Experts and consumers unite to launch energy efficiency hub
Experts and consumers unite to launch energy efficiency hub
Electricity North West launches the Big Energy Conversation – an online resource aimed at helping the people of the North West save money by implementing green practices.
Ahead of Andy Burnham’s Green Summit on Wednesday (21st March), Electricity North West, the region’s network operator, is launching the Big Energy Conversation – an online hub providing a wealth of information and advice to consumers looking to reduce their energy bills. 
Alongside advice from industry experts, including Jonathan Atkinson of The Carbon Co-op and Todd Holden of the Growth Company, the Big Energy Conversation features case studies, top tips, infographics and videos of ordinary people hoping to bring about real change by implementing simple changes in their behaviour and efficiencies at home.
As a partner of the inaugural Green Summit, Paul Bircham, Commercial Strategy and Support Director at Electricity North West, explained: “Our invitation to partner the Green Summit really cements our position as a leader in the conversation on energy efficiency and provides the ideal platform to launch the Big Energy Conversation. This is an important initiative because reducing energy use saves people money and reduces the need for costly new infrastructure to be built. As the region’s network operator we can really support people in the North West to achieve a sustainable and low carbon future.
We want to help people make small changes at home to bring their bills and carbon footprint down, and this hub will provide answers, insights and advice to all the much-needed and burning questions people may have about energy efficiency and renewable technologies.
The initiative follows last week’s announcement from The Greater Manchester Combined Authority of a new £15m loan fund for property developers and infrastructure providers to increase uptake of renewable energy use on development projects.
As more and more technologies are introduced, such as electric cars and solar panels, demand on power networks increases. In a bid to highlight the importance of rethinking the way we use energy, Electricity North West has invested in a series of major initiatives, all aimed at inspiring people to reduce the amount of electricity they use.
Partnering the landmark Green Summit, Paul will join the Mayor of Greater Manchester and other environmental experts to accelerate the region’s green ambitions by making green pledges and help realise Andy Burnham’s goal of making Greater Manchester one of Europe’s leading green cities.
Paul added: “We’re looking forward to inspiring more and more people across the North West to get switched on to the benefits of reducing their energy consumption.”
The Big Energy Conversation follows the launch of a major campaign by Electricity North West to get the region switched on to the reality of energy consumption. Over 1,500 people completed the network operator’s Energy Persona test, with more than 50 per cent of people across the North West identifying as Energy Busting Beths – those that are setting the benchmark when it comes to energy efficiency.
Paul concluded: “As a nation, we’ve reached a pivotal point in our energy story; if we don’t make changes now then the future will undoubtedly mean costly new infrastructure, which will hit our bills.
“We want to make the process of energy efficiency as easy and accessible as possible, which is where the Big Energy Conversation comes in. Together with experts from across the energy sector, this hub with provide all of the information people might need to make important decisions regarding how they use electricity.”