Thank You
Matt would like to thank everyone who has helped Energy Saving Day (E-Day) to happen.
Jon Plowman
Nothing would have been possible without Jon Plowman's vision, determination and courage. Jon did his best for Planet Relief within the BBC and stuck by me after his baby was cancelled. Thank you Jon!
BBC Comedy
Jon’s team in BBC Comedy, Justin Davies and Julia Cottrell, were also wonderful to work with and made my time with them fantastically productive and enjoyable.
Cambridge : Joe Smith
Joe Smith (Open University) originally introduced me to Jon, in Cambridge, and also played a crucial role in helping to get things off the ground a couple of years ago.
E-Day
Alex Kirby and Mandana Namdar volunteered to work for E-Day when it was first established, and have been invaluable sources of good humour and practical support ever since.
Carbon Cycle, National Trust and Mark Turner
Mark Turner has generously shared his time, expertise and advice over many months. In particular, I'm extremely grateful that he has helped the heroic Carbon Cycle boys (Will Ashley-Cantello, Ben Meaker, Tom Tapper and Peter Clutton-Brock) to edit their 15 hours of raw footage into a 5 punchy minutes and visited multiple National Trust properties while producing and directing a voxpop film for E-Day, with the assistance of the National Trust's Tony Burton, Ellie Robinson, Sophie Gaffney and EricaJobson.
Bjorn The Bear
Jon Plowman, Justin Davies, Luc Mollinger, Will Dixon, Dan Smith, Howard and Ben Fheinwald have all played vital roles in the making of E-Day’s Bjorn The Bear film; as did Bjorn’s owners Neula and Kim Kaos. This film was enormous fun to make, but required a huge amount of good will and hard work from all concerned, so I would like to express my sincerest thanks to everyone who helped to get this nutty idea scripted, filmed, acted, located and in the can.
The Green Thing
Andy Hobsbawm and Naresh Ramchandani of Green Thing have very generously reversioned some of their excellent videos especially for E-Day. Andy and Naresh are kindred spirits, and have been a delight to work with and bounce ideas off. They offer great videos, poems and podcasts for a new environmental activity every month and I cannot recommend their imaginative and fun work highly enough.
More Associates
Luke Nicholson and James Cuddy of More Associates and Dave Waters and Bertie Miller of Watermill have all contributed phenomenonal ideas and effort, which will hopefully end up in a couple of animations being specially made for E-Day’s.
Dave Waters
Dave Waters was also the person who suggested that Energy Saving Day should be abbreviated to E-Day, and that I should stage a candle lit vigil at St. Paul’s, so he has been a particularly valuable idea improver and idea generator to be able to call upon. Thanks Dave!
St Paul's Cathedral and City of London Corporation
The Dean, Registrar and Chapter of St. Paul's Cathedral have also been kind enough to grant me permission to stage the launch of Energy Saving Day on the steps of the cathedral, with the co-operation and assistance of the City of London Corporation, who own the adjacent land. My heartfelt thanks to the cathedral's Registrar, (Major General John Milne CB) and events co-ordinator, Jane Laws, as well as the City of London's Simon Mills, Simon Phillips and Richard Pain for their prompt and generous assistance.
Freud Communication
Toby Burnham and Matthew Freud from Freud Communication have been kind enough to offer their organisation’s invaluable PR expertise and advice for free. I have never known how to reach or to interest key people in the media, so I really appreciate having access to two of the best professionals in this field.
Artists' Project Earth and Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
I also owe a huge amount to Artists' Project Earth and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, for their no-strings funding. Both of these charities fast-tracked my applications for support, and have subsequently helped me to keep going through a few tricky months and to pay for the vitally important things, which I could not beg or borrow.
E-Day would have ground to a halt, and perhaps died, without their generous, flexible and super-fast injections of cash. My thanks to everyone at both of these fine organisations, but especially Kenny Young (UKAPE) and Danyal Sattar (EFF).
David Shreeve, Conservation Foundation
David Shreeve of the Conservation Foundation has also been a wise advisor, and helped with the administration of the funds I have raised for E-Day. Thank you David!
