Providing advice to consumers to take steps to improve the energy performance of their homes is vital.The UK government has backed some new schemes offering personalised advice to increase energy bill savings. Let’s hope they get rolled out throughout the UK. Dimitris Mavrokefalidis discusses the advice schemes in an article on the Energy Live News website. Are there lessons for other countries?
UK unveils energy cafes and ‘green doctors’ to slash bills
More than 125,000 consumers are set to benefit from personalised face-to-face guidance on enhancing home energy efficiency, thanks to a new wave of initiatives.
Backed by £20 million in government funding, these services are aimed at assisting households facing energy efficiency challenges.
The programmes will address individuals residing in hard-to-treat homes, including historic listed buildings and those who are hard to reach, such as the elderly and individuals lacking internet access.
The schemes include specialised energy cafes, a ‘green doctor’ initiative and a retrofit bus, all designed to help people cut down on energy costs.
At a local level, Birmingham residents will soon have access to energy cafes strategically positioned across the city.
A ‘green doctor’ endeavour, supported by £302,000, will offer comprehensive ‘home check-ups’ to older and low-income households in North Yorkshire and Cumbria.
These check-ups will recommend tailored energy efficiency measures, anticipated to benefit more than 19,000 households.
In addition to these initiatives, funding has also been allocated for a retrofit electric bus project, which will disseminate on-the-go energy-saving tips across North Yorkshire.
Amanda Solloway, Minister for Energy Consumers and Affordability, emphasised, “We want everyone to be able to get expert advice on how to make their homes more energy efficient, no matter where they live, so they can save money.”
Mike Thornton, Chief Executive at Energy Saving Trust, hailed the increased targeted support for the most vulnerable, underscoring the pivotal role of personalised advice in driving effective change in households.
Adam Scorer, Chief Executive at National Energy Action said: “This programme recognises the key role of local projects, especially to support households with limited access to internet, who all too often miss out on advice.”
External link
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 
It is worth recalling that in the 1990s , the U.K. government set up a very successful HECA ( Home Energy Conservation Act) programme, funding local authorities to run outreach programmes very like those mentioned above, designed to provide just such information and guidance on energy saving opportunities.
But it was then one of the first programmes to be ended once the U.K. economy went into recession. Are the many lessons learned from the success of that initiative being drawn upon today?
That is an important question you raise. We may have to wait until after the next election.
Why? The original energy saving scheme was created by an earlierConservative Government – albeit when the present Lord Deben was he U.K. environment secretary of state