A very positive article from The Guardian!  Here's a quick quote:

 The public overwhelmingly support a much more ambitious scheme to push renewable energy for homes and communities, a new poll shows today ahead of a key government announcement next week.

Government officials are putting the finishing touches to plans to boost the take-up of renewable energy in Britain - which is the lowest in Europe - through a system known as the "clean energy cashback", or feed-in tariff.

Read the rest of the article on the Guardian website: Public supports ambitious scheme for micro-scale renewable energy, Guardian 27th January 2010

Issue 1, January 2010

Not just talk - real action!

Draught-proofing workshops - Peckham Power is having real impact. In autumn 2009, we draught-busted five homes in Peckham and we’re looking for more to do right now. People really value the service: "I thoroughly recommend having your windows draught-busted - Anna and the team were very friendly, efficient, easy to have around and in just a couple of hours my sash windows have been transformed from being rattly and draughty to snug and air tight" said one Peckham resident. If you'd like to host a draft-proofing workshop to keep out the arctic winds, get in touch. It's only £15 per window and takes half a day and you have fun - what a bargain!

GPX Power Metering project - Peckham Power has started to roll out its pioneering energy meter technology. Our technology partner GPX’s approach to power metering is unique because it will measure production as well as consumption simultaneously. We will use sensors for individual appliances (e.g. kettles, washing machines) to show how much energy they use and money they cost. The first home to get the renewable energy meter is that of local eco-celebrity Donnachadh McCarthy. We’ll keep you posted on how things are going there and provide information as to how to get involved.

Secondary Glazing - Peckham Power is exploring the possibility of an affordable secondary glazing service, ideally with local business partners. Some discussions are already underway - if you have any ideas about this, please get in touch.

We're Legal! Please join us

Peckham Power has now formally adopted a constitution. This makes us an organisation with a membership who will have a say in what we do, who runs things and how. We hope that, as someone who has expressed an interest in Peckham Power's activities, you will join us as a member.

To apply to join, all you need to do is let us know that you would like to become a member. You can do that by e-mail to jack [at] peckhampower [dot] org . If you don't have e-mail access, please just drop us a note at Peckham Power, 240 Bellenden Road, Peckham, London SE15 4BY

Details of the constitution and membership: The constitution contains the rules that govern how the organisation works and that all members agree to.  You can view the constitution online at http://peckhampower.org/wiki/our-constitution .  If you don't have web access we will be happy to send you a hard copy on request.  We agreed last year that the constitution will be kept under review during the next few months.  We'll be asking members to participate in the discussions that will lead to a revised constitution.  In legalese, we are an unincorporated charitable association.  The Steering Group members are the trustees.  The constitution is likely to need changes to make it acceptable to the Charities Commission.  Eventually we may move towards becoming a company.  We may also set up a separate company to operate the kind of local energy supply scheme we would like to develop. We don't charge a membership fee, but if you can afford to make a small donation that would be a big help to our work. We will tell you how to do this when you express your interest in becoming a member.We will keep any personal information you give us confidential.  We will only use it in connection with your membership of Peckham Power and keeping in touch with you with news and information about activities relevant to the organisation's objects.

Calling Peckham's Renewable Renewable energy producers 

If you are a household or business already producing renewable energy we'd love to include you in our GPX Power Metering Project (mentioned above). The plan is to show how much renewable energy Peckham is producing on a single, freely available, live display.  It'll show "Peckham Power" - literally!  Willing to give it a try? Contact us through the website or by email anna [at] peckhampower [dot] org

Fingers crossed for funding applications

Low Carbon Communities Challenge  On 30 December 2009 Peckham Power submitted an application to the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) Low Carbon Communities Challenge for funds to invest in renewable energy panels (for electricity or hot water) on a range of Peckham households, businesses and public sector institutions accompanied by the setting up of a community-owned social enterprise to manage the finances. We’ll let you know how the application fared.

