Welcome to the June newsletter. It’s been a while, and we have been quite busy and have a lot to let you know about, so here are some snippets taken mostly from this month’s Group Reports to give you a flavour of what we ‘ve been doing – do get in touch if you are tempted to join in with any of our projects!
Featuring:
From the Energy Group
Public Engagement Group update
Carbon Cutters Update
The Wildlife Warden Report
The Chair’s Report
W.A.D.E Project
ACT with the ARTS Climate Festival 2024
Food Farming Fisheries and Forestry
Small Things
ACT Website
Climate Levy on Energy
Send us your events
Forthcoming events
From the Energy Group
Flat roofs are notorious for leaking, but they can also be a problem to insulate. If you live under a flat roof with inadequate insulation, you are likely to lose heat in winter and overheat in summer. So what’s the solution?
Unfortunately retrofitting insulation in a flat roof isn’t as easy as adding traditional loft insulation between and above ceiling joists in the loft space of pitched roofs (also referred to as a cold roof insulation because the loft space remains cold). Flat roofs typically do not have easily accessible space between ceiling and roofing material (often the finish is roofing felt). So to gain access, either the ceiling or the roof covering have to be removed to add insulation.
If there is a leak and the felt or outer roofing material has to be repaired/replaced, this is an opportunity to add insulation. Ideally above the rafters or a combination of this and between rafters. Insulation above rafters is sometimes referred to as ‘cold roof’ insulation, but the term is misleading when applied to flat roofs. Here is a useful explanation.
There are also better roofing materials than felt, but these tend to be more expensive and require skilled installation, something the UK building trade is not famed for!
Drawing curtains to keep the sunshine out in summer and in winter to keep the warm air in helps a lot. Opening windows if there is a marked temperature difference between inside an outside temperatures, this can cool/warm the room as needed.
Fuad Al-Tawil
Energy group coordinator
Public Engagement Group update
Last summer began with ACT’s week long festival with the arts (reported elsewhere in this newsletter). After this, members of ACT were busy last summer providing information stalls at local events. Sometimes these are focussed on energy use and carbon reduction, sometimes our wildlife and environmental concerns, and sometimes both!
We went to Kingskerswell and Christow Shows, Turn the Tide Festival in Dawlish, Newton Abbot, Buckfastleigh and Ilsington Fairs, Newton Abbot Library, and a Rotary event at Daignton.
I personally attended Christow Show, and really enjoyed trying to talk to everyone, young and old, despite our stall being positioned right opposite one of the (very effective) loudspeakers. We certainly didn’t miss any of the announcements and commentary on the main events! My highlights were getting a hug from a young person after our chat, and talking to an older couple about portable domestic solar panels. I must say the cream tea was a bit of a highlight too! It was great to spend time with each other and share the sessions between all 7 of us, plus 4 Wildlife Wardens who gave valuable help.
Over the winter we have connected with other groups events, such as the launch of FORT (Friends Of the River Teign). We agreed to focus on connecting with outlying towns within Teignbridge. We met with climate/environmental groups in Ashburton, and subsequently attended their Thrive event in March this year. Many other community events will have an ACT presence through this summer. Public Engagement group are keen to put on an event for and with members, and to that end we have viewed the film Climate Scam, with a view to a group showing. We have also taken time to contribute to updating our website, and are liaising with others about a possible input to the Devon Schools Climate Ambassadors initiative.
We are really keen to find out from people about their views on the climate and ecological emergency. We try to answer questions where we can, but always we are keen to engage, and to use this to better inform what we can do within ACT. Climate Change can be an emotional subject, but both positive and negative emotions play a part in making changes. What we know is that talking helps at all sorts of levels, and can be a really important trigger to action. The discussions are fascinating; it’s so vital to keep informing ourselves about what turns people on… and off!
We really appreciate local input to each year’s summer events; so if you are a member of ACT and you like attending your local Fair or Show, please get in touch and we can talk about coming along.
Mandy Cole
ACT Public Engagement Group
Carbon Cutters Update
ACT Carbon Cutters is a group of keen and concerned people across Teignbridge who have decided to have training in the “how, why and what” of carbon emissions and the effect on the planet’s climate. They can help clarify the evidence-based facts and raise awareness of how our life activities contribute to the problem, locally and globally.
