Our sustainable energy group, Energy Action Redhill and Reigate, EARR, which has grown out of CARR, is taking off with a successful new project focused on personalised advice to households – called the Leaky Homes Roadshow.
We’ve already achieved 23 home visits in the last 8 weeks
and 11 more booked already for January!
We are using a survey questionnaire and a thermal camera to check for the most cost effective and easiest improvements to energy efficiency in your homes, and ultimately reduce energy costs.
Volunteers from EARR arrange an evening of six 20-30 minute home visits to a street, often teaming up with an interested local resident. We’re making good use of the network of street WhatsApp groups that have arisen, some from the pandemic times used to support one other. We’re starting to see a culture shift towards conversations about sustainability becoming more mainstream, and definitely something to talk with your neighbours about.
As well as talking to the volunteer during the visit, you will receive the thermal photos of the outside of your home (showing the leaked heat in yellow to red) and the survey, with up to 3 written suggestions.
Click here for the explanatory page for the Leaky Homes project
as well as tips and links, such as for installers, online guides or access to grants.
What we are discovering:
So far the biggest finding is how little loft insulation people have – usually only 10cm where the consensus recommendations are 27cm minimum. Generally this is one of the easiest areas of thermal leakage to make a big difference without huge costs. It’s a little more complicated if you have belongings in your loft, requiring a platform as not to squash the insulation but we can advise on this.
Another area was drafts, such as around doors – which show up on the thermal camera.
Some people could make more of their heating settings or needed to bleed their radiators.
A good few have inefficient boilers and appliances- we can advise on referral to the LEAP replacement scheme for households at risk of fuel poverty. www.applyforleap.org.uk.
Some are interested in taking the next step with green energy such as installing solar panels. Our volunteers can discuss this and help with ideas and information on any relevant grants.
We appreciate many people can't afford to do more drastic home improvements and it is particularly difficult when renting to get permissions and landlord buy-in, but there is always room for having some support to think through what might be possible and cost-effective. Even being aware of which appliances use the most energy can be helpful in deciding where to cut down, as well as always closing curtains in the evening.
Click Here for Pete's Tips on reducing energy costs:
What next:
If this has interested you, please do get in touch by email or signing up through the Leaky Homes Roadshow website where you create a membership page to access your information.
Dates for January 2023
Woodhatch - Monday 16th January 2023
St John's Road, Earlswood - Tuesday 17th January 2023
Garlands Road, Redhill - Thursday 19th January 2023
We will add dates for other areas once people report interest. Even better, if you can, get your neighbours to sign up on one evening arranged with the volunteers.
Call for ENERGY CHAMPIONs – we need more volunteers to take part in this project for it to expand. Please let us know if you are interested to volunteer in the January, February or March visits or in other ways to spread the word.