Do you know of a community, social group, club, parish council, residential association or organisation that wants to reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint? The Energy Savings Trust is offering two communities^* in Surrey the opportunity to receive free professional support to become low carbon. If you know of a group or are part of a group interested in this offer please read on.

The Energy Savings Trust advice centre has launched a new project to help people in Surrey communities to reduce their carbon emissions and save money on their fuel bills. As part of this project (the Low Carbon Communities Programme), the EST are planning to work with a number of communities to help them:

• monitor and reduce energy consumption;
• assess the feasibility of, and access grants for, energy efficiency measures (including loft and cavity wall insulation);
• assess the potential for renewable technologies (and grants to install them);
• run awareness sessions and distribute literature about reducing energy and switching to low carbon transport;
• set up a green group in your community to stimulate action from within;
• audit the environmental impact of community buildings.

The professional support will be available for six months, giving you a chance to create a strategy and action plan, and put it in place whilst benefitting from the advice of Energy Saving Trust professionals.

Perhaps you already work with or support a group who might be interested or perhaps you are a member of a group who might like to take up this opportunity. If so, please pass on this information to them so they can start to tackle their carbon footprint. Attached is an expression of interest for any potential applicant to consider and complete.

All enquiries and expressions of interest should be directed to the Energy Saving Trust (EST) Advice Centre (Sussex and Surrey) on 01293 438751

^* Communities in this context might be a group of people who are members of any sort of interest group or organisation. Ideally they would come from a similar geographical area. If you have an idea of a group but are in doubt of its suitability, please contact EST.