All-energy York

IF a milkfloat's sluggishness has been advanced to this standard, expect your daily pinta in double quick time. The electric engine is sneered at by many car-buyers who fear they will be driving the equivalent of the early-morning road-crawlers, according to York Toyota salesman Phil Nicholson.

But his company's Prius model smashes that generalisation.

After six months of PlanetYork's efforts to transform the city into Britain's most energy efficient, an ecological leader which the world can follow, this is the sort of car we should be considering.

City of York Council, one of the project partners, is way out in front with members of staff taking it for test drives, while Norwich Union, another York-based company signed up to slash energy use, already uses them.

The car is a hybrid - part electric, part unleaded petrol. Reverse and low speeds are accompanied by silence so complete the vehicle could have stalled. As the pace picks up, the petrol starts to burn.

The effect is the speed and control of a normal car - with, apparently, 90 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions and 91 per cent less carbon monoxide.

If all cars had this record, Laura Collins' job would be a lot easier.

In August she took on the role of PlanetYork's campaign manager.

The year-long project aims to link residents and businesses to make a real impact on the local environment.

Coming only months after York suffered its most devastating floods in living memory, the city was the perfect choice to lead the rest of the world to a cleaner existence.

And it aimed to show change could come with the most minor lifestyle alterations.

Laura and her team encourage big companies and residents to transform their cars to low- emission liquid petroleum gas or part-electric vehicles, use public transport, walk or cycle.

But that's only a tiny part of what they do.

"There are so many low cost measures that people can take as well," says Laura. "They don't realise there are so many little things they can do to make a difference. Things such as using energy-efficient lightbulbs, turning off lights when you're not in the room and switching off the TV at the plug rather than leaving it on standby. All these make a difference.

"They are just slight changes to our behaviour. It's a case of trying to remember to do it, and after a while it becomes natural."

In the first six months, more than 40 city businesses have pledged to help cut energy use, and 2,000 residents have expressed support.

That's enough to make a huge difference - and the change will be financial as well as environmental.

Official suggest that £5 billion is wasted in Britain every year because of a lack of energy conservation in homes. That's £84 for every person in the country.

Laura says: "If 2,000 people did no more than changed their lightbulbs for more energy efficient ones, that alone would make a massive difference.

"I know many people have done more than that, so we are delighted at how it is going so far. We have had a great response and getting this much support is a great achievement. The last six months have been largely aimed at awareness, letting people know what they can do and why they should do it. The next half a year will be spent pushing them to actually do it."

In August, a huge Minster sculpted from a block of ice stood melting in the sun-baked Museum Gardens, a reflection of climate change used to launch PlanetYork. Run by the Government-backed Energy saving Trust, major employers immediately gave it their backing - City of York Council, the Evening Press and Norwich Union, among them.

Since then, more than 2,000 questionnaires have been filled in by residents eager to use a free check to find out what they could do to save energy in their homes, how much it would cost and how much they would save in the long run.

Companies and local people have made pledges - energy-saving actions - no matter how small, that they promise to carry out.

They will continue being made until the end of the year, when trophies will be awarded to those that most impress judges.

The ambitious aims set down at the start of the project were to:

Achieve a 900 per cent increase in the number of homes checked for energy efficiency.

Prompt energy-saving action in 10,000 homes.

Encourage more than 100 businesses to sign up to taking efficient action.

Install 50 solar power generators.

Increase awareness of energy efficiency by ten per cent.

They are far from being achieved, but the city has certainly made a good start.

Energy fairs have been held in city parks, lightbulb amnesties have swapped old fashioned bulbs for environmentally-friendly ones, advice sessions have been held and competitions organised.

LAST October, a major conference on climate change and transport was held in York's Moat House Hotel and, a couple of months later, the first green Christmas lights lit the city's streets. "We are happy with what has been done so far," says Laura.

"York people do seem a lot more aware of the effect energy use is having, and what they can do to change. The remainder of the year will be spent trying to get them to do this."

Plans on how to achieve these aims include greater publicising of the grants available for all sorts of efficiency improvements - from converting petrol cars to LPG to fitting a more energy- efficient boiler and insulating lofts.

Although the real effect of the past six months can't yet be measured, the findings of research carried out in the city by the Stockholm Environment Institute will be revealed next month, giving pollution measurements which can be compared with future readings to show any changes.

Hopefully, PlanetYork will ensure pollution levels plummet in the city.

For more information about PlanetYork's work, and how you can be involved, ring 0800 512012, or visit www.planetyork.co.uk

Updated: 10:21 Tuesday, March 26, 2002