Peterborough Environment City Trust has beaten off stiff competition to win a bid to pilot one of the Energy Saving Trust’s one-stop shops for consumers on sustainable energy, covering both the home and transport. The `Anglia Sustainable Energy Centre’ will provide advice to consumers across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Sarah Fowler, Chief Executive of Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) said, "It is a great honour to win this work. The Anglia Sustainable Energy Centre is a natural evolution from our award-winning Anglia West Energy Efficiency Advice Centre. This new Centre will allow us step up a gear in the support we offer consumers and to work with partners across the Anglia region. Once again, PECT is leading the way on green initiatives by being chosen to operate just one of three pilot SECs in the UK.

"Our success is down to a unique partnership between PECT, the UK Centre for Environmental and Economic Development (UKCEED), the Low Carbon Technology Partnership (LCTP), local authorities (like Fenland District Council) and other energy experts in the region." An invitation has been extended to the regional network of local authority home energy officers to join PECT, UKCEED and LCTP on the Management Board of the Anglia Sustainable Energy Centre.

The Centre will be supported by the Energy Saving (EST), which recently announced additional £10 million funding over the next three years from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to support this new concept in consumer energy advice. Susan Crowley, Sustainable Energy Network Programme Manager of EST said; "This additional funding is a vital link in promoting sustainable energy towards the Government’s target of a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. With 28% of CO₂ emissions caused by home energy use and 26% by road transport, people can make a real difference in their every day lives – cutting energy consumption --cutting CO₂ emissions -- and cutting their energy bills."

ENDS

1. For further information, please contact Sarah Fowler on 01733 760887
2. The Energy Saving Trust was established by the UK Government as part of its response to the 1992 Rio Climate Change Convention. It is the UK's leading organisation working towards the sustainable and efficient use of energy by households and small organisations, working with a wide range of partners including energy suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, local authorities, installers, NGOs and trade associations.
3. The EST supports a national network of Energy Efficiency Advice Centres (EEACs) that provide free, expert, personalised, impartial advice to householders and small businesses.   The Anglia West Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, operated by Peterborough Environment City Trust since 1994, has advised over 66,000 customers since it  opened.
4. The Sustainable Energy Network will have a broader remit that current EEACs, to include not only the current advice on home energy saving measures, but also transport information on cleaner cars and alternative travel options, what grants are available and what renewable technology can be installed to power homes.
5. The three pilot centres for the new Sustainable Energy Network are:

• Anglia Sustainable Energy Centre
• Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Centre
• North East Sustainable Energy Centre

1. The bid to run the Anglia Sustainable Energy Centre included the following core partners:

• UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development –an entrepreneurial charity, founded 20 years ago, to work in partnership with business, government and the voluntary sector to encourage the adoption of higher environmental standards in their activities.
• Peterborough Environment City Trust - an independent charitable trust working with over 200 partners representing business, local authorities, voluntary and environmental groups. We undertake practical projects that demonstrate sustainable development as a practical solution to improving the quality of life for the people and wildlife of Peterborough and surrounds.
• Low Carbon Technology Partnership – which aims to support the concerted application of lower and zero carbon energy technologies and an enhanced programme of energy efficiency investment nation-wide.