Join Us at Growing the Alternatives on Saturday 13 September at the Albany Join us for a family-friendly day of community building, skill-sharing, and learning – creating the alternatives we need for people and the planet. This is your chance to connect with others, discover local initiatives, and gain practical […]
Selce Community
36 posts
Waterside Academy LED Case Study – Energy Saving in the Classroom, Energy Advice in the Community “We’re incredibly proud to have not only reduced Waterside Academy’s carbon footprint and operating costs but also look forward to empowering parents and those connected to the school with the knowledge and tools to […]
Five Things to Check in Your Home in Summer to Avoid Heating Problems in Winter Five Things to Check in Your Home in Summer to Avoid Heating Problems in Winter While we’re not using the heating, it’s easy to forget it’s even there until winter comes around again. But here […]
How We Made Selce: a Community Energy Story “Our vision is to try and build bridges to a more sustainable future: a future that’s fairer, as well as greener. We need to think about things in a different way. And we also recognise that you can’t leave people behind when […]
Don’t Wait to Sort Longstanding Boiler Issues – Avoid the Queues with Heat Doctor Today School’s Out, but the Heat Doctor is Still In Longstanding issues with your boiler? Don’t wait until it gets cold again to sort – get ahead of the queue, sort the problem, and relax… The Heat […]
LEDing the Way to Energy Efficient Lighting with Edmund Waller Primary School “For many community buildings and schools, LED lighting is one of the quickest and most straightforward ways of reducing electricity bills, with quicker results than other methods.” – Giovanna Speciale, CEO & founder of Selce Edmund Waller […]
Advocating for Community Energy at Future of Utilities & Reset Connect Events “We can’t keep missing opportunities to develop wind & solar sites simply because energy companies don’t know how to engage communities.” Our CEO and co-founder Giovanna represented and advocated for a cleaner, fairer future through community energy at […]
Built from the Underground Up – Listen to Selce on Solar & Storage Extra Podcast Listen to Selce co-founder & CEO Giovanna Speciale interviewed on the Solar & Storage podcast – on how Selce was founded, the story so far, right up to the present – with what we’ve been […]
Anna & Shelagh’s Lewisham Retrofit Story – Making Our Home Fit for the Future From insulation, to solar power, to heat pumps, hear Anna & Shelagh’s Lewisham retrofit story, and how they upgraded their home to be fit for the future: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca8wV1NovYs A few quotes from the interview are included […]
History Repeating? Comment on Potential Cuts to the Warm Homes Plan Update on 12/6/25: Positive news in the government spending review – with Labour maintaining its commitment to the Warm Homes Plan, its £13bn fund dedicated to insulate and decarbonise 5m cold, leaky homes. We now need to step […]
How to Keep Cool This Summer While it’s crucial to keep warm during the winter, it is just as important to keep cool in the summer. We’re moving in to a potentially hot and dry summer, and there are lots of things that you can do to keep cool: 1. […]
Who Invests in Community Energy Share Offers and Why Architect Lee Barker founded Community Energy Investors Club on LinkedIn in 2024. The aim of the group is to advocate for and build awareness around UK community renewable energy investment opportunities. We spoke to Lee to get his thoughts on the […]
Top Ten Checklist for Homeowners Considering Solar Panels on their Homes 1. Assess Your Home’s Energy Consumption Why it matters: Understanding your household’s energy needs (kWh per month/year) helps determine the size of the solar PV system needed. What to do: Review your energy bills from the last 12 months […]
Power to the people: the rise of community energy “It’s important to me that my savings are invested ethically and help to make a positive change.” – Edward, Selce Member. “Whatever happens, we’ll carry on…I really believe that community energy groups are playing a key role in building the path […]
Festival of Retrofit – Architect Panel Video in Full With practical examples, this session focussed in part on retrofitting older buildings, and those in conservation areas. Watch the video below of Selce in conversation with architects to discuss the ins and the outs of aesthetically and historically sensitive and structurally […]
What You Need to Know Before Installing Solar Panels on Your Home “This is just a bit of a crash course so you know what you’re talking about and what to look for when you’re chatting to installers and when you’re looking at quotes.” In this webinar, Selce’s solar experts […]
Support and Advocacy Service for Private Renters in Lewisham SELCE has launched a free, pilot advocacy program to help any private renter in Lewisham who is having problems with disrepair and negative rental relationships with their landlords. We can help with: Raising awareness on the rights and responsibilities of tenants […]
Selce Wins Social Value Category at Retrofit Academy Awards South East London Community Energy and the Future Fit Homes Programme was proud winner of the Social Value category at The Retrofit Academy Awards 2025 – The event taking place alongside Futurebuild. Well done to all those shortlisted, and huge thanks […]
What is a Community Energy Share Offer? – A Guide by Cara Whelan, Funding and Development Manager, Selce This article is adapted from an event which you can also watch on YouTube – Learn about Community Shares with Selce! In this article, I’ll be explaining who Selce are, what community […]
Peter’s Retrofit Journey – Since Moving into a Victorian Terrace 25 Years Ago “It would be good advice to think of future-proofing your home. Including with the things you don’t do.” An interview with South East London resident Peter, about how he has made his home warmer and more energy […]
What is a healthy home temperature, how to deal with draughts and the importance of controlled ventilation We all know that feeling of cold chills running up the spine: a sure sign of draught slowly drawing warmth out of our bodies and homes. This issue of cold, draughty homes is […]
Government action on poor quality workmanship in grant schemes welcomed “In a profit-driven building industry, the contractor’s interests are not always the interest of the householder – the industry is full of cowboys, and that’s why we set up the Future Fit Homes project.” – Giovanna Speciale, CEO, Selce. […]
Retrofitting in Conservation Areas – Case Studies with Architect James Foster As part of our Empowerment at Home: Energy Efficiency Webinars for Change, James Foster, architect at Foster Perpatidou gave us a series of examples of his work on retrofit in conservation areas across South East London and beyond:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cZm13MyuJc&t=954s For […]
Retrofit is “the Nexus Between Climate and Energy Justice” Bringing together everyone from local residents to home energy and retrofit advisors, to suppliers and academics, Selce’s CEO Giovanna Speciale kicked off our Festival of Retrofit on 30 November by explaining our choice of subject: “Retrofit is the gift that keeps […]
Current Grants and Financing for Home Retrofit & Repair Retrofit & Repair Grants for Homeowners There are a number of grants currently available for homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. There have a range of different eligibility criteria so do check what you qualify for, even if you […]