PEOPLE in Rose Hill and Iffley have been invited to sign up for a scheme which could cut heating bills and make their homes warmer.
The Rose Hill and Iffley Low Carbon Hub is set to run its thermal imaging campaign for the second year in January 2015 and is encouraging people to sign their home up.
This year the scheme is particularly targeting people suffering from, or at risk of, fuel poverty.
Members of the group will take pictures of residents’ homes using a special thermal imaging camera, which will show where heat is escaping and wasting energy.
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They will then offer advice to people about how they can insulate their homes better to save energy and money.
Low Carbon Hub chairwoman Eleanor Watts signed her Hunsdon Road home up for the scheme in January and has used the results to improve her insulation.
The heating bill for her and partner Chris, also a Low Carbon Hub member, went down by £80 over the course of the year, although part of this was due to her being away for some of the winter.
She said: “We took photos of 96 houses last year and they show where heat is leaking from.
“In my case it showed it was leaking from under and between windows where there is a radiator so basically my radiators were heating the atmosphere.
“It also showed it was leaking out of my front door.
“I put thermal foil behind my radiators and a curtain behind my front door – they are cheap solutions.
“We want to try and target the thermal imaging at people who are in fuel poverty.
“They are not always the people who come forward.”
- The termal image, below, of a house in Rose Hill, above, reveals where most heat is being lost
The thermal images need to be taken on cold, clear days to effectively show where heat is leaking.
Once residents sign their home up it will be put on a list to be photographed on days in January when the weather is suitable.
When the photos have been completed an event will be held where those who have signed up can get advice on how to insulate their homes better. Ms Watts, who writes primary school textbooks, said it was a community scheme which promoted co- operation between neighbours.
She said: “Quite a few of us who made these changes opened up our homes to show our neighbours what we had done.
“We shared advice, it is neighbours exchanging information.
“We have no ulterior motive, we just want to help our neighbours.”
For details, email rosehill.iffley.low.carbon@gmail.com
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