our current electric heaters (pun intended)

                        Our Electric Heaters

When we took over operations from the council, we inherited their electric heating system in the wooden areas hub rooms. Unfortunately, these sections lacked good insulation and are very draughty. Many of the heaters were not functioning properly when we took over; there were numerous heaters constantly switched on, showing red lights and making noise—drawing electricity but giving off no heat. We immediately turned off all of these faulty heaters and placed "Broken - Do Not Switch On" signs at their switches.

Not only were many heaters not working, but some of those that did were covered with wooden radiator covers, which hinder convection, especially as these heaters had no fans. All of the rooms were equipped with two-kilowatt wall radiators, while the hallway had four efficient, wall-mounted fan-assisted one-kilowatt electric heaters. These heaters have built-in temperature control and programmable timers, making them much more energy-efficient: they use half the kilowatts, convect  more heat, and all of them worked. Unfortunately, they are hardwired, so we could not replace the broken wall-mounted heaters in our busiest rooms with these.

In the 1960s, the World Health Organization stated that if you cannot heat a room to 21 degrees Celsius, you are experiencing energy poverty. This was the case for many of our rooms with the inherited heating system. To address this issue, we purchased portable heaters as a temporary solution to help us through our first winter. We conducted thorough research before purchasing one, two, and three-kilowatt portable heaters, using some funds from the council, wisely we register our charity with Currys (one of only two charities in the district to do so ) and Wickes, where we now receive a 10% discount on all purchases for our charity account. We secured an excellent deal on the three-kilowatt heaters. Because of their price, our small management team had to obtain three different quotes and demonstrate to the trustees that the purchasers were following the purchasing policy by selecting the best heaters—those that were suitable for our needs, energy-efficient, and as ethical or environmentally friendly. that we could source 

These heaters helped us through the winter; the inherited system would have been inadequate on its own. It would have been much easier if we had the time or available volunteers to implement some insulation initiatives, like - installing draught excluders or curtains, but unfortunately, we were out of capacity in terms of volunteer hours.

We also purchased plug-in timers and thermometers to establish a baseline for our minimum requirements moving forward. We have consulted with numerous energy advisors and architects regarding retrofitting and improvements. Before our second winter arrives, we need to address our insulation issues to better heat these rooms to the required temperature.

We need to plan a new heating system, incorporating considerations for the floor and roof plans, as well as windows and doors insulation. From there, we can determine what thermal units will be required to heat each of our rooms efficiently. Initially, we received multiple quotes from energy transition companies for air source heat pumps powered by solar panels, but these quotes were obtained without a thorough understanding of how well we could improve insulation. For instance, if you have a floor plan of X square meters, the number of heaters required will vary significantly based on insulation quality. If a room is well insulated, fewer heaters will be needed; conversely, if a room is not being used, there would be little point in installing a large number of air source heat pumps. We could potentially install more of the one-kilowatt wall-mounted heaters in smaller spaces, for example.

We received a few smart plugs as gifts from Currys when we registered our charity, along with a £100 donation. However, the smart plugs haven't proven to be operated as smartly as we hoped! We are currently working on how best to integrate these plugs into our business energy management system, which will be updated in the near future. We were confident that these improvements will be in place by this winter, allowing us to free up volunteer hours. Unfortunately, time is running out!

We have made significant efforts to calculate the financial costs of running our 1, 2, and 3-kilowatt heaters. In the future when we produce our own energy, the cost will no longer be an issue. Contrary to rumours, we can heat all our rooms to 21 degrees through effective energy management. However, we still want to be mindful of not being wasteful. We may not need as many air source heat pumps as we initially thought and could potentially transition to using highly efficient 1-kilowatt wall heaters alongside various sizes of portable heaters.

Some of the groups that supported us through last winter were excellent at managing heat and energy, which helped keep our bills manageable. This allowed us to achieve our goal of being debt-free while keeping the doors open and the lights on. We continue to benefit from these initiatives. On the other hand, some groups struggled with heat management, it was nearly impossible to explain to some that warming a room with the doors open was futile. In large, drafty rooms, simple draft-excluding techniques could have made a massive difference.

We are determined to educate the groups about being more mindful of energy usage and heat management. This responsibility shouldn't fall solely on our overstretched unpaid volunteers. Unfortunately, there were instances where our unpaid volunteers received unconstructive criticism from individuals who believed that the cold temperature was due to mismanagement. Even though we provided heaters, some individuals expected us to place them at their feet. While we obliged for some who were extremely grateful for this quick fix, some super supportive individuals preferred not to turn on the heaters, believing they could keep warm by wearing an extra jacket. Thus saving the charity an excessive energy bill, a combination of better communication, on personal wellbeing and wastefull over-consumption is our preferred way forward

Most groups understood the necessity of reducing electricity bills to keep our facility financially sustainable. Wasteful energy management has led to the closure of many community centers across the country. We were determined not to be among the others that failed in Falkirk, closing forever due to the greed of energy companies and poor heat management! in this we have a success story our energy bills are the envy of the district