Dear Residents of the Whitby Hydrogen Village proposal,
I wanted to write to you all following a recent community engagement workshop, where myself and members of the Hydrogen Village team at Cadent and British Gas received feedback about your questions and discussed the next steps in our engagement programme.
Whilst there’s been a lot of positivity about the Hydrogen Village in Whitby, we recognise that many of you understandably still have questions. As well as the materials we have shared with you so far, such as our Hydrogen Village Handbook, we want to reassure you that we have a dedicated team in Whitby with expertise across a wide range of net zero domestic heating technologies, who are on hand to support you.
Where can I get the information I need?
Our team will be working hard to answer the questions raised from within this Facebook group and in the wider community. Recently, we opened our Hydrogen Experience Centre in Whitby, which you can visit 6 days a week to discuss your questions and feedback and see some hydrogen appliances in action. You can book an appointment to have a dedicated discussion with our team, by phoning us on 0800 035 3371 or emailing us at hydrogenvillage@britishgas.co.uk. You can also drop in to see us between the hours of 8am-6.30pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am-3pm on a Saturday.
We also continue to deliver in-home hydrogen assessments and would like to reassure you that having one of these assessments does not in any way commit you to taking hydrogen appliances if the Hydrogen Village programme goes ahead. Rather, you will get a personal visit in your home to understand your property’s specific needs to convert to hydrogen, along with servicing and safety checks of all gas appliances free of charge and another opportunity to discuss your questions with our team. You can find out more about what this involves and how to book here: www.hydrogenvillage.com/book
Once you book your in-home hydrogen assessment, you will be sent a questionnaire (via email or a phone call) to give us your views. However, every resident who has provided us with contact details will, before the end of the year, have the opportunity to complete a questionnaire. These are tailored to understand feedback at each specific stage of a resident’s interaction with us and the process is managed entirely by an independent third party.
What’s next?
Whilst we’d really encourage you to visit us at the HEC and/or have your in-home hydrogen assessment, we also understand that some of you may wish to engage with us by other means. As part of our engagement programme, we have plans to build on what we have done so far by undertaking additional community events, where you can learn more about the programme, ask questions and provide your feedback. Details of the events will be publicised to all residents and businesses in the proposed programme area shortly.
Your feedback at each of these steps is essential to shaping how the Hydrogen Village programme could be delivered and it does not stop there. If Whitby is selected for the programme in 2023, we will continue to answer your questions and seek to give you the information you need to make a firm decision about your appliance options – a decision we will not ask you to make until late 2023/early 24, with the conversion to hydrogen expected to take place in 2025. Right now, we would like to give you as much information as we can, learn more about what issues are of most importance to you, and get your feedback.
We look forward to speaking with even more of you over the coming weeks and months, and we will continue to work with members of this group to keep you informed.
Best regards,
Marc Clarke
Head of Hydrogen Consumer – Cadent
