This month’s column shares ideas from our friends at Tamar Energy Community (TEC). TEC is a not-for-profit social enterprise providing independent energy advice and support to households, businesses and communities across West Devon and the Tamar Valley.

Many of us have watched recent news from the Middle East with a mix of worry and distance. It feels far away, yet the ripple effects reach far into our lives and can have significant impacts on us all. It’s a reminder that resilience isn’t just a national issue. It matters in every household, business and community.

Storm Goretti earlier this year showed how weather can disrupt supply. Severe winds and heavy snowfall left more than 60,000 homes without power, with some of the longest outages in the South West. Events like this highlight why it can be useful to think ahead and why taking practical steps to become more self-reliant and localise our energy is increasingly important.

For many of us, resilience starts at home. Both big and small measures can all make a difference.

Keeping heat in can be one of the simplest and most effective steps. Good insulation and draught proofing can make homes easier to heat and reduce the energy we need, whilst ensuring adequate ventilation.

Using microwaves, slow cookers and air fryers rather than ‘power-hungrier’ ovens and hobs can improve kitchen energy resilience and costs.

Generating your own renewable heat and power may be an option, for example rooftop solar panels which can be paired with battery storage. Households may also consider options to enable solar and battery combinations to operate ‘off grid’.

If you’re thinking about improvements you could make, a good place to begin may be the Stoke Climsland Retrofit Guide and supporting animation: https://www.stokeclimslandparishcouncil.org/carbon-zero-homes-project/

Our communities can also consider becoming more energy resilient, and our community buildings can play an important role for example a village hall, church or other community space.

A community building that can be kept warm, together with solar panels on the roof and a battery system can provide a warm space that can be run more affordably and provide a place of refuge when needed. With the potential for off-grid generation during a power cut, the welcome can include community support such as charging phones and keeping the community connected. These buildings can become anchors during storms or outages, especially in rural areas.

Communities can also work together to explore options for community owned renewable energy, for example, solar panels, a wind turbine and/or hydro power generation. This may be bigger or smaller projects depending on a community’s interest and resources available and can incorporate enhancement of local biodiversity.

As the world around us continues to shift, becoming a little more self-reliant and keeping more of our energy local can make a meaningful difference. Together, these choices help build communities that are ready for the future and able to support one another when it matters most.

You can find more information on our website at https://tamarenergycommunity.com, or get in touch at [email protected] or 0800 233 5414.