Colin Burton
Colin Burton has also helped to manage all of E-Day's accounts
Steering Group
The following people have acted as an informal high-level Steering Group and helped to represent the different sectors, which have agreed to take part in E-Day:
Alex Kirby (E-Day)
Ashok Sinha (Stop Climate Chaos coalition / iCount)
David Green (UKBCSE)
David Waters (Watermill)
Jon Plowman (BBC Comedy)
Justin Davies (BBC Comedy)
Katherine Symonds (Tesco)
Lord (Robert) May (Oxford University)
Mandana Namdar (E-Day)
Matt Prescott (E-Day)
Ross Hayman (National Grid)
E-Day Website:
Four teams of extremely talented, skilled and creative people have helped bring the E-Day website to life.
- Hyl Design
Steve Hyland (Hyl Design): graphic design
Jason Hyland (Hyl Design): web design
- Idonix
Paul Harrison (Idonix): data handling
Pete Griffiths (Idonix): data handling
- Wide Area
Simon Brock (Wide Area): web hosting and database services
Jude Insley (Wide Area) : content management system
Laura Rudd (Wide Area) : content management system
- Social Application (Facebook : Energy Saving Scorecard)
Colm Massey (Natural Motion): social application
Simon Alexanderson: social application
All of the people working on the website have done incredibly creative and harmonious work for very little or no money. This method of working could have been an absolute nightmare, but it has instead been one of the great pleasures of recent months. Thank you guys!
National Grid : Leave It Off experiment
George Mayhew, Alan Smart, Andrew Ryan and Chris Rogers from National Grid have granted E-Day unparalleled access to their data and been the best possible people to discuss all of the practical aspects and implications of E-Day's "Leave It Off" experiment. They have been prepared to try something new and I really appreciate all of their professionalism and assistance.
iCount / Stop Climate Chaos coalition
Ashok Sinha, Beth Tegg, Alison Blowers and Sarah Jenkinson have been brilliant facilitators and enabled me to access a very wide cross section of the charity sector in a hugely positive and constructive fashion. Their calm and fair-minded approach has been an inspiration and invaluable on many, many occasions.
Energy Companies
The representatives of the big energy companies have all been prepared to listen to my requests for co-operation and simplification, and agreed to develop a straight forward and clear loft and wall insulation offer for E-Day.
Business Council for Sustainable Energy
I didn't expect this to be possible, and must thank David Green and Megan Wheatley, from the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, for their prompt and well-judged assistance when bringing these companies together and keeping them talking with me after Planet Relief was cancelled.
Tesco
Katherine Symonds and David North have worked hard to get their energy efficiency labels initiative ready to be launch in time for E-Day. I appreciate their rigorous approach to developing solutions and am glad to have Tesco's support.
Energy Saving Trust
The Energy Saving Trust has worked very hard to help identify some of the most effective and practical ways of saving energy in a typical household and I would like to thank Jon McGowan, Sara Neame and Julian Roberts for all of their assistance, against a tight deadline.
DEFRA
Paul Chambers and Bryony Worthington were extremely helpful and reliable facilitators within the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). In particular, I am grateful for their assistance with accessing so many knowledgable and motivated people within the government's most relevant departments, specialist units and agencies.
No. 10 Downing Street
Justin Forsyth also played a very important role in my negotiations with the National Grid, while he was Prime Minister Tony Blair's special adviser on poverty, climate change and trade at Number 10 Downing Street, and helped us to find a mutually acceptable, safe and responsible way of working together.
Plus many, many others...
The following people have also helped E-Day, in a wide variety of ways, and provided ideas, contacts or advice over the past couple of years, and I sincerely hope that I haven't left anyone out.
