Big Energy Race has been developed by Global Action Plan UK in partnership with the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ofgem, Citizens Advice Bureau and the Energy Saving Trust. Registered charity 1026148 Head Office – 9-13 Kean Street, London WC2B 4AY, Tel. 020 7420 4444 Fax. 020 7836 7345
The aim of the Big Energy Race (“the Race”) is to get communities working together to reduce energy use and bills, by using less, wasting less and paying less for their bills.
We want to be fair, and reward real action, as well as recognising groups and Team Members who have done more to help people in their community become ‘energy-fit’.
The Race will run over the following period:
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Registration |
Community group leaders register their group’s interest in competing as a Team in the Race and get support for recruiting Team Members who will undertake challenges and contribute towards the Team’s activities once the Race launches. |
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Race launch |
The Big Energy Race is launched and Team Members register as members of their Team. |
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The Opening Stretch: |
As many members of each Team as possible complete energy-saving challenges as described on the Big Energy Race website, earning points for their Team. Weekly prizes for best Region, Team and Team Member are awarded during this period. |
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The Final Stretch: |
New actions appear on the Big Energy Race website. The top Team from each Region based on points accumulated from the Opening Stretch go on to compete with each other for the top prize as Big Energy Race Champions. The remaining Teams continue to undertake new challenges and compete for the weekly prizes. |
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Prizes and celebration |
Results are validated and the winning Teams presented with prizes. A celebration event will be held in June 2015 recognising the achievements of participating community groups and individuals in the Big Energy Race. |
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Team |
A community group signed up to the Race which undertakes challenges to promote energy efficiency (see Section 4 for eligibility). |
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Team Leader |
The member of the community group who administers the group’s contribution to the Race. |
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Team Member |
Individual members of the group and wider local community who sign up on the Big Energy Race website and complete energy-saving challenges at home in support of their Team. |
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Challenges |
Teams undertake challenges to prevent energy loss, waste and to reduce bills. Challenges are available on the Big Energy Race website from mid-January 2015. |
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Points |
Each challenge has a points score. Teams and Team Members who complete challenges gain these points for their Team. |
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Prizes |
Financial prize awarded to the Team with the most points at the end of the race crowned Big Energy Race Champions. Prizes will also be awarded for Region, Team and Team Member of the Week during the Race. |
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Organisers |
The Race is administered by Global Action Plan on behalf of the partners listed on the website. |
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Region |
Each of England, Scotland and Wales shall constitute individual regions. |
Community groups in Scotland, England and Wales are eligible for the Race, if they meet the following criteria:
Examples of eligible groups include:
The overriding test will be that of community benefit, which must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Organisers. The Organisers’ decision is final, and they reserve the right to remove groups from the Race if they are judged to have misrepresented their eligibility, or if their conduct is contrary to these Race Rules.
Any individual resident in England, Scotland or Wales may register on the website to support and take action for a pre-registered Team. Each individual Team Member must have a unique email address. Multiple entrants from the same IP address will be investigated and may be disqualified.
A Team Leader shall register their Team to take part in the Race at www.bigenergyrace.org, providing basic details about themselves, confirming their Team’s eligibility to participate and agreeing to take part according to these Race Rules. A Team Leader should be a minimum of 16 years of age.
The Team Leader will have access to their Team’s customised pages on the Race website and will receive emails from Global Action Plan about the Race. This person does not need to be a formal leader of the group (e.g. on the management committee) but does need permission to enter details on behalf of the Team.
Team Leaders from community groups eligible to be Teams will be sent communications by email and post explaining how the Race operates, and with promotional material to display in their local community in order to aid their recruitment of Team Members. They will also receive suggestions of how to link up with local organisations who can provide them with support. Support may include (but is not exhaustive or limited to) written materials, audio-visual material and face-to-face support at regional ‘roadshows’.
From the launch of the Race in January, Teams can encourage their community group members and other members of their local community to register on the Big Energy Race website as members of their Team. Teams will get more points the more members they have, and the more their members complete challenges and blog about their experiences on the Big Energy Race website.
Each challenge taken during the Race has a number of points; challenges having the greatest potential impact on energy use are awarded the most points. Extra points are awarded if evidence of completion is provided, e.g. a photo of the challenge taking place.
Individual Team Members gain points for energy-saving challenges they complete in their own home, or for helping friends and neighbours.
Teams gain points for challenges they take to help their local community understand energy-saving and as a sum of the points earned by individual Team Members which contributes to the Team total.
