SOUTH Shropshire families are showing their green credentials by taking part in a project to learn about sustainable energy.

A group of four families, who are all South Shropshire Housing Association tenants, will be taking a variety of steps to monitor and learn about their carbon footprints.

The pilot project is being funded by the association and is delivered by experts at Marches Energy Agency, a charity and social enterprise which works with a wide range of individuals, businesses and public bodies to help them understand and reduce their energy use.

The aim is to demonstrate that families can benefit from lower fuel bills while also learning new skills and taking some of the strain off the environment.

Between them, the families are using biomass, gas, solid fuel (in the form of logs and coal) or electricity to heat their homes.

They will make use of plugin energy monitors that give them real-time information on the fuel they are using and its cost. They will then be logging on to the wesave.

org.uk website, which will help them to work out their carbon footprint and suggest ways of reducing it.

It is hoped that what they learn from doing this can be fed back into the wider community through the housing association, but also as they share their knowledge and experience with those around them.

“It is an eye opener for my children to understand the value of energy, whilst it is also an interesting experience for us to know where the energy goes,” said David Hunt, an SSHA tenant who is taking part in the project.

“This pilot will increase our awareness of energy efficiency and will help us save money."

Energy audits were carried out for the householders to see what their current use was and how it might be improved. They were also given training in how to make their homes more efficient.

SSHA says it takes a keen interest in energy saving and already works to ensure the highest possible efficiency in the new homes it builds.

The association’s biomassfuelled heating for homes at the Rocks Green development, near Ludlow, has already won a national award.

Marches Energy Agency is keen to work with other social landlords on projects with their tenants. Anyone interested can contact sylvia@mea.org.uk.