Abigail Lamberti (Somerset County Council)
Adrian Dent (CTC)
Alan Smith (RWEnpower)
Alastair Martin (Flexitricity)
Alex Kirby
Alex Randall (Cheat Neutral)
Alison Blower (Stop Climate Chaos)
Amy Bick (Women’s Institute)
Andrea Rubei (Broadvision)
Andrew Dlugolecki (Carbon Disclosure Project)
Andrew Harmsworth (www.gcse.com)
Andrew Lloyd (Scottish and Southern)
Andrew Slight (Tesco)
Andy Hobsbawm (Do The Green Thing)
Asher Minns (University of East Anglia)
Ashok Sinha (Stop Climate Chaos)
Barbora Patkova (Magnificent Revolution)
Basil Omar (Green Biologics)
Ben Dixon (Ashden Awards)
Ben Fheinwald (Bjorn The Bear short film, Location owner)
Ben Meaker (The Carbon Cycle)
Beth Stratford (Cheat Neutral)
Beth Tegg (Stop Climate Chaos)
Bob Ward (Risk Management Solutions)
Bob Spicer (Open University)
Briony Greenhill (The Nag)
Bryher Scudamore (Eden Project)
Bryony Worthington (DEFRA)
Caspar Henderson (Artists’ Project Earth)
Caroline Lucas (Green Party)
Catherine Bottrill (Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University
Catherine Dent (Scottish and Newcastle)
Charlotte Flint (Tearfund)
Chris Mostyn (National Grid)
Christina King (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
Christina Royo (Elmbridge Borough Council)
Claire Foster (Church of England)
Colin Challen (Labour Party)
Colm Massey (Natural Motion)
Danyal Sattar (Esmée Fairbairn Foundation)
Darren Shirley (Greenpeace)
Dave Andrews (Claverton Energy Group)
Dave Hall (Together)
Dave Hampton (Carbon Coach)
David Gautrey (Oxford Analytica)
David Green (UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy)
David North (Tesco)
David Shreeve (Conservation Foundation)
Dinyar Baria (RWE npower)
Ed Gillespie (Futerra)
Edmund Barrett (npower)
Edward Green (Green Biologics)
Ellie Springett (EST)
Ellie Robinson (National Trust)
Fanny Calder (Global Cool)
Farah Nazeer (Women’s Insitute)
George Mayhew (National Grid)
Gerald Strickland (European Lamp Companies Federation)
George Marshall (COIN)
George Monbiot (Campaign Against Climate Change)
Gobion Rowlands (Red Redemption)
Godfrey Boyle (Open University)
Heather Carswell (Lonely Planet)
Helen Conford (Penguin Group)
Helen Povall (Comic Relief)
Jane Eason (Practical Action)
Jane Durney (BioRegional)
Jane Milne (Association of British Insurers)
Janet Convery (Action Aid)
James Cameron (Climate Change Capital)
James Cuddy (More Associates)
James Smith (Carbon Diet)
Jason Hyland (Hyland Design)
Jane Fletcher (Saving Planet Earth)
Jane Laws (St. Paul's Cathedral)
Jeremy Parsons (Centrica)
Jim Harris (Cranfield University)
Joe Smith (Open University)
John Ashton (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
John Llewellyn (Lehman Brothers)
John Milne (Registrar, St. Paul's Cathedral)
John Pietryszak (Scottish Power)
John Sauven (Greenpeace)
Jon McGowan (EST)
Jonathan Sanderson (Planet SciCast)
Justin Forsyth (No. 10)
Kate Wills (Christian Aid)
Katerina Dshedshorov (Christian Aid)
Katherine Symonds (Tesco)
Katherine Warrington (Sunderland City Council)
Katie Austin (Women’s Institute)
Kevin McCullough (Npower Renewables)
Lara Olsen (CoolNRG)
Leo Hickman (The Guardian)
Liz Lindsay (Lonely Planet)
Liz Reason (Reasons To Be Cheerful)
Louise Farrell (National Grid)
Louise Oughton (Dacorum Borough Council)
Luc Mollinger (Bjorn The Bear short film, Director)
Lucy Murray (Sustainability Executive)
Lucy Yates (National Consumer Council)
Luke Nicholson (More Associates)
Maia Bagriantseva (NTV Russia)
Mairi Dupar (RSPB)
