Two actors will step inside specially-constructed pods to demonstrate energy ‘heaven and hell’ at the Royal Bath & West Show.  They will climb inside the pair of transparent pods and then ‘live’ in them each day of the show, which runs from May 30 to June 2, interacting with curious onlookers. At first glance the pods appear to be two identical rooms, but on closer inspection they - and their inhabitants - reveal two very different attitudes to using energy.

EDF Energy, the main sponsor of the show, is unveiling the pods to encourage visitors to save energy and adopt a greener way of living. They will be part of the show’s Eco-Zone, a new area promoting a wide range of sustainable initiatives during the event.

Peter Thorn, EDF Energy’s Head of Innovation and Partnerships, said: “The pods are different and certainly attention-grabbing. It will be the first time they have been unveiled to the public. They’re fun but there’s a very serious message behind what we are doing. One pod sets out an energy efficient way of living, the other shows just how easy it is to end up wasting energy and harming the environment unnecessarily.”

The showcase exhibition is part of the company’s wider ‘green’ investment in the local area. The EDF Energy Green Fund, part funded by customers on EDF Energy’s green tariff, has seen grants of more than £140,000 made towards five renewable energy projects* nearby, including the Bath & West’s own boiler powered by recycled wood pellets. Across the South West, EDF Energy has invested £1.4m in 72 separate green projects from the Fund, more than in any other region.

Visitors can spot the differences between each pod and enter a daily competition to win a family energy efficiency hamper worth up to £2,000. The hamper includes a range of eco-friendly products such as kitchen appliances and insulation as well as energy saving light bulbs, solar garden lights, a wind-up DAB radio and a solar mobile charger.

Hilary Walkman, sponsorship and pr manager for EDF Energy, said; “The Royal Bath & West Show is the perfect place to showcase the new eco-stand as it attracts over 160,000 visitors of all kinds from a region which is already pioneering a wide range of green initiatives.  The EDF Energy stand has been designed to show the importance of energy-efficient living in a fun and interactive way and shows just how easy it is to save energy.  So come along, pick up some tips and find out how you can save money as well as the environment.”  

The ‘Eco-Zone’ – made up of six separate areas covering wind, solar, biomass, clean transport, construction and green consumables - features a wide range of eco-friendly initiatives. These include a parade of vehicles powered by sustainable energy, the ‘Go Green, Ask Us’ advice centre, Bridgwater College Cannington Centre’s carbon footprint competition and display of a rare specimen from one of the world’s oldest living trees - the Australian Wollemi Pine, as well as BBC Somerset Sound’s new broadcast bus and green challenge to save ‘Planet Somerset’.

The EDF Energy Green Energy Fund rewards charitable, education and non-profit community organisations with grants to install innovative renewable energy schemes producing power from the sun, wind, water and other renewable sources.

The fund provides grants of up to £30,000 for renewable energy projects at a community level.

Local projects within a 16 mile radius of the Royal Bath & West Showground

The Royal Bath and West of England Society won a £30,000 grant through EDF Energy’s Green Energy Fund to invest in a green biomass   boiler heating system at the showground’s Edmund Rack Pavilion, in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. The boiler will be powered by recycled wood pellets.

Folly Farm received a grant of £5,000 for a wind feasibility study.
 
Tellisford Mill in Frome are part of the Mendip Power Group who received a £50,000 grant to install hydro-power turbines.
 
Carrymore Environmental Trust in Castle Cary received £25,000 for a wind turbine
Ansford Community School in Castle Cary were awarded £30,000 for a wind turbine
EDF Energy is one of the UK's largest energy companies. We provide power to a quarter of the UK's population via our electricity distribution networks in London, the South East and the East of England. We supply gas and electricity to over 5 million customers through our retail brands of EDF Energy, London Energy, Seeboard Energy and SWEB Energy. We generate about 5GW of energy from our coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. The company is also a key player in national infrastructure projects, including the electrical upgrading of the London Underground, management of private electricity networks serving four London airports and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the country's first new railway in 100 years. We employ nearly 12,000 people at locations across the UK. EDF Energy is a core part of EDF Group, one of the world's largest power companies.
 
EDF Energy sponsors and supports a range of community events in the South West, including the Bristol Harbour Festival, Royal Bath and West Show and Exeter Summer Festival. Through our Helping Hands scheme, hundreds of staff act as volunteers, working with numerous local charities and other community organisations across the South West. We have also awarded numerous grants, totalling around £1.4m so far, towards renewable community projects in the South West through our Green Fund.