The Minister met the Rileys from Lutterworth, who have made changes to their home which have saved energy and money. The family has fitted cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, energy efficient light bulbs and a new boiler. They have also changed the habits of a lifetime in a bid to save energy - always switching appliances off standby and turning the lights off when they leave the room.
Ms Ruddock spoke to the Rileys about the Government's new advice service which provides comprehensive free, practical information on how to reduce your carbon footprint. People will be able to call the Act On CO2 advice line on 0800 512 012 to get impartial tailored energy saving advice from the Energy Saving Trust (EST). The service will be expanded and fully rolled out over the next two years making free help and support available to even more households than in the past.
On top of the advice on how to use less energy in the home, people can now get advice on how to save water, reduce waste, use green travel, and connect to grants and offers from energy companies
Joan Ruddock said:
"Meeting the Rileys shows how every family in every home can make simple changes to their lifestyles which save energy and money. The Rileys alone have saved hundreds of pounds and are shining examples of how in the fight against climate change, there really is no place like home.
"We can all do more to use less energy and to use what we have more efficiently. The new Act On CO2 advice line will help make thousands of homes become as energy efficient as the Rileys."
Lorraine Riley said:
"It was great to meet Joan Ruddock today and to share our experiences of living a greener lifestyle. We started on our quest to become more energy efficient twelve months ago and have made changes to both our home and our behaviour to help do our bit to fight climate change.
"With the help of the Energy Saving Trust we have been able to identify the energy efficiency measures which were right for our home and we are now passionate about sharing our experiences of living a greener life with others."
The Minister was accompanied by the EST's Energy Doctor, Rob Bell, who talked about all the ways any family could reduce their energy consumption and lower their household energy bills.
Leicestershire was shown to be one of the least committed to energy consumption reduction in a recent survey by the EST.
