Claudy Rural Development is another step closer to a £10,000 prize fund after completing the second stage of Quest. If they win they can use this money to invest in renewable technology and other energy saving measures for their local community.
The group are now working on the third step of this bespoke ten-step challenge and must source 25 eligible free insulation referrals within their community. This criteria based free insulation package from Power NI which is funded by the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme is open to all homeowners and private renters and provides a full package of loft insulation (up to 300mm), cavity wall insulation, a hot water tank jacket (if applicable) and four energy saving light bulbs. To get to this stage they had to hold a community meeting with their Power NI mentor where they were provided with a presentation on the benefits of energy saving and what challenges they will face throughout the rest of the Quest competition. The second step which they just finished was to complete 100 online Home Energy Checks through the Power NI website. This provided participants with a personalised energy report on how they can save energy at home while also saving money. They must fully complete step three before they progress to the fourth stage energy awareness training workshop. Dr Damien O’Kane from the Claudy Rural Development said; "It's exciting that we are we moving further through the competition and getting closer to the prize.
Quest is allowing the whole community to take control of their energy consumption and save money in the process which is what we were hoping to achieve through our participation in this competition." Their Power NI group mentor Wilma Stewart added; "Claudy Rural Development have been working very hard throughout Quest and have been making the most out of the opportunities they have been given. They are determined to succeed and will do very well with steps ahead." Claudy Rural Development must source 25 referrals for the NISEP free insulation scheme before they can move on to the fourth step of Quest. For more information on how you could benefit from the NISEP free insulation scheme and other energy saving offers call 0800 0321 894 (lines open Monday to Friday, 9am- 5pm).
