Marches Energy Agency has launched an exciting new competition this week, with the help of leading low energy bulb manufacturer Megaman UK. Visitors to the Light Fantastic exhibition will get details of the competition to win a full energy survey, lighting design, supply of Megaman energy saving light bulbs and a 32" HD ready TV for their home! Two runners up will also receive a 32" HD ready TV! Entries can also be made online, full details will be available on www.carbonforum.org, entries need to be in by 30th November 2008.

Project Manager Sarah Meredith said, "It's wonderful to be able to give visitors to Light Fantastic the chance to win these brilliant prizes, we're very grateful to Megaman for supporting this valuable project. We are getting a huge amount of interest from people who want to reduce their energy use and this will certainly give the lucky winners a real head start."

Light Fantastic provides a chance to see the wide range of low energy lighting currently available and learn more about energy efficiency. In addition visitors can receive free low energy bulbs and Powerdowns donated by E.ON as well as information on insulation grants from Keep Shropshire Warm. 

So far the project has saved people across the West Midlands over £1.7million.

Light Fantastic will be at Ludlow Farmer's Market 23rd October.

To find out more about booking Light Fantastic contact Sarah Meredith on 01743 277114 sarah@mea.org.uk  or check out www.carbonforum.org.uk

MEA has been awarded Flagship status by Social Enterprise West Midlands and in being so, has put us among a select group of five leading social enterprises in the West Midlands (including Fordhall Farm and HALO Leisure).

As part of our flagship status we will receive 2 years of Public Relations support from the ethical PR company Blue Rocket, as well as further support, training and network opportunities from SEWM.

We will also have the opportunity be part of a mutual support group of the region's leading Social Enterprises and to be part of a national publicity campaign to elevate our status as one of the UK's leading Social Enterprises.

We had successful start to our SECHURBA project when representatives from all 13 partner organisations attended two day's of meetings here in Shrewsbury on 9^th and 10^th of September.  

Delegates learnt about each other's organisations and were shown presentations on the areas to be studied.  These ranged from a historic castle in the Province of Piacenza, Italy, to small communities along the black sea coast of Bulgaria,  and parts of Szentendre near Budapest in Hungary.  We were also shown presentations on the iconic buildings of National Theatre of Rhodes and the City Hall in Copenhagen.

Partners were then given a tour around historic Shrewsbury town centre (lead by SABC Conservation Officers), and visited St Alkmund's Church to see the PV's installed on a Grade 1 listed building, plus timber framed buildings in Shrewsbury and some local residences which had agreed to be studied for the project.

A tour around MEA's offices showing a sustainable refurbishment of a Victoria building was also included.

There was clearly much to be learned and shared between the partners - many of them  specialists in the field of conservation.  From University College Dublin we were fortunate to have Prof Owen Lewis talk about energy use in historic buildings, and Architects from Italy's Centre for National Research who showed innovative examples of integrating renewable energy technologies into buildings without damaging cultural aspects - see photos of PV micropanels mounted on louvers.

Another delegate represented an energy consultancy from Denmark who was able to tell us about biomass use in district heating schemes that power 50% of Copenhagen's city centre heating.

The work now begins to start detailed mapping of the areas to be studied, and partners will meet again in March 2009 in Denmark.

For more info on the project contact Nicole on 01743 277109

Invited guests and members of the public watched the launch of Marches Energy Agency's (MEA) latest project, "Light Fantastic" in the castle grounds on Thursday.

Light Fantastic is an interactive experience, which aims to convert people from using standard light bulbs, to energy efficient ones.  The energy efficiency message is effectively conveyed by using practical demonstrations, fun games for adults and children, and distributing free light bulbs.  With its experienced and friendly staff, Light Fantastic provides the visitor with all the advice and information they need to become more energy efficient at home and in the work place. 

Entertainment for the event was provided by Chris Ryder offering on the spot caricatures, with the Town Crier also present. Visitors were challenged to power standard inefficient bulbs with the ‘Energy Bike'. To cool down afterward they had to power a desk fan by pedalling the bike!

Kris McGowan, Senior Project Manager at MEA said:

"We've trialled the exhibition over the summer at all sorts of events from the Shrewsbury Flower Show to Mediaeval Festivals to village centres and had a fantastic response. We've spoken to over 30,000 people so far and distributed so many low energy light bulbs that this will save the local economy over £1.6 million in reduced electricity bills."

Sarah Meredith, Project Manager for Light Fantastic added; "People have so many questions about how they can reduce their bills and carbon footprint, it's a pleasure to be able to assist them. We can visit schools and do staff training with the Light Fantastic too, which we are looking forward to in the future."

For details of where you can see Light Fantastic in action, or for booking details, visit the Carbon Forum website or contact Sarah Meredith, Project Manager on 01743 277114

The ActionHeat team, responsible for the successful Keep Shropshire Warm initiative has continued to provide affordable warmth help to both Shropshire and Herefordshire over the summer months.

In what is normally a quiet period for the fight against fuel poverty, ActionHeat has upped the stakes and provided insulation measures, at a free or discounted rate, to 540 households since the middle of June.  The team has also provided advice about low and no cost, DIY, affordable warmth measures and information about better energy tariffs to a further 230 households.

The hard work that the ActionHeat team has put in over the summer to ensure households are more comfortable this winter has seen the following benefits:

• £103,500 retained economic benefit
• 908.4t/CO2/annum
• 135 households potentially removed from fuel poverty.

For more information about ActionHeat or its projects Keep Shropshire Warm or Keep Herefordshire Warm, contact us on 01743 277123 or info@actionheat.org