Over the past few months, Sedgemoor Community Connector CIC has delivered our Energy Efficient Cooking (EEC) Project in partnership with Abri, with local support from Bridgwater Town Council who provided the community venue space for the sessions.
With rising energy costs and continued pressure on household budgets, this project focused on something practical and achievable: helping people cook affordable, nourishing meals while using less energy.
Through hands-on, supportive group sessions, residents didn’t just watch demonstrations – they cooked, experimented, compared appliances, shared ideas and took home skills they could use immediately.
What We Did
Across the programme, participants:
Learned how to use air fryers, slow cookers and soup makers efficiently
Compared the cost of different cooking methods (oven vs air fryer vs hob)
Explored ways to reduce food waste
Built confidence cooking from scratch
Shared budgeting tips and meal planning ideas
Connected with others in a relaxed, welcoming environment
The sessions were practical, friendly and rooted in real life — focused on what works in everyday kitchens.
Measurable Impact
By combining feedback from across both groups, we’ve been able to clearly measure the difference the project has made.
The results show genuine behaviour change at home:
100% of participants reported using energy-efficient appliances more often
80–90% said they are now wasting less food
70–80% reported cooking from scratch more confidently
70–78% said they are actively changing how they cook to save energy
40–56% reported batch cooking more often
The most significant outcome is that every single participant is now making greater use of energy-efficient appliances. That represents a tangible shift in how people are cooking day to day.
Reduced food waste at up to 90% is equally important — stretching budgets further while also reducing environmental impact.
And the growth in cooking confidence shows that this wasn’t just about gadgets or recipes. It was about giving people the reassurance that they can cook well, affordably and efficiently.
More Than Energy Savings
While energy efficiency was the focus, something else happened too.
Participants formed new friendships, shared experiences and supported each other. For some, this was the first time they had cooked in a group setting. By the final sessions, people were confidently explaining energy comparisons and offering tips to others.
That peer learning – neighbour to neighbour- is powerful.
Looking Ahead
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. While confidence in cooking and appliance use scored very highly, we also reflected that in future programmes we could include more general household energy advice and potentially involve specialist partners to broaden that element further.
As always, we will continue to adapt and strengthen the programme based on what our community tells us.
Thank You
A sincere thank you to Abri for funding and partnership support, and to Bridgwater Town Council for providing the space that made these sessions accessible within the heart of the community.
This project shows that when we combine practical skills with warm, welcoming spaces, we don’t just reduce energy use.
We build confidence. We reduce waste. We strengthen community resilience.