We are very grateful to the 25 organisations and individuals who provided letters of support: AREA10 artists' project; Bells Garden Tenants & Residents Association; BTCV; Chronic Love Foundation; Complete Fabrication; DRTS Ltd; Friends of the Earth Southwark; Friary Environment Network; Friends of Warwick Gardens; GPX; Green Fayre Peckham; Growing Southwark; Jenny Jones; Laura McRea (Sustainable Transport Department, London Borough of Southwark); Margaret O'Brien (London Borough of Southwark); Michael Carrnucio (London Borough of Southwark); Northfield House Tentants & Residents Association (NHTRA); Nunhead & Peckham Rye Community Council; Peckham Vision; South London Baptist Tabernacle‏ Church; St John's & St Clements Primary School; Tommy's Wear and Cheer; Transition Town Peckham (TTP); Wandle Housing Association

Cleaner, Greener, Safer (CGS) bids – Peckham Power made a range of applications to London Borough of Southwark's CGS funding pot for projects including additional energy metering funding, a portable energy-efficient dolls house and a portable energy efficient lighting display.

Energy Saving Trust keen to support Peckham Power

Peckham Power are delighted that the Energy Saving Trust (EST) has selected us to become one of five communities to be supported through its ‘Light Touch’ initiative. EST recognise the potential of connecting with community groups like Peckham Power that are well embedded in their neighbourhood and are taking real action. EST and Peckham Power are currently exploring the possibility of co-producing an energy saving promotional event in the Spring and providing training in loft insulation for Peckham.

Diary Date – Peckham Power Members Event

We are planning a fantastic event in March including speakers and reports from the renewable energy frontline. We will be planning this event in the next few weeks and will give you full details and confirm the date in the next ‘Peckham Power Post’ newsletter.

Keeping you updated

We’re starting the new year with a new communications plan. We are aiming to get regular newsletters out and will be publishing minutes from meetings which you will be able to view on the "meetings" page of our website. Sorry this issue is so long (we had a lot to report!). We aim to keep them short and sweet in future. Please contact us on jack [at] peckhampower [dot] org if you have any queries.

Firstly, many thanks to Jassy for a very welcoming draught-busting session earlier today.  Andre, Jack and Anna, with the assitance of Jassy, Rose the dog and Millie doing drawing, draught-busted 4 windows  and replaced the insulation on the front door.  A neighbour popped in to find out more, and wants us to look at her windows in some detail before deciding whether to take part in our draught-busting.  Jassy then fed us all with some delicious soup, bread and cheese and we had a good chat. 

Firstly, many thanks to Clare who had three windows and a door draught-busted by us on Saturday 28 November.  Clare was a very welcoming host, providing us with many cups of tea and biscuits and even having her windows cleaned specially before we arrived.  [If anyone else is wondering, we really don't mind about dirty windows if you don't!]

Many thanks to Sarah and Khevir for hosting yesterday's draught-busting session.  It went really well...

The team of 8 of us [7 from the community, and Khevir] draught-busted 9 windows in two and a half hours, we had some gorgeous chocolate brownies that Sarah cooked, and then Khevir bought us all a round of drinks.  Thank you both!

It was good to see some familiar faces - including practical and experienced self-builder Andre with his very useful hints - and meet three new ones - Adam, Brendan and Kevin. 

Dear All,

The next draught-busting session will be in the morning of Saturday 21 November in Gowlett Road - we'll put notices up so you can see where when you get to the street.

The [sort of] bad news is that we need to start at 10am prompt because the family whose house it is want it all done by lunchtime.  The good news is that this means we can all go to The Gowlett Pub afterwards for lunchtime refreshments...

We'd like to thank publicly all those people and organisations in the Peckham area who all tried so hard late yesterday afternoon to help us with our emergency need to find alternative accommodation for our AGM today:

In no particular order:

Dave Small of New Gumboots After School Club

Barbara of East Dulwich Community Centre

Revd Paul Collett of South London Baptist Tabernacle [who tried to get a complicated arrangement with keys sorted out for us]

Andy of the Friends of Warwick Gardens [who tried to help despite being on a very romantic holiday]

Due to a very unfortunate double-booking about which we were only told yesterday afternoon at 3pm [!!!], today's Peckham Power AGM has had to be moved to:

Peckham Library.

It's still happening 1.30-5pm, light lunch and warming refreshments will still be provided, and the Agenda remains the same.

We're very sorry for any inconvenience this unavoidable change may cause, and will put up notices at the previous location directing people to Peckham Library for the Peckham Power AGM.

We've now got our draft constitution into more reasonable shape - many thanks to Cllr Gordon Nardell for his work on this.

We're proposing that Peckham Power becomes a charity, with the purposes ["objects" in Charity Commission speak] as follows:

• To help people – no matter what their income – to generate and use energy sustainably

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