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Little Wenlock C Red

Little Wenlock votes for wood

At least 8 new wood burning stoves have been installed in Little Wenlock this year, making a great contribution to our carbon saving efforts! Wood is ‘carbon neutral’; it gives off CO2 when burnt, but growing trees absorb it. So burning some of the thousands of tonnes of waste wood (from tree cuttings and other untreated waste) is a great way of getting carbon neutral heat. Our village web site lists sources of well seasoned logs, but it’s also possible to get free pallets and even logs if you are able to cut your own or others trees or visit Pink Skips waste wood pile.

Pat tells us about putting in her Wood Burning Stove

It was installed in Spring this year and I have since refused 2 deliveries of oil, saving myself £££’s

I started by asking to see other peoples wood burners and asking lots of questions.

I collected pamphlets, from Much Wenlock, Clearview and others.

I opted for Clearview as it is a heavy gauge steel which is claimed to make it the strongest stove available.

Clearview stoves are also passed for use in smokeless zones, which indicates that they are super efficient and produce very little ash.

Their showroom in Ludlow has four stoves working and is well worth a visit. They were also able to send someone to measure the room and indicate what size stove I needed.

The next big decision is the style of stove. I wanted to cook with it especially when we have a power cut so I went for a flat top.

The existing fireplace was replaced to allow a non recessed wood burner for most heat into the room, but the hearth dimensions remained the same so the carpet fits perfectly.

I chose a cheap and environmentally friendly option of old mellow brick and Shropshire sandstone from a local quarry. It’s my own design and really suits the room too.

I needed ventilation for the wood burner, but this was placed so not to be visible.

I was surprised at how little dust and mess the job created and no redecoration was needed.

It lights easily and gets warm quickly, I’m really happy with it and would be glad to let anyone interested have a look.

Contact Pat on 505683 or for information sheets on ‘Choosing A Wood Burning Stove’ or ‘Preparing, Storing and Burning Wood Efficiently’ contact the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre 0800 512012

Fully dimmable low energy light bulbs are now available.

In bayonet cap or eddison screw.

Changing a 100w will save £96 of electricity over 10,000 hours, and last up to 16,000 hours, compared to just 1,000 for a normal bulb.

See www.varilight.co.uk and www.ebulbshop.com

Information received from "Check Renewables" in November 2007 : 

I am writing to inform of a new website for Shropshire residents, the website is a useful tool for anybody interested in energy efficiency and a vital tool for anybody interested in installing or just learning about renewable technologies.

It has been funded by both the local authorities and by a stream of European funding called the Leader+ Program but the project has been led by our charity Energy Projects Plus.

The website is very simple and involves putting in some details about your home such as information on your house size, garden size, roof size and various other important aspects to do with renewable energy technology.

Then at the end it will present a report on your home and its suitability to the different technologies available.

The site also gives information on grants available from the government and a comprehensive list of installers who can carry out the work as we aim to promote competition and lower prices.

The site is live now and you can visit at: www.shropshirerenewablescheck.org    

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