The Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) is an innovative, Surrey-wide, in-person energy advice service, helping residents take the first steps to tackling energy inefficiency in their homes, and is funded by the UK Government's Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) competition. 600 Surrey homes have already benefited from the service, with a satisfaction rate of 4.9 out of 5. It is designed to provide a range of benefits, including:
- Lowering energy bills for thousands of Surrey residents
- Making Surrey homes more modern, cosy, and efficient
- Improving the thermal comfort of homes, reducing damp and mould and associated health issues
- Reducing carbon emissions from the residential energy sector.
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What is HEAT?
Approximately 300,000 homes in the county have energy performance ratings of D or worse, meaning that thousands of families and residents live in homes which are poorly insulated, and liable to damp or mould.
Alongside the many health issues associated with poorly-insulated homes, residential energy accounts for over 30% of Surrey's carbon emissions, a figure which could be significantly lowered through improved energy performance, and reduced energy use.
HEAT is one of the UK's largest energy-based collaborations between a local authority and community groups, and is a great example of some of the practical benefits that Surrey's net zero strategy can have for our residents.
We have joined forces with over a dozen local community groups, who focus on delivering high quality, in-person energy advice to residents.
How does HEAT work?
In-person energy advice will be delivered by trained community members. Our partners at Zero Carbon Guildford conduct thermal imaging surveys, supply remedial measures for quick wins such as draught proofing, and produce a report to help the householder cut their energy use and bills.
The householder will then be signposted along the most appropriate path for their circumstances. That could be support with energy debt, and a referral to a funding programme such as the Home Upgrade Grant, or the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) for support from your energy supplier, either of which can provide up to £25,000 of energy efficiency improvements for eligible residents. Or, if a resident can afford to invest themselves in long-term energy saving measures, such as insulation, solar panels or an air source heat pump, they would be referred to a Retrofit Assessor and trusted installers via Surrey County Council and Furbnow's Home Energy Improvement One-Stop Shop.
HEAT surveys are free to residents within target audiences, and you can find out more, or register your interest, on the website of our delivery partners Zero Carbon Guildford.
Sign up now
Sign up for a home visit from one of the HEAT surveyors today by filling out the form on the Zero Carbon Guildford website.
To understand how we manage your personal data please review the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) Project – privacy notice.