Barcombe energy plan could see village give up oil

UK Power Networks say about 4m properties across the UK are heated by oil.

A scheme which would see an entire village switch from oil to electric heating could become a blueprint for millions of homes.

The CommuniHeat project is working with residents in the East Sussex village of Barcombe on "a seamless and affordable transition to low-carbon heating".

Ian Cooper, from UK Power Networks, said it would boost efforts to make more communities carbon neutral.

"What we can learn here we can share across the country," he said.

According to UK Power Networks, who own and maintain the electricity cables in South East England, about 4m properties across the UK are heated by oil.

'Get on board'

Homeowners in the village near Lewes are being asked to sign up to the scheme and initially monitor their energy usage for six months.

The data will be analysed and a plan for implementation developed.

Chris Rowland from Ovesco Community Energy, a partner in the project, said: "We are going to contact 600 home owners in the Barcombe parish and want 200 of them to get on board with the project.

"We've already got 50 signed up. We are fitting energy monitors in the homes so that we can record their energy use over the winter months."

He said the data would then be used make a plan for the entire village to switch from oil to electricity for its heating.

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