for us to just stick our heads in the sand and hope the National Grid can supply us all. Towns, borough's and cities need to start investigating how they can create local supplies of green energy, that can keep people alive when the Grid fails.

Paul Davis ● 7108d

Hi Paul, if your surf around there are dozens of examples e.g. some say give the 2012 to the French – just look up the cost (in money or “carbon footprint”) that the games will produce with all the extra aircraft bringing visitors, participants etc.  Some people take this further and say that aircraft should pay VAT etc. like everyone else.  Some even question whether “cheap flights” to second homes in Spain etc. should be allowed.  e.g. if you tax, say tobacco, why let airlines off with a lower than the  “correct” tax / VAT etc.All these new ice-rinks;  Kew etc. is not normally below zero so needs energy to produce ice.You can find lots of sites that are saying that .gov is frightening us with “5-a-day”, “Energy" etc. on the one hand and are not really doing their bit.

David Johnson ● 7109d

She's using a nearby weir!http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Britain's_Royal_Windsor_Castle_to_get_hydro-electric_power_plant

Paul Davis ● 7109d

Cllr. Bartholomew can be contacted at work 020 8568 4112 or on email at work homes@coophomes.coop

Alan Sheerins ● 7109d

Can't answer your first question I'm afraid but the Borough must have some sort of energy saving strategy in place.How does the Queen generate hydro-electricity at Windsor where the river is non-tidal?

Dan Evans ● 7111d