THE GREEN PAGE
ENERGY.
ADVICE & ASSESSMENT
Energy at Home BANES
08000385680
Drop-in session at the Bath Central Library on the first Thursday of the month from 11am-2pm. Provides advice about paying bills, ways to save money on heating, grants for home improvements, dealing with damp & mould and support with your project
The Climate Hub
Bath Bus Station Rotunda
Daily 10a-4pm.
A drop-in centre where you can learn about climate action, sustainable practices including those related to food, local climate related events & opportunities to make Bath more eco-friendly.
Transition Bath
Transition Bath is a local charity run by volunteers and endorsed by WECA, Transition Together, BWCE & more. They are concerned with Climate action looking a Energy, Food, Transport and Community.
Clean Energy Advice & Resources
https://cleanenergy.campaign.gov.uk
Provides advice & resources about reducing energy use, installing insulation, solar panels, energy efficient boilers and more. Some funding is available for low income households including the Warm Homes Grant.
HOME ENERGY RESOURCES
Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE)
01225 683202
Offers several different levels of assessment including step by step guidance and tailored recommendations to enhance your home’s energy efficiency:
A Free Home Visit: a 30 minute consultation to discuss your home’s energy efficiency potential & explore the next steps.
A Home Energy Efficiency Plan (HEEP): is designed to help you understand which measures will bring the greatest benefit. Ideal if you are at the beginning of your low carbon journey You will receive a home visit with recommendations, have your questions answered and receive a follow-up report and a new EPC. Costs vary according to number of bedrooms. Discounts are available; check their website for current offers.
A FutureProof Survey & Plan: a full roadmap for larger or whole house retrofit projects and includes a home visit & full survey, a debrief meetings comprehensive report (80+ pages) which covers all recommended measures from windows to renewable technology, detailed guidance including analysis of multiple retrofit scenarios bases detailed energy modelling tailored to your desired outcomes terms of cost, comfort & savings. Discounts are available; check their website for details.
A Heat Pump Assessment: Independent advice on which system would work best in your home by assessing layout, any future plans and related upgrades such as solar power battery storage & insulation. Includes a home visit, clear guidance on type of heat pump and radiator requirements and summary report. If you have further questions a follow-up call is available.
Retrofit West
AdviceLine Voicemail: 08000386733
www.homeowners.retrofitwest.co.uk
Email: advice@retrofitwest.co.uk
Homeowner Hub: a digital resource for sustainable home improvement. The portal will help users evaluate their home’s energy efficiency, suggest practical options and recommend local experts. Offers discount vouchers for formal assessments by other providers and information on grants & funding.
Go Green Widcombe
Provides a comprehensive guide to installing a heat pump particularly in period properties by period ( Georgian, Victorian etc). Regularly holds information & guidance sessions which are advertised on their website: https://gogreenwidcombe.org. Go Green Widcombe has a thermal imaging camera available to loan; see where your home is leaking energy.
PLANNING & LISTED BUILDING CONSENT
For general advice regarding Listed Building or Conservation Areas please visit the BANES Listed Buildings Webpage: www:bathnes.gov.uk/listedbuildings.
Retrofitting Listed Buildings: a Level 0 pre-application service for homeowners who are interested in improving the energy efficiency of their listed building but don’t know where to start. The service is tailored to the homeowners’ needs, budget & the identified characteristics of the listed building. The aim of the pre-app is to clearly identify the next steps of a retrofit project and submitting a listed building application with the best chance of success. Contact the BANES Conservation Team by calling 01225 394041 or emailing conservation_planning@bathnes.gov.uk on Tuesday or Thursdays.
Listed Buildings Energy Assessment & Planning Advice: In conjunction with BWCE a joint energy survey will provide retrofit advice from both a heritage and technical energy perspective. Includes a joint visit by a Conservation Officer, who will provide Level 0 pre-application advice, and a BWCE assessor providing one of BWCE’s energy surveys. This joint service incurs a fee; discount vouchers are available from Retrofit West.
GRANTS & FUNDING
Bright Green Homes
Advice line: 08000385680
BANES Council is working with the Bristol City & North Somerset Councils which is funded by the governments Warm Homes Local Grant Project. Grant funding is on a first-come first-served basis; due to high demand there may be delays. The grant covers cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, air source heat pump, solar pv panels, window/door replacement and ventilation upgrades. Applicants must meet the funding criteria or live in an area of Multiple Deprivation.
Lendology
lendology.gov.uk/partner/bath-north-east-somerset-council/
Lendology provides grants to low income households for warmer homes and lower energy bills. Low interest loans for home improvements and energy efficiency may available to home owners and private landlords. Loans are also available to owners of empty properties to fund the work to bring them back into use.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-schene/get-help
This scheme provides grants of up to £10,000 to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more energy efficient, low carbon systems including air or ground source heat pumps or, in limited circumstances, a biomass boiler. Criteria apply; please see the website for details.
SOLAR PANELS
SWITCH TOGETHER (Formerly Solar Together)
Switch Together is a WECA affiliated group buying scheme for solar panels, optional battery storage systems and advice about heat pumps and more. There is no active scheme in BANES currently but it is possible to register your interest in the next phase through the website or by ringing 08000146651.
ENERGY COMPANIES
Some energy providers also offer installation of solar panels, batteries and heat pumps. Please check with your trusted provider for more information.
SELECTING A TRADESPERSON
For General Trades who have been endorsed by the government to carry out home improvements please look at the TrustMark Register. www.trustmark.org.uk
For engineers working in the renewable energy sector please look for MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) registration. To find a registered installer please go to https://mcscertified.com.
FINANCE
Sometimes, even with the government voucher, your green energy journey cannot be funded from saving alone; some funds must be borrowed. Local company Bath Building Society offers a preferential mortgage top-up for green home improvement with zero or low interest. Other institutions may have similar offers.