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Libraries of Things – SHARE:UK

SHARE:Frome (part of SHARE:UK) has a library where you can borrow gardening equipment, DIY tools, sewing machines, and much more. In a year between 2019 and 2020, they estimate that this saved 199 tonnes in greenhouse gas emissions, 254 tonnes of raw material use, 22 tonnes of manufacturing waste whilst saving its users £144,956 by borrowing items instead of buying them.

This part of the SHARE:UK network. There are several Libraries of Things already in different areas and SHARE:UK has templates for how to set up such a project. Could someone set up one in Milton Keynes, please? See here for more details.

“Drill” by Samuel M. Livingston is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The average drill is, apparently, only used for 13 minutes in its life-time. Seems that borrowing makes sense.

Energy at Home: Practical options to improve your home’s energy efficiency

Following our successful Home Energy event on 9th October, here are the contacts for the participants and useful information for home energy efficiency.

Event contacts:

Dr Peter Clough, Lecturer in Energy Engineering at the Centre for Climate and Environmental Protection at Cranfield University – https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/alumni/communications/alumni-news/2021/0908-academic-spotlight-interview-series-dr-peter-clough

Jane Grindey, Director of Milton Keynes Community Energy – http://miltonkeynescommunityenergy.co.uk/ 

National Enerfy Foundation (NEF) – https://nef.org.uk/

NEF Superhomes – https://superhomes.org.uk/

Interglow – https://www.interglow.co.uk/

Professional bodies to look out for when approaching suppliers:

If you opt for home adaptations, it’s important to get the work completed by someone trustworthy. Look out for professional bodies, industry certifications and reputable organisations, like the following:

Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) – http://www.competentpersonsscheme.co.uk/
APHC is the leading trade association for the plumbing and heating industry in England and Wales. All members of the association are reliable, established, businesses which employ fully trained staff and have a commitment to high levels of customer service. Each member undertakes an annual assessment to ensure they are meeting the strict business standards. Part of these standards is to hold and operate an approved Customer Complaints system.

Electrical Competent Person Register – https://www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk/
The Registered Competent Person Electrical search facility provides a list of electricians registered to work in households and electrical inspectors registered to undertake electrical safety reports in homes in England and Wales, making finding the right person for the job easier than ever before. All electricians listed are permitted to display the mark are registered with an electrical Competent Person Scheme Operator, and have been authorised by Government to self-certify that their work is compliant with Building Regulations.

Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF) – http://www.ggf.co.uk/
The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) is a trade association representing companies who make, supply or fit, glass and glass related products. This includes replacement windows, energy efficient windows, doors, conservatories, hardware for these products, and all aspects of glass, including double glazed units, safety glazing, fire resistant glass, emergency glazing, decorative glass, secondary glazing, and solar control applied films and sealants.

MCS – https://mcscertified.com
MCS is a standards organisation that certifies low-carbon products and installations used to produce electricity and heat from renewable sources. They create and maintain standards that allow for the certification of products, installers and their installations. Associated with these standards is the certification scheme, run on behalf of MCS by Certification Bodies who hold UKAS accreditation to ISO 17065. Their website has directories to find a contractor and products.

National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) – http://niceic.com/ NICEIC is the UK electrical contracting industry’s independent voluntary body. We offer leading certification services, building regulations schemes, products and support to electrical contractors and many other trades within the construction industry.

National Insulation Association (NIA) – https://www.nia-uk.org/
The NIA represents the insulation industry in the UK, whose members include manufacturers, system designers and installers of insulation solutions for your home or business.

PAS 2035:2019 Retrofitting Dwellings for Improved Energy Efficiency – https://www.trustmark.org.uk/tradespeople/pas-2035 PAS 2035 essentially provides a specification for the energy retrofit of domestic buildings, and details best practice guidance for domestic retrofit projects. The PAS 2035:2019 standard was sponsored by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This is the key document in a framework of new and existing standards on how to conduct effective energy retrofits of existing buildings, it covers how to access dwellings for retrofit, identify improvement options, design and specify Energy Efficiency Measures (EEM) and monitor retrofit projects.

The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering – https://www.ciphe.org.uk/
CIPHE is the professional body for the UK plumbing and heating industry. Membership is made up of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds such as consultants, specifiers, designers, public health engineers, lecturers, trainers, trainees and practitioners. Their website has an approved plumber directory.

TrustATrader.com – https://www.trustatrader.com/
TrustATrader is a directory of tradespeople you can trust because their place on the website depends upon their quality of service.

TrustMark – https://www.trustmark.org.uk/
TrustMark is a not-for-profit social enterprise and the only Government Endorsed Quality Scheme in the UK covering home improvements in or around the home. Visit their website to access their “Find a TrustMark Trader” directory.

Which? Trusted Traders – https://trustedtraders.which.co.uk/
Which? Trusted Traders is an endorsement scheme that recognises reputable local tradesmen and tradeswomen. They aim to raise standards for consumers by setting a benchmark that all traders need to meet before they can show their logo of endorsement.

Government grants to look out for:

Many government schemes support free or subsidised energy-saving measures that aim to help vulnerable people and encourage energy efficiency in our homes. For more info, visit: