Staff from various organisations in Alphen are on hand to answer questions about parenting and growing up, informal care and care for the elderly, social support, information and advice for associations, and many other topics. “But there was little to be found about energy saving,” René Aarts and Inge van Oostende discovered. “If you live in a damp and draughty house and are concerned about your high energy bills, you can sometimes save money and improve your living comfort with simple measures. The Information Point is a suitable place to discuss this with people,” says René. He is a volunteer (neighbourhood ambassador) at Energiek Alphen and Inge is an area advisor at the municipality.

Consultation hours

Organisations hold consultation hours at fixed times during the week, such as Tom in de Buurt, Alphen Vitaal, Kwadraad, Stichting SAVA and Participe, the initiator of the Infopunt (see here for an overview). For the time being, this is a temporary project; the retail space will be available until the renovation of De Aarhof begins. The area advisors and employees of the Sustainability desk The council holds consultation hours every first Tuesday of the month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can go there for general questions about energy advice, subsidies and loans, and what the energy transition means for the council and its residents.

“In my opinion, there was more to be gained,” says René Aarts from Hazerswoude. Last autumn, he requested and received permission to be present on Friday afternoons to actively engage with shoppers. He asks visitors and passers-by how Energiek Alphen might be able to help them with energy-saving measures at home.

“People who are in a hurry to do their shopping usually don't have time for such a conversation. But in general, there is plenty of interest. After all, everyone wants lower energy bills, and that can often be achieved with small measures that cost little but can save you tens of pounds a year. Think of draught strips, a letterbox brush or radiator foil. I notice that many people do think about this, including larger issues such as insulation, solar panels, heat pumps and home batteries. But they don't know how to go about it. Where do I start? What is true and what is not? There is a latent need to discuss this with an expert.”

Consultation meetings

An important result of the presence of the Information Point is that, to date, an average of three or four appointments for a consultation have been made every afternoon. René: “Our Energy Coaches make an appointment to assess the situation at people's homes. After that visit, the resident receives a report with advice on possible measures, both small and large.” The consultation is free of charge (Energiek Alphen receives a fee from the municipality) and without obligation. “Even if you want to take concrete action afterwards and need help, for example to carry out small jobs, to find a suitable supplier or to find out more about subsidies or a sustainability loan, Energiek Alphen's advisers can help you with that.”

Initially, René was the only EA volunteer representing the Information Point on Friday afternoons. Now he alternates with his EA colleagues Peter Borst and Gijs Pool. “Sometimes we skip an afternoon. We know from experience that few people go shopping on cold and rainy days. Sometimes, for example during the holidays, our schedules don't always allow us to be there. That's why we would like to expand our team. If there are people who would like to join us, please let us know,” René calls out. “It's fun and rewarding work.”