https://reasonstobecheerful.world/barcelona-energy-advising-points/
"Back in 2018, Roman Tresens Gallard received the most dreaded surprise, the
kind that happens only when you open up your energy bills. The monthly rate in
his new apartment, the letter revealed, was now rising to over €100 a month.
“It was scandalous,” says Gallard, scarcely masking his fury over the phone.
Living alone in a social housing apartment in Barcelona, Gallard, now 74, was
in an extremely precarious position. He had no family to support him. His
income was a minimal state pension. The bills — which, according to Gallard,
were higher than those of families of three or four people that he knew — could
have been catastrophic.
In a wave of panic, unable to pay, Gallard went to the city’s social services
for help. It was there that he was told about a new scheme in the city of 5.7
million people that was intended to support citizens in exactly his position:
Energy Advising Points.
Just a seven-minute walk from his home, Gallard learned, was one of the 13
Puntos de Asesoramiento Energético that have been set up across the city.
“They were very kind people,” says Gallard. “The service they offer is like
real gold.”
Staffed by experienced “energy advisors,” Barcelona’s Energy Advising Points
have several interconnected goals: to detect energy poverty; to improve the
energy efficiency of homes; to guarantee citizens access to heating, lighting
and hot water; to improve the employability of those out of work and to give
people greater autonomy."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
