Impact of participating

The difficulty of engaging with people has meant that Bryony isn't sure how accurately they're sticking to their pledges. "I'm hoping that the new scheme where you can make your own pledges will improve things" she says. "It's a good move for this audience where people are probably already doing some of the standard pledges".

Although Sally’s knowledge hasn’t expanded as much as she’d wanted from being part of Greener Together, she admits that she’s much more aware of a global energy problem than she was before. “Things being made a little more difficult for me also gives me a better understanding of what it must be like for people in other parts of the world. It’s made me think more globally by acting on a more local, personal level”. She also thinks that she’ll be more ready to ask questions than she was in the past when purchasing bigger items, such as a new fridge.

ScienceDirect - International Journal of Educational Development : Women and literacy in rural Mali: a study of the socio-economic impact of participating in literacy programs in four villages

The costs benefits of cutting down energy use have also been a positive impact. However, Sally also acknowledges that the financial returns on some of her efforts won’t be as immediate. “We’re putting photovoltaics on the roof and although we’ll get the feed-in tariff benefits immediately, the return on the panelling is going to be a few more years down the line. However, it will be a positive return in the end because it will have benefitted us, and it’ll also be good for the price of the house when we come to sell”.

Sally admits that although the couple were going to get the panels anyway, it’s becoming part of Greener Together that has galvanised her to discuss it with her husband and do it sooner. “We’re discussing the issues far more and I don’t think I would have prompted things to happen as quickly before. I would have just waited for my husband to take the initiative. Being part of Greener Together has definitely accelerated some changes.”