Energy Group Energy Monitor Loan Scheme

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How this FREE loan scheme works:

We only have 2 energy monitors left!… available for households in Dorchester (rented or owner occupied homes). The monitors are a great tool for taking practical steps towards saving money on utility bills and to reduce carbon emissions.

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Remember: your bills won’t go down unless you Change Your Attitude! The sooner you do, the more money you can save!!

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To take part in this FREE loan scheme of an electricity monitor for up to 6 months please complete & return the simple downloadable application form below, email to: energy@transitiontowndorchester.org or by telephone to Sally Cooke on 01305 267758

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Energy monitor Application Form (Microsoft Word doc 56kb)

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The energy monitors are available to Dorchester residents participants who will be able to view their electricity use from a portable display, thereby helping to take steps to save energy, and money.

• All participating households will be offered a free home energy saving advice visit during the 6-month loan period by a volunteer with professional experience in the sustainable energy sector (note: it is not compulsory to have a home energy advice visit in order to participate in the scheme).

• At the end of the project there will be an opportunity for participating households to comment on the energy savings they have made and energy saving tips they believe are worth passing on to others.

• There will be a prize of a local food hamper worth £50 to the household judged to have made the greatest energy savings (including changes in behaviour, i.e. not only based on meter readings).

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Video explaining how the Minim monitor works (TTD has no connection with British Gas):

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Electricity Monitor – How to guide

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Set-up

Please read the instruction booklet in the minim electricity monitor box or look at the

You Tube set-up video from British Gas (Note that the Transition Town Dorchester electricity use monitor loan scheme is not linked to British Gas or any commercial company).

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Follow the safety guidance carefully and if in doubt about the safety of your existing wiring call an electrician. Do not connect the minim transmitter to an unsafe installation (e.g. with loose, base or corroded wires near the meter or fuse box). If you have any questions about set-up please contact Transition Town Dorchester member Pete West on 01305 251378

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Simple tips

• Make a note of the date you first start using your electricity use monitor
• Make a note of your electricity meter reading at the same time
• If dual tariff Economy 7 meter you only need to note the daytime (normal rate) reading

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After 2-3 weeks check the accuracy of the minim electricity monitor. Check the electricity used over the last 30 days shown on the minim display compared to the electricity used as shown by your electricity meter. The minim may be inaccurate by up to 20% compared to the true reading from an electricity meter. This should be borne in mind, but does not affect its usefulness as a real-time electricity display.

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See how much electricity you have used over the last 7 days and compare with the last 30 days, once the minim has been in use for a month.

The reading on the left shows 70.29 kWh of electricity use used over 7 days or 10kWh per day.

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This reading shows 272.38 kWh over 30 days during late January and February, or 9kWh per day.

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Electricity use would be expected fall as less lighting is used during summer months and central heating pumps operate for fewer hours.

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British Gas customers explain how they have used their electricity monitors on this You Tube video

The next Transition Town Dorchester Energy Group meeting is…

Date: Wednesday 1st December
Time: 7.00pm
Place: 53 Great Cranford Street, Poundbury DT1 3SQ
Tel: 01305 266548

This will be our usual bring-and-share meal and Energy discussion/meeting.

“All you need to bring is some food, just something simple…. just bringing a single food item is fine… a nice loaf of bread, a pudding, a potato dish, a soup, fish pate, free range chicken drumsticks, whatever!!… the menu is totally unplanned…. we just group together whatever it is that everyone happens to bring and then sit around the table and eat it…..”

To download meeting notes, click here:

Project Planning Meeting 27th October Word doc 58kb

Green Drinks

hosted by Transition Town Dorchester is now a regular monthly event in Dorchester – the first town in Dorset to host such an event.

This international green social networking phenomenon offers a chance for people who are interested in environmental issues to meet socially for a drink and a chat.
Started in London in 1989, Green Drinks events are held regularly in hundreds of towns and cities worldwide.

Green Drinks will be in Tom Browns pub (a nice friendly & relaxed atmosphere) on High East Street, Dorchester on the first Tuesday of every month (all listed on our events calendar).

