The council has purchased 3 thermal imaging cameras which residents can use to understand where heat is escaping in their homes.
The cameras produce heat maps of properties, with the easy-to-use camera quickly showing areas where there are draughts, poor insulation, heating system problems or other reasons for wasted heat from homes.
How the scheme works
The cameras cannot be borrowed by individual households. Instead, a local parish council or community group can request to borrow one or more cameras, for between 1 and 4 weeks.
Representatives of that council or group then organise a way for residents who want their home to be surveyed to get in touch with them.
It will be up to each parish council or community group to set up the precise arrangements for registering an interest in a visit, and how and when visits are undertaken.
During December 2022, Witchford Climate Action Group were the first to trial the scheme, and organised visits throughout that month for residents of Witchford. Since then, several other parish councils or community groups have borrowed cameras.
How to register an interest
Parish councils and community groups can register an interest using the following application form or get in touch via HomeEnergy@eastcambs.gov.uk
If you are a local resident interested in a visit, then please ask your local parish council or, if there is one, your local community group, to see if they are aware of this scheme and whether they have registered an interest to borrow a camera.
Cameras will generally be made available between November and Easter. Cameras only work well when the weather outside is cold, such as below 10C, and when your home is relatively warm. The colder the weather outside, the better the results.
What will the thermal imaging camera show
The camera looks and operates very similar to a normal digital camera, or the camera on your smartphone. However, rather than a normal camera image, you will see a range of colours from dark blue to bright reds and yellows. Darker colours indicate cold spots, whilst the brighter reds, oranges and yellows show warm spots.
If you are inside a home, the darker colours are highlighting where heat is being lost to the outside.
If you are outside your home, the brighter colours are showing you where heat is being lost from your home.
Where to get more help
If you are interested in knowing how to reduce heat loss from your home, please visit our Heating and energy pages, which include tips on what you can do, as well as grants that may be available.
Alternatively, please visit our shared advice service Action on Energy, which provides information on how to maximise the energy efficiency of your home, save money on energy bills and cut carbon emissions. It also details funding opportunities and support to find an installer.