Council’s Energy Doctors making a difference: 400+ Bucks homes get green upgrades

With high energy costs still on everyone’s minds it’s good to know that the council’s Energy Doctor scheme has completed over 400 visits to homes in the county (124 of which have been in Opportunity Bucks areas*) within the last 12 months. As a result of these visits, households can expect an average saving of £125 on their annual energy bills. Thanks to the introduction of water saving measures, it’s estimated that each household will also save around £13 on their annual water bills.

Over 115 tonnes of CO2e will be saved per annum because of the low-cost easy retrofit resource efficiency (LCERRE) measures that have been deployed. These include:

• portable solar generators
• draught proofing
• secondary glazing
• LED lightbulbs
• heated throws

Customers have reported a 98% satisfaction rate, which goes to show how useful the Energy Doctors have been in helping people identify ways to reduce energy and water use.

Last year Lighting and Mains Power Solutions Ltd, a local supplier, was awarded the contract to supply LED light bulbs for the ‘Energy Doctor’ scheme. They will be supplying 7,790 LED lightbulbs per annum over a minimum two-year contract.

Applications are now open for The Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) 2 initiative, which provides funding for more complex energy efficiency and clean heating measures in eligible properties that do not use mains gas for heating purposes. Insulation, heat pumps, and smart heating controls can be implemented under HUG2, and it’s envisaged that over 30 domestic properties in Buckinghamshire will benefit from it.

For those that aren’t eligible for the above, the council is delighted to announce that a second Solar Together scheme will be running in Buckinghamshire. This follows the first scheme, which was a tremendous success with over 500 solar PV systems installed. In fact, over 1,300 people have already expressed an interest in reducing their energy bills and increasing their energy security by participating in Bucks Solar Together ’24. The scheme will launch in April and further information on how to register will be available then.

Thomas Broom, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said:

“Our Energy Doctor scheme is making a real impact in our communities. With over 400 successful visits to homes, these households will save around £125 on their annual energy bills. And thanks to water-saving measures, we also estimate a £13 saving on supported households’ annual water bills.”

Communities have also been enjoying opportunities to plant more Miyawaki forests in Buckinghamshire, with six of these Tiny Forests being planted over the last few months – totalling 3,600 trees planted with funding the council secured from the Local Authority Treescapes Fund. Trees provide a range of ecosystem services beyond capturing carbon, which will help deliver biodiversity and climate change adaptation improvements.

To see if you are eligable for an Energy Doctor visit, please visit Buckinghamshire Council's website.