Green Drinks is a great way to make new contacts, catch up with friends or just hang out with people who share your values.You don’t have to be an environmental activist to come along – everyone is welcome whatever their commitment to green issues.

Organisers and all attendees actively welcome newcomers – try to commit to meeting new people at every session and not just sticking with people you already know.

There is generally no agenda or theme, Green Drinkers mingle and share insights and provoke and exasparate and inspire each other. There are moments of serendipity and a lot of “oh, if you are interested in X then I must introduce you to that person over there who knows all about it”…

People who come to Green Drinks each invite others along by word of mouth, who in turn themselves invite others, etc.

It may be OK to have speakers for 20-30 mins or so or to have a theme for the evening to help stimulate discussion, but the bulk of the evening is freeform and random – (if you would like to speak or do a short presentation please email info(at)transitiontowndorchester(dot)org in advance)

There is a very informal vibe and overall light feel.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Transition Towns put a strong emphasis on supporting local businesses and local food producers and as part of that drive comes the idea of a food buying co-operative.

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Aims
The Casterbridge Food Co-operative (CFC) has been formed to allow its members to order both organic and local food as well as other items directly from a variety of suppliers at attractive prices by buying in bulk. The benefit to food producers is that they can supply CFC members with bulk orders at prices which are higher than their usual wholesale price.

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Your account number
After we have your details you will be given an account number for trading with CFC. This is to help us tie orders and payments to your name, so please make a note of it.

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The ordering process

• You will normally receive your order form by e-mail
• You have a set period to place your order along with your payment up to the ‘last orders’ date
• We then allow a period for everyone’s payment to clear and be credited to the CFC account
• When we can confirm that we have received all the money, the order is placed with our suppliers
• The order is delivered to a single drop off point and made ready for collection on the ‘collect orders’ date

Co-op members should note that you have the opportunity to place orders in January, March, May, July, September and November each year.

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What can I order?
You can order anything from the suppliers listed on your order form. Some of our suppliers have websites, where you can view their stock and price lists. Other food producers have provided a quote to which they agree to supply CFC members.

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Payment
If you complete your order using the spreadsheet version, it will automatically calculate the total for you and add the 5% that the CFC charges to cover administration costs. Our preferred method of payment is an online BACS transfer, but alternative methods can be arranged if you wish to speak with a member of the committee. If you are writing a cheque, please make sure that you write your account number and month on the back.

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I’m not on the internet!
If we don’t have an e-mail address for you, your form can be posted out to you.

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Collecting groups
We suggest talking with other members in your local area to arrange a group collection.

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To Join the Casterbridge Food Cooperative please email the following details

1. Name of the person on the account:
2. Email address:
3. Address:
4. Phone number:
   

Please be assured that your info is kept confidential & will not be passed on to 3rd parties

- CFC committee

John MacDonald, Ian Reeve & Judy Edwards

Wednesday 29th September

The Transition Town Dorchester Energy Group has a regular meeting to informally meet up, share some food and drinks, discuss Energy projects, etc (it’s all very relaxed and not like your average business meeting). There’s further info about this meeting on our events calendar

About the Community Farm

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We are very please to announce that the Duchy of Cornwall have granted us a lease on 2 acres of land at Parkway Farm to the South of Weymouth College Construction Centre at Poundbury to establish a community garden and farm for Dorchester residents.

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We are just finalising details from the Duchy about any site constraints and then there will be an on-site open day to launch the project, gather volunteers, support and ideas.

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As yet we do not have a formal management group for this project, so we are looking for people to take on this exciting opportunity as well as getting involved in practical things.

Get your thinking heads on and ready the working boots!

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To keep up to date with what’s planned or to volunteer please email Ian:

farm(at)transitiontowndorchester(dot)org

View Transition Town Dorchester in a larger map

Renewable energy information sheets from Dorset Energy Group (Dorset County Council)

These provide up to date information (October 2009) on the measures that Dorset residents can incorporate into their homes, businesses and community buildings.