Some individual Carbon Cutters are involved in join projects with Teignbridge District Council, such as:
•My Electricity – how to find out the where energy and costs are going in your home, and how to reduce them
•CC Lite training – short workshops to help understand how and where to start reducing CO2 emissions
You can join ACT and tick the CC box to receive more information. You may decide that is sufficient for now, or you can become more involved by joining the CC group, and have the full CC training over several instruction sessions.
We’re having a meeting next Wednesday (04 June) to give an informal CC course refresher (on request) and discuss practical ways of get our CC message out.
Look out for more Carbon Cutter events, workshops and training – we’re here to help and to increase knowledge and understanding so that everyone in the community has the opportunity to do something positive, however small.
Have look at our Carbon Cutters web pages for more information.
Robert Gillett
ACT CC support group lead
The Wildlife Warden Report
Ashton WW Shira gave a really creative and interactive presentation for the Bridford and Teign Valley Gardening Club which she entitled “Murder in the Garden“. Shira prepared cards featuring garden wildlife—from mycelium and invertebrates to birds and small mammals—each with details of their diet and vulnerabilities on the back. Some creatures were welcomed by gardeners (e.g., robins and hedgehogs), while others were not (e.g., slugs and greenflies). The group was invited to arrange these creatures in a ‘garden,’ creating a food web of thriving biodiversity.
However, the scenario shifted when new homeowners took over the garden. Unhappy with anything eating their plants or disturbing their lawn, they turned to a big-chain DIY store and the local garden centre to buy pesticides-many of which harm non-target species and aquatic life. And who knew that while neonicotinoids are banned in agriculture, gardeners can still readily purchase them?
The impact on the groups imagined flourishing garden was clear. The group unanimously agreed on the need to stop using chemicals and to dispose of those stored in sheds. Shira then introduced the upcoming launch of Pesticide Free Devon in June, which Wildlife Wardens are invited to support, with hopes for a district-wide pesticide collection in the future. What a fabulous way to help people discover the impact they can have for themselves!
Vicky Fairs
ACT Wildlife Warden Co-ordinator
The Chair’s Report
Around 30 ACT members are interested in helping local schools find out about Climate Change by joining the National, Government supported Climate Ambassador Scheme .
Kate has also been finalising details for the Children’s Climate concert on the 3rd of July when Teign School will host 2 performances (at 5pm & 6.30pm) for a Children’s Climate Concert. This finale is the culmination of over 120 children from four schools coming together following workshops where they have been able to share their climate concerns through the expressive power of music and sound. Expect an uplifting and motivating conclusion.Volunteers are still needed to help gather the feedback from the children during the two concerts.
Fancy helping out? email Kate.
Kate Benham
CHAIR ACTion on Climate in Teignbridge
Waterways Around the Dawlish Environment (W.A.D.E) Project
An ambitious new project has been launched by Wildlife Warden and Town Councillor Scott in Dawlish. The Waterways Around the Dawlish Environment (WADE) group aims to get together a band of local volunteers to help care for “The Brook”, which runs through the centre of the town. The group will focus on clearing debris, removing litter, conducting regular water testing, and will be exploring future planting, to support wildlife, along the riverbanks.
So far, there has been a fantastic response to this project, with around 40+ new volunteers signed up and receiving training to become wildlife wardens. We look forward to hearing about what they are getting up to in the months ahead. Please contact either Scott or Vicky if you would like to find out more about getting involved.
Scott Williams
ACT Carbon Cutter Coordinator
ACT with the ARTS Climate Festival June 2024
In June 2024, ACT hosted an 8 day festival, focusing on the arts. Around 1200 people attended, so many of you may have visited one or more of the 23 events, staged in towns around Teignbridge, but centred on Newton Abbot.
So what have the arts got to do with climate change, which is after all, ACT’s core business? We know that although around 83% of the population in the UK are aware of climate change and its human causes, a large percentage of us do not take much effective action to mitigate or adapt to the growing climate and ecological emergency that is taking place all around us.
There are multiple and complex reasons for this. Amongst these, we know that how people feel about the crises is key. It’s very easy to feel hopeless, helpless, angry, frustrated or fearful about the effects of what is happening. This in turn may lead us to switching off, and convincing ourselves that there’s nothing we can do, or that people with more power, money and responsibility should be taking action instead of us.
