Helping people and the environment move forward

Photo: macrovector on Freepik

ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected by Aart Kerremans within ACCTING’s mapping of inspiring practice cases, within the Clean Energy Research Line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Energiesnoeiers, Belgium

Providing a solution to save energy

Energiesnoeiers (‘Energy Cutters’) are companies in the social economy of Flanders that carry out energy scans and energy-conserving measures like insulation of walls/roofs, preferably in the homes of socially and financially vulnerable people. Given the recent inflationary pressures on energy prices, De Energiesnoeiers and their services have become more relevant and urgent for citizens in need. There are currently 29 local Energiesnoeiers companies with similar objectives and methods across Flanders.

Employing vulnerable people

Because the initiative is part of the social economy, they employ workers who are typically long-term unemployed, or don’t get a lot of opportunities in the labour market, i.e., ‘low-skilled’ workers, people with a disability, etc. Once someone is hired, they are trained/educated to help save the energy through carrying out the activities below:

• Install insulation under sloping roofs and attic floors
• Provide free guidance on social insulation projects for the private rental market
• Provide free energy scan

Behavioural change can be identified for the families receiving guidance on how to avoid wasting energy and for the people who are employed to do the energy scans and interventions, who get training and acquire specific competencies that they will use in their personal life and that they are likely to spread among their acquaintances.

Find out more here.

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