Majid Al Kader (Luk)
Margaret Henry (Oxford Innovation)
Marie Moller (National Trust)
Mark Lynas (Low Carbon Wolvecote)
Mark Partington (EEA Fund Management)
Mark Randall (Rackspace)
Mark Turner (Independent film maker)
Matthew Davis (WWF)
Megan Wheatley (UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy)
Melissa Henry (Sustrans)
Michael Wagner (IPA Energy)
Mike Green (Scottish and Southern Energy)
Mike Hulme (University of Easy Anglia)
Mike Lamond (Green.tv)
Mike Maudsley (First Hydro)
Mina Guli (Climate Change Capital)
Naresh Ramchandani (Do The Green Thing)
Nicholas Josefowitz (RenGen)
Nick Winser (National Grid)
Nicky Chambers (Best Foot Forward)
Nicola Kirkup (DTI)
Nigel Spencer (Unilever)
Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)
Paul Chambers (DEFRA)
Paul Harrison (Idonix)
Paul Spencer (Oxford City Council)
Paul Varley (EAGA)
Pete Griffiths (Idonix)
Peter Clutton Brock (Carbon Cycle)
Peter Gingold (Tipping Point)
Peter Henderson (Pisces Conservation)
Philippa Marshall (Ben & Jerry)
Rachel Ollivier (CoolNRG)
Rebecca Barrett (DEFRA)
Richard Chartres (Bishop of London, Church of England)
Richard Pain (City of London)
Richard Trillo (Rough Guides)
Rik Kendall (EAGA)
Robert Bell (EST)
Robert May (Oxford University)
Robert Marjoram (E.ON)
Rob Moore (Together)
Rosemary Heath (EDF Energy)
Rumit Shah (National Grid)
Ruth West (Low Carbon Wolvecote)
Sarah Berry (BT Group)
Sarah Jenkinson (Stop Climate Chaos)
Sarah Butler-Sloss (Ashden Awards)
Sarah Dodds (UnLtd)
Siân Petito Hughes (European Lamp Companies Federation)
Sian Thomas (Woodland Trust)
Simon Brock (Wide Area)
Simon Davies (Centrica)
Simon Griew (DTI)
Simon Mills (City of London)
Simon Phillips (City of London)
Stephen Hallett (Cranfield University)
Stephen Hopper (Kew Gardens)
Steve Davies (DTI)
Steve Howard (Climate Group)
Steve Hyland (Hyland Design)
Steve Riley (International Power)
Steven Argent (Ofgem)
Steven Holliday (National Grid)
Stuart Franklin (Magnum)
Sue Warland
Susan Runyard (Kew Gardens)
Susanna May (DEFRA)
Tim Jackson (Surrey University)
Tim Lunel (National Energy Foundation)
Tim Warren (EyeWorks TV)
Tom Chance (Bioregional)
Tom Steinberg (My Society)
Tom Tapper (The Carbon Cycle)
Tony Burton (The National Trust)
Tony Locke (Claverton Energy Group)
Trish Elson (Comic Relief)
Verity Cowper (Green TV)
Will Ashley-Cantello (The Carbon Cycle)
Will Dixon (Bjorn The Bear short film, Cameraman/Sound)
Will Watt (BBC Worldwide)
Yasmin Diamond (DEFRA)
Family and friends
My friends and family have also been a solid foundation to fall back upon, when the going has got tough, and I would like to thank all of the following for their help and encouragement over the years:
Angharad Penrhyn Jones, Antony Froggatt, Bart Harmsen, Colin Bleay, David Macdonald, Donna Harris, Eduardo Moraes Arraut, Erica Moret, Fiona Proffitt, Graham Stone, Gregory Rasmussen, Inigo Montes, James Stradling, Jane, Malcolm, Olly and Emmie van Biervliet, Jean Cater, Jerome Clarisse, John Ewen, John Quinn, Jon Lees, Jonas Vibell, Jonathan Grose, Jorgelina Marino, Kate Gillies, Madeline Mitchell, Mandana Namdar, Manuel Berdoy, Nick Casey, Norman Myers, Oliver, Lisbet, Anna Beatrice, Magnus and Naia Tickell, Paddy Coulter, Pam Beddard, Paul and Ailsa Johnson, Maya Herbolzheimer, Rebecca Hosking, Rosie Trevelyan, Stephen Clarke, Stephen Frankenberg, Stephen Gregory, Tiffany Rowe, Tim New, Tony Locke.
Mum, Dad, Joanna, Grandpa, Geraldine, Pip, Guido, Olga, Tatiana, Chris, Jerry and Ailsa.