This isn’t true however. We know that social movements such as the suffragettes or Black Power have changed the course of history. Tiny ripples can build to make great waves. Importantly, taking what action we can about climate change can help us feel better, and build connections with other like minded people in our community, which in itself can build resilience.
Hence, the idea for the climate festival was born. The twin aims were to inspire people to engage with the climate and ecological crisis through the arts and to help people connect to their imaginative and emotional responses to encourage change. The events included creative arts, exhibitions, performances, music, dance, poetry, film and theatre, many of which were participatory.
A great deal of feedback and data was collected. More than 80% of responses returned suggested people felt more connected to others, would come again and felt the arts was a good way of engaging in this challenging area. Around 50% of responses suggested a change in feelings, thoughts and intention to act (though we did not ask the direction of change). Also, participants may already have been very engaged and committed to the cause before the festival.
By constructively disrupting the status quo for people, we hope that shared experience of climate and nature arts events will lead to increased pro-environmental action. Please visit the website to see more detail and some interpretations of what this innovative occasion could mean for other organisations, and for all of us concerned with climate and ecological activism. We would also welcome your ideas and suggestions for future arts events, using the ‘Contact Us’ link.
Mandy Cole
ACT Public Engagement Group
Food Farming Fisheries and Forestry
4Fs are organising a meeting on the importance of ‘Local Food’ on the 4th of October. More details to follow soon.
Betina Winkler
Food Farming Fisheries and Forestry
Small Things
I, like most people I meet, hesitate to make big changes to my lifestyle.
I am budget conscious and have no desire to harm to us or future generations of people, plants and animals by increasing the CO2 concentration in our atmosphere.
I have a conflict of interests.
In this article I list some simple things everyone can adopt to reduce their CO2 emissions and often save money.
First I recommend you complete the Teignbridge Climate Action carbon footprint tracker found at https://actionclimateteignbridge.org/newsite/page.php/page/carbon-calculator.
This will introduce you to the numbers and get you thinking about your current energy use and carbon emissions.
After that:
Around the house
- Make sure the heating controls are set to keep you comfortable without wasting energy.
- Turn the hot water temperature down if hotter than you need.
Eliminate unnecessary draughts and fully shut windows and doors when trying to keep the house warm. - Turn devices and lights off when not in use.
- Boil only the amount of water you need in kettles and saucepans.
- When heating water or food in a saucepan, put the lid on the pan.
In the garden
- Make wood piles and compost from woody and green material rather than burning. Burning releases the stored carbon.
- Mow a little less. You’ll save petrol or electricity, and wildlife will be grateful.
- Rake autumn leaves into borders and beds rather than burning. The worms will recycle them for you.
In the car
- Turn the engine off when idling for more than 30 seconds.
- Drive a little slower if you have the time. Fuel consumption increases as speed increases.
- The RAC, AA and others have fuel saving tips on the web.
I’m hoping you will agree with me, none of these ideas are too inconvenient and each one makes a small difference that adds up.
Once you have completed your carbon footprint tracker you’ll find energy and emissions reduction ideas on a following page.
Let us know how you get on.
Paul Bloch
ACT Steering
ACT Website
After lots of work by lots of different people, a new ACT website will soon be launched – more colourful and easier to use!
Climate Levy on Energy
Will cutting support for renewables cut Environmental and Social charges on energy bills?
OFGEM’s analysis from October 2021 showed that a proportion of energy bills is accounted for by environmental and social charges, 2.5% for gas and 25% for electricity in 2020.
Based on 2020 electricity and gas prices
Some have argued that at a time when energy costs are rising that these can be cut to save increasing people’s bills. At the time of this graphic the average dual fuel bill was £1184, so environmental and social charges accounted for £181.54 or ~15%
Increasing electricity wholesale prices
The cause of increasing bills is an unprecedented increase in the wholesale price of fossil fuels, which increases the wholesale price of electricity as this is principally determined by the most expensive component (natural gas). There is no reason for most other costs to increase in the same proportion.
Over the last year forward electricity wholesale prices have increased sharply
Increasing electricity wholesale prices
The cause of increasing bills is an unprecedented increase in the wholesale price of fossil fuels, which increases the wholesale price of electricity as this is principally determined by the most expensive component (natural gas). There is no reason for most other costs to increase in the same proportion.
