Energy Saving Week: Real Stories and Support for a Warmer, Greener Oxfordshire

Energy Saving Week, running between the 19th and 25th of January, is the perfect time to shine a light on the practical steps Oxfordshire residents are taking to cut energy bills, stay warm, and reduce carbon emissions. This month, we’re sharing inspiring local case studies and highlighting the support available to help you take similar steps to make your home more energy efficient.

1: “Once Our House Warms Up, It Stays Warm”

The owners of this 1970s 3-bedroom home in a rural South Oxfordshire village are delighted with the results of the energy efficient home improvements they made to their property. “The house is so well insulated now that our heat loss is minimal. We took thermal images since the work was done, and they prove that heat is not leaking out. Once the house warms up, the heat stays in.”

They undertook a major project of house renovation with the aim that at the end of it, their home would be warmer, cheaper to run and reduce their carbon emissions. To achieve their goals, they added external cladding to insulate the outside walls, new double and triple-glazed windows and loft insulation, all to minimise heat loss and stop wasting energy. They also removed an old oil heating system and replaced it with one air source heat pump.

2: “We Installed Solar Panels to Heat Hot Water and Charge Our Electric Car”

This family decided to add solar panels to their detached house in a market town in Oxfordshire, to reduce their energy bills as well as reduce their impact on the environment. 

They also installed a 10KwH battery in their garage to store the energy generated, so that it can be used when they need it.

“We have an electric hot water system and an electric car which both use the electricity generated by the solar panels. In the future we hope to install an air source heat pump which will also be powered by the solar panels. We have looked carefully at how and when we use electricity in our house to make sure we use the electricity we generate in the most cost-effective way.”

The family’s main motivation for installing the solar panels was to tackle climate change and reduce their carbon emissions. However, they have also benefitted from a four figure drop in their annual energy bill.

Grants and Support: Making Energy Efficiency Affordable

Are you looking for similar ways to make your home cheaper to heat and more comfortable to live in? There’s help available.

Oxfordshire County Council has received funding through the government-funded Warm Homes: Local Grant and is delivering the scheme in partnership with Welcome the Warmth. 

The Warm Homes: Local Grant can provide eligible households with fully funded measures including insulation, air source heat pumps, and solar panels. The funded measures can make your home warmer whilst reducing household bills and your carbon emissions.

If you’re not eligible for the Warm Homes: Local Grant, you may still be able to receive a grant of up to £7,500 through the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme to replace your existing fossil fuel heating system with a heat pump or biomass boiler.

Oxfordshire County Council also provides guidance for residents interested in retrofitting their homes.

If you have any concerns over energy related debt or want more information on suitable grant schemes, you could speak to Better Housing Better Health on 0800 107 0044 for some free advice.

For more tips and inspiration on how to save energy and support the local environment, explore energy at home and ways to get the most out of your energy (while reducing your bill). Finally, stay tuned for the launch of the Homewise tool in the coming weeks, which will help you create a tailored home improvement plan based on your goals and budget. Join the Oxfordshire community in taking climate action - one home at a time.