Energy Champions are Out and About - Free Surveys
Our local Energy Champions are offering FREE thermal camera property surveys to identify where energy savings might be possible. They also offer tips to keep your home as warm as possible. Surveys can be booked up to 31 March 2026. Please contact Philip May on 07740 974304 or email energychampslyme@gmail.com to book your survey.
ENERGY SAVING TIPS
- Control your thermostat – keeping it at a slightly lower temperature when possible and/or switching off the heating when you are out (or in bed)
- Make sure all your lightbulbs are energy saving LED ones
- Keep your curtains/blinds drawn at night (to keep heat in), but open to let the sun’s energy in during the day
- Don’t boil more water than you need in your kettle
- Take shortish showers rather than baths
Properties typically lose heat, as follows:
- 25% through the roof – addressable with good loft insulation at least 270mm thick
- 35% through walls (more complicated to deal with, although wall insulation products are available)
- 10% through windows and doors (double glazing and good door insulation will help here)
- At least another 15% is lost through draughts (consider draught excluders placed along the bottom of your doors)
your thermostat – keeping it at a slightly lower temperature when possible
HOW DOES A SURVEY WORK?
Lyme Area Energy Champions have a tool to help us reduce heat loss from our properties – the thermal imaging camera. This clever little gadget can help you find cold spots in your property where heat is getting out and the cold is getting in. It works best in autumn/winter when your house is (hopefully) warm and it’s cold outside.
It looks a bit like a gun with a screen. You point it at the area of your house you’d like to investigate and instantly you get a colour picture of the temperature of that area. Basically white (very hot), red (hot) and orange indicate warm spots (therefore areas of potential heat loss), and blue through to dark purple show the cold areas. Once identified you can decide whether more insulation, better glazing or draught proofing is required to prevent unwanted heat loss.
Lyme area Energy Champions have 3 of these cameras. The first was sponsored by Lyme Regis Town Council while the others were purchased with grants from Dorset Community Energy and the Vision 2030 lottery fund.