Over the last year forward electricity wholesale prices have increased sharply
As have day ahead wholesale prices
Reading off from the day ahead baseload contracts the average price for 2020 was £36.04 / MWh, whereas for 2021 it was £127.47 / MWh, a 3.45 fold increase.
An electricity bill of £1000 for 2020 breaks down as follows:
| Item | 2020 Cost | 2021 Cost |
| Wholesale costs | 292.8 | 1010.4 |
| Network costs | 233.7 | 233.7 |
| Environmental / social | 254.8 | 254.8 |
| Other direct | 20.9 | 20.9 |
| Operating costs | 163.4 | 163.4 |
| Supplier pre-tax margin | -13.2 | -13.2 |
| VAT @ 5% | 47.6 | 83.5 |
| Total | 1000 | 1753.5 |
This assumes that other costs apart from VAT stay the same. In this case the proportion of environmental and social costs drops to 14.53%, we go on to explain how this proportion will drop still further.
Breakdown of environmental and social charges.
The components of environmental and social charges are given here. We have extracted annual costs and other information for each scheme from these pages and annual reports. These are shown in the following table.
The majority of the cost of these schemes relates to past commitments, particularly to encourage take-up of renewables, the cost of these is fixed and so will decline as a proportion of bills. The only ways that these past commitments can be reduced beyond contracts expiring naturally would be for government to:
•Move these payments to general taxation
•Renege on these contracts.
The only bill funded schemes that will incur new future obligations are:
•Contracts for Difference, where in the last quarter of 2021 a payment of £133million was made from generators to suppliers, as the price of electricity was above the strike price. This will continue to be the case if electricity prices remain high.
•A small fixed commitment to the green gas levy (maximum £130million per year).
•Warm homes discount.
Some are being replaced by alternatively funded schemes:
•RHI and NHRHI are being replaced by boiler replacement scheme, which is treasury funded.
•ECO3 is being replaced by the Local Authority Delivery scheme, paid for by government grant.
This means that each year the amount due from bill payers for past renewable subsidies will decrease, and if energy consumption increases its proportion will decrease.
What part will environmental and social charges have in the future?
Assuming that wholesale electricity prices rise no further, this means that the breakdown for 2022 and 2023 looks more like:
| Item | 2020 Cost | 2022 Cost | 2023 Cost |
| Wholesale costs | 292.8 | 1010.4 | 1010.4 |
| Network costs | 233.7 | 233.7 | 233.7 |
| Environmental / social | 254.8 | 171.9 | 134.57 |
| Other direct | 20.9 | 20.9 | 20.9 |
| Operating costs | 163.4 | 163.4 | 163.4 |
| Supplier pre-tax margin | -13.2 | -13.2 | -13.2 |
| VAT @ 5% | 47.6 | 79.35 | 77.49 |
| Total | 1000 | 1666.4 | 1627.3 |
So the proportion attributable to environmental and social schemes for 2022 is 10.32% and for 2023 8.27%. This proportion will fall further when:
•Electricity wholesale prices increase
•Electricity consumption increases
•RO contracts lapse
Specifically adding more renewables will reduce the cost of energy, not increase it.
Julian Stringer
Action on Climate in Teignbridge
Send us your events
ACT would love to get to as many local parish events as possible but we do not always hear about them. Please could you either get in touch with Pauline or Scott if there is a parish event you think ACT and the Carbon Cutters could come along to.
Sit for climate at Teignmouth Triangle
Happening every Saturday at 11am for up to 10 minutes. It’s for everyone who’s worried about the climate crisis and wants governments and businesses to take urgent action about it. We can demonstrate our feelings together at the same moment. Everyone can join in, everywhere, every week.
Forthcoming Events
ACT will be at
Bovey Tracey Great Big Green Week on Saturday, 14 June at Mill Marsh Park, in Bovey Tracey
Party In The Park at Courtenay Park, Newton Abbot on Saturday, 12 July
Christow Show on Saturday, 16 August at Teign Valley Community Hall, Christow.
Kingskerswell Grand Summer Event on Saturday, 23 August at Kingskerswell Pavillion Playing Fields.
June 2025
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