"The provision of information needs to be much better."

Silence and greenery brought Hans Sleurink and his Frisian wife to Lippenhuizen 40 years ago. There they try to live "green and sustainable" as best they can. But: "The provision of information to citizens needs to be much better. The OWO energy office in formation is a good first step."

The townhouse on It Feestlân in Lippenhuizen has already undergone several modifications since Sleurink became its owner. The ultimate goal is to completely disconnect the house from gas in order to live energy-efficiently.

Consciously living more energy-efficiently

,,We are concerned about the environment. We see the number of insects in our garden decreasing year after year. In general, man operates recklessly and greedily toward nature. Awareness often comes only after the deed. We try to learn from that. In previous renovations, we have already taken some steps. In addition to insulating measures, we installed switches against stealth, showered shorter and ate less meat. In various ways, we try to live more energy-efficiently. Sometimes it is difficult, but in the end it works.''

Gathering knowledge

,,Over a year ago I came into contact with local energy coach Schelte Goinga, who then put me in touch with municipal energy explorer Bas Tromp. It was not so much about saving tips yet, but about knowledge. We had been thinking about an electric car for a while, but yes, how do you do that? What are the possibilities, for example, with a charging station if you have a terraced house?"

Heat pump is a huge topic

"Bas got us off to a good start by issuing a whole-house energy recommendation. Actually, that's the first step: know your house. There should be more education about that. The provision of information needs to be much better. It is in the public interest to get rid of gas and protect the environment. Then you can't leave the provision of information to market parties, because companies are understandably responsible for their own business interests. So what does an ordinary citizen know about heat pumps? That turns out to be a huge topic.''

Good first step 

"Through Bas, we were able to get a subsidy to replace the windows and window frames on the front of the house. We are also investing thousands of dollars ourselves for a more powerful electrical grid in the house. With this summer's modifications, the first phase is complete. This will eventually be followed by the heat pump. Then we will be ready." Sleurink calls better information for citizens essential: "The approach of Opsterland with the OWO energy bureau in formation is a good step. but it is about actually tackling a social problem. Of course, the municipality cannot do that alone. I would like to see the Provinsje Fryslân, together with the Frisian municipalities, start a Provincial Platform Energy Transition with good education. Let Fryslân spearhead this in the Netherlands".