Energy costs also cut Turtle shelter

Everyone has to deal with it, at people’s homes, the bakery, schools, factories but also many non-profit foundations and associations. The enormous energy prices are not sustainable for long. We will be ruined if the government does nothing about this!

As a turtle shelter we use energy for about 10 families, these costs have now increased to what normally as many as 30 families have to pay! This really can't go anywhere! 😢

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Please help us, it would be a disaster if we had to stop with more than 2500 turtles in the shelter...

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Energy costs are ultimately also choking the turtle shelter in Harkema.

Energy, you can hardly see it, but definitely feel it. And since a while we also feel it extra in our wallet, like of course everyone else. We as a shelter need a lot of energy to keep our turtles warm, they are reptiles, so cold-blooded animals. The many heating lamps, the hot water and of course the warm ambient temperature. In addition, we have to heat our outdoor pond in the winter, which costs extra energy...

We are doing everything we can to limit energy consumption, but no one had actually foreseen such an increase in energy costs. We can break a lot, but unfortunately no iron with our hands! For now we have to swallow it and we have to hold on because this can take a long time...

Our donors are also suffering financially, we hold on to the fact that we are going to lose many donors, we have already had some cancellations for that reason... together with our remaining and maybe new donors we hope to get through this expensive time! 

Thanks to Dierenlot we have received a sustainability loan, with this amount we can now take extra measures to minimize the costs in the coming winter period as much as possible. We have invested in additional solar panels and are busy with insulation and replacing our heating system. But unfortunately, the delivery times of materials are extra long:( Unfortunately, in the winter period our consumption is very high, because we always keep the animals at temperature, for them it is spring / summer. For many species this is also necessary as they do not know winter hibernation. But now that the costs are becoming so pressing, we have decided to introduce an emergency plan at the moment when the energy costs become even more expensive. 

Concretely, it comes down to the fact that the species that can hibernate we will also keep them hibernating. The species that cannot withstand this will be heated and illuminated in a normal way. In this way, we hope to save more than half of the energy.

In addition, the general heating of the premises will be set 3 degrees down 18 degrees, volunteers are expected to dress warmer. 

Since most aquatic turtles go to rest, we do not need to feed or very little. Especially the fresh food that we feed every day, about 20 kilos can then be reduced. Also, the filter systems and pumps can be reduced in capacity because there is simply much less pollution. 

We hope with these measures to get through the expensive winter time without going bankrupt on energy costs. To give you some figures, we use as much energy as 10 average families. The fares have become three times more expensive. You understand, this is not sustainable for anyone. During the winter rest of the animals, they are of course well monitored. Only if it can we put a turtle in hibernation / hibernation.