Points can also be gained for:
The race closes at 12 midday on Wednesday 1 April 2015, and points will be frozen. Any actions not completed at this time will not be counted.
The result of the Big Energy Race will be announced by 30 April 2015 at the latest and winners will be notified by 30 April 2015 at the latest. Results will be announced on the Big Energy Race website and by email notification.
We will contact all Teams in the running for a prize, and may request evidence to back up the points gained. We intend to conduct site visits during April/May 2015. We reserve the right to refuse a prize or deduct points if it appears that points have been incorrectly claimed.
We will not be liable for any prize(s) that do not reach the winners for reasons beyond our reasonable control.
If a winning Team cannot be contacted within a reasonable time period or are not able or available to accept the prize for any reason which is beyond our reasonable control, then we reserve the right to award the prize to another Team.
We may refuse or disqualify any entry if the Team concerned or anyone authorised by the Team to deal with their entry, acts in a way towards any of our staff or anyone authorised by us to deal with their entry, which we reasonable consider to be inappropriate, unlawful or offensive. If a winning Team is disqualified we reserve the right to award any prizes to another Team.
We will evaluate the effectiveness of the Race and gather stories and information for case studies by contacting a proportion of participants to understand how involvement has changed their attitudes, knowledge and behaviours.
Teams of the Week will be judged against the following categories:
The aim of the prizes is to reward Teams for their efforts to engage members of their community.
All prizes are awarded at the discretion of Global Action Plan. There is no cash alternative to any prizes awarded. Unless agreed otherwise in writing prizes are non-refundable and non-transferable. We reserve the right to substitute any prizes awarded to any Teams or any other non-cash prize for an equivalent or greater monetary value if this is necessary for reasons beyond our control.
Except in the case of death or personal injury arising from their negligence or in respect of fraud and so far as is permitted by law, we exclude responsibility and all liability arising from any postponement, cancellation, delay or changes to the prize administrator or Celebration Event beyond our control and for any act or default of any third party supplier.
The terms and condition of any other third supplier will also apply to the prizes awarded where applicable. If there is a conflict between third party terms and conditions and these terms and conditions, these shall take precedence.
A top financial prize of £20,000 towards an energy saving initiative in the community will be awarded to the top Team, as judged by the number of points gained, and after validation by the organisers. Additional weekly prizes will become available throughout the Race for Region, Team and Team Member of the Week.
Additional weekly prizes will be available for Region, Team and Team Member of the Week.
Once final positions have been verified, all Teams will be notified of their position. The qualifying Teams will be reviewed and the ultimate winning Team will be agreed by an independent panel and revealed at an awards ceremony.
The decisions of the judging panel are binding in all respects on all Teams. No correspondence will be entered into. Teams that do not comply in full with these terms and conditions will not be considered for prizes.
Other prizes may be awarded on an ad hoc basis over the course of the competition. The award of any such prizes is entirely at the discretion of the judges.
The names, Team name and photographs of the members of participating Teams and the winning Teams in all participating Regions may be used for post-event publicity purposes. Members of the winning Teams agree for their name and likeness for advertising and publicity purposes without additional remuneration.
Non winners will not be informed directly, but the information will be publicised on the Big Energy Race website www.bigenergyrace.org.
Details will only be kept for the administration of the Race and communications about prizes. Data is held securely and confidentially by Global Action Plan, and will only be used for the duration of the programme (until 31 July 2015).
Details will not be passed on to any of the project partners or to organisations outside of this partnership. If you wish details to be removed, contact Global Action Plan, 9-13 Kean Street, London, WC2B 4AY.
Team Leaders and each supporter of that Team must have internet access and an email address to take part. However, we want to encourage activity by many people, whether or not they have access to the internet and we can put you in touch with a local Team to support and record your challenges.
We will remove any images or text posted on the website which is inappropriate or offensive. Any website users who repeatedly post inappropriate or offensive material will be removed from the site and have their points deducted from their Team total. Please consult your community group’s policy on child protection when uploading any photographs or videos of children to the Big Energy Race website.
We do not accept responsibility for network, computer or software failures of any kind, which may restrict or delay the sending or receipt of any aspect of a Team’s entry. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.
These Terms and Conditions, their subject matter and formation (and any non-contractual disputes or claims arising out of or in connection with it) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law, Entrants and users of our site irrevocably agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim that arises out of or in connection with this Programme or these Terms.
