VISITORS can get stuck into some good green fun for free at National Trust’s Croft Castle this weekend. There will be activities for all ages including behind-the-scenes tours, explorer trails and the chance to win a year’s free supply of electricity.

The historic house and parkland in Herefordshire will be free to enter on Saturday for a special Green Living event in partnership with the 100 per cent renewable electricity company, Good Energy, and sustainable energy charity, the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE).

Visitors are invited to discover the estate's innovative energy schemes, green gardening secrets and wildlife conservation efforts as they enjoy a special Energy walk and tour with members of the team. The energy walk and tour follows the sustainable energy route at Croft taking in the woodland pasture management the old boiler system and the grand finale, a viewing and short tour of Croft’s new biomass boiler. The day is all about sharing the conservation charity’s sustainability stories and inspiring people to have a go in their own homes and gardens.

Plus visitors will also have the opportunity to win a year’s free electricity with Good Energy and take home some energy saving advice.

This event is part of Heritage Open Days, the largest free heritage festival in the country.

Ian Grafton, visitor and commercial operations manager at Croft Castle said: “We all want to make sure this special place can be enjoyed by everyone forever, so we’re careful with our energy, water and waste across all parts of the estate.

“I’m really pleased we can show people at this event the changes we’re making to become greener, including our new biomass boiler which uses wood grown at Croft to heat our castle, shop and offices.

“Hopefully visitors will see that most of our energy saving actions are easy to do at home too.”

Charmaine Coutinho, business development manager at Good Energy said: “We’re really excited to be part of the National Trust’s Green Living Days. It’s a great idea to tell visitors about the steps they can take to become cleaner and greener in their own homes – including switching to a 100% renewable electricity company like Good Energy.

“This event is also a great opportunity to highlight some of the work we have been doing together via our partnership with the National Trust over the past year”.

Rachel Coxcoon, head of local and community engagement at CSE, said: “Our trained and friendly energy advisors help thousands of people a year to cut energy bills and take action to make their homes snugger and cheaper to heat.

“We’re pleased the National Trust is embracing energy saving with its ambitious – but do-able – target to reduce consumption by 20 per cent. Not only is this a valuable contribution to cutting UK carbon emissions, but it also saves money which can be spent on caring for our national heritage.”

The event at Croft Castle is one of many Green Living days happening at National Trust places across England and Wales in September. By sharing sustainability stories and offering guidance, the conservation charity aims to help others discover ways to look after their own homes and save money on energy bills.

National Trust staff and volunteers are now working hard to support the charity’s ambitious energy targets, to reduce energy use by 20 per cent and generate half of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The biomass boiler at Croft Castle is one of five projects in a £3.5m pilot phase of the National Trust’s Renewable Energy Investment Programme, which was launched at the same time as the Good Energy partnership last year. If the pilot is successful, the Trust is expected to build 43 renewable schemes, which will help save the charity an estimated £4m each year.

Money saved through the charity’s energy programme will be ploughed back into conservation work across the 250,000 hectares of countryside, 742 miles of coastline and hundreds of historic places that the Trust looks after in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Croft Castle is open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 13 September. Visitors can enjoy free admission all day.

Find out more about the National Trust’s green living work and partnership with Good Energy and CSE at: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/energy