BRILLIANT to see Keith Webber and the students at Okehampton College receive their award for their renewable energy initiatives. Keith has successfully plastered the college in solar PV and the latest international win will ensure that the turbines that are planned will be installed.

This will more than cover the college's energy consumption, thus saving the college money to buy more staff and benefit the pupils. Well done, Mr Webber and the students and team at the college — top marks.

Keith waxes lyrical about his turbines but what he spouts about less is his retrofit stuff that he has achieved at the college. This is much more in line with what the average person on the street can achieve.

Most renewable energy initiatives have been way too expensive for the average person to install and right now they are probably more concerned about the rising cost of their energy bills than about the cost to our climate or carbon reduction.

Renewable energy measures and retrofit to ensure energy efficiency in our homes are now within the reach of the average person thanks to the launch of the Government's Green Deal.

This initiative enables domestic and commercial clients to secure assessments that might lead to them considering energy efficient works to their properties.

If your property presents something of a challenge in terms of heating and electricity costs (like ours does) the Green Deal offers owners a way forward in terms of making these works accessible and paid for up front while at the same time reducing energy costs over time. 'Too good to be true' I hear you say, but certainly worth considering as an option to paying for these things ourselves.

Domestic home owners, those in rental properties and businesses can sign up direct for a Green Deal Assessment at http://www.toriga-energy.com">www.toriga-energy.com for which businesses will have to pay a fee or as an alternative a free survey is being offered by the Heat Project (Home Energy Action Taskforce) which aims to engage with householders to provide advice and guidance about the Green Deal and the related funding streams available to help towards making energy saving upgrades to your home.

Working alongside local authorities, community groups and local companies as part of a pilot scheme, the Heat Project will offer free home energy audits to a limited number of local residents in and around Devon and Somerset. Based on the outcome of the audit, householders will be advised about a range of energy saving measures, grants and funding options available to them to put towards potential Green Deal works to help improve the energy saving potential of their homes. Access this free survey at http://www.heatproject.co.uk">www.heatproject.co.uk or telephone 0800 093 4050.

The college has successfully highlighted the issues for us and taken a fantastic lead within our Okehampton community but now it is over to us to do something about it and save ourselves some money as well as saving the planet.

Kay Bickley

EDF Team Green Britain Ambassador

Director of Devon Association of Renewable Energy (DARE)