In a simple bid to reduce the borough’s carbon footprint, the council is offering curtain material and sewing lessons to chilly residents.
Through a series of workshops aimed to reduce energy consumption, the scheme provides residents with thermal curtain linings and suggestions about how to best insulate their homes.
“Lots of people in Islington have single sash windows, so they experience lots of draughts and potential energy loss,” said Lucy Rees from Islington Council’s Green Living Centre, which is running the workshops this week.
“This scheme is a really useful and straightforward way to reduce the costs of heating in the home.”
Many homes in the borough are older properties with sash windows, which are expensive to replace. A recent study by English Heritage suggested that suitable curtains could reduce heat loss from old sash windows by 41 per cent.
Each resident attending the workshops will be given a set of thermal linings to take home and taught how to attach these to their own curtains. Attendees will also be given information about energy grants and other energy saving advice.
The project demonstrates the borough’s commitment to reducing energy consumption through small, accessible projects that make important differences, according to the council.
Appropriately, the workshops begin in the same week Islington is named one of the city’s Low Carbon Zones by Mayor Boris Johnson. Along with nine other boroughs, including neighbouring Haringey, Islington will cut emissions by 20.12 per cent by 2012. The scheme will bring together current projects, such as the curtain workshops, and introduce new ones, such as teaching the unemployed how to be energy assessors, to improve energy efficiency.
Islington and Camden are the first boroughs in the capital to introduce the curtain scheme.
Chris Naylor, Executive Member for Homes and Housing Strategy for Camden, said: “We all know that making small changes to our homes can make a real difference to our carbon emissions – and our bank balances. We’re helping residents reduce both by installing more loft and wall insulation, and better heating systems. But curtain lining is one idea that we can put into practice at home, and these workshops are the perfect way to learn how to do it.”
The workshops take place at 10.30am on Thursday and 3.30pm on Saturday on Upper Street. Booking is required. Call 0207 527 8329.
