Energy use and cutting consumption

Home Energy Improvement, One-Stop Shop

Surrey County Council has partnered with Furbnow to launch a Home Energy Improvement ‘One-Stop Shop’ pilot, funded by the UK government’s Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD). The service helps residents invest in long-term energy-saving upgrades such as insulation, solar panels, and heat pumps, providing access to qualified Retrofit Assessors and trusted installers, with end-to-end support.

Benefits include lower energy bills, more modern and resilient homes, improved thermal comfort, and reduced carbon emissions. The first 245 eligible homes can access a subsidised Home Energy Plan, offering a personalised assessment and roadmap with upgrade recommendations, estimated savings, and project guidance. Residents who proceed with installations may receive further discounts, using local installers where possible to support Surrey’s economy.

Find out more and register your interest

For further information on the scheme, please visit the Furbnow website (external link).

Energy suppliers

Many energy suppliers offer green tariffs. This means they’ll match your usage with renewable energy generation or they will contribute towards environmental schemes on your behalf. It’s generally easy to switch tariffs or suppliers, and there are lots of comparison websites you can use to find the best tariff for you. Find more information about switching energy suppliers on the Energy Saving Trust website (external link).

Improving the energy efficiency of your home

There are lots of ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint and costs. Example include:

Reduce home heating loss by installing or improving insulation in your walls, loft and floors. Find out more about installing insulation and draught-proofing on the Energey Saving Trust website (external link).
Install solar panels to generate renewable energy or solar hot water panels to help heat your water. Learn more about options for renewable energy generation by visiting the Energy Saving Trust website (external link).
Install an Air Source Heat Pump which runs off electricity to heat your home. You could also upgrade to a more efficient boiler to save energy and money. The Energy Saving Trust’s guide to heating your home (external link) is a good place to learn more.
Install a smart meter so you can keep a check of your energy consumption. The Energy Saving Trust provide a helpful Smart Meter Guide (external link).
Turning your heating down by just one degree and ensuring thermostats are set correctly can make a significant difference to your energy consumption.
Turn off lights and appliances when you’re not using them.
Understand your energy bill. View a guide to understanding energy bills on the Uswitch website (external link).
Switch off standby - a simple step to save money on your energy bills is to turn your appliances off at the plug socket.
Improve the energy efficiency of your windows – double glazing can make your property quieter, warmer and potentially save you £120 a year.
Replace traditional light bulbs with LEDs or other low-energy lights - LED bulbs are 90% cheaper to run than conventional light bulbs and could save you around £35 a year on bills.
Dry clothes on an outside line rather than using a tumble dryer.
If you have a boiler, make sure it is on the most efficient flow temperature setting, this could cut up to 10% of the cost of running your boiler.
When replacing household appliances, check the energy efficiency rating and choose those with higher ratings where possible. Find out which appliances in your home consume the most energy on the Energy Saving Trust website (external link).

For more information visit the Action Surrey website (external link) or the Energy Saving Trust website (external link).

Find out how you can access cheaper solar panels and battery storage via Solar Together Surrey - register by 13 September 2024

The Council works in partnership with Action Surrey, who are an impartial energy advice service set up by local councils across Surrey and Surrey County Council.

You may be able to get help to pay for part or all of a variety of home energy saving improvements.

Household Energy Efficiency Grants

Funding is available for eligible households under the Government's Green Homes Grant scheme.

The grant project is being run by Action Surrey on behalf of all Surrey local authorities and provides funds for cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and solar renewable technology.

Grants of up to £25,000 are available for eligible Surrey residents to help make their homes warmer and more energy efficient. The grants are means tested.

To check if you are eligible, call Action Surrey for free on 0800 783 2503 or visit the Action Surrey website (external link).

Free Home Energy Surveys

Live in Surrey Heath? Want to reduce your energy bills?

You may be eligible for a free energy survey, which will identify where heat is being lost from your home, and give advice on what you can do to reduce your energy bills.

To apply for a survey visit the Zero Carbon Guildford website(external link).

Save water and save energy

Ideas on how to save water and energy:

have a shower instead of a bath; the average bath uses more than double the amount of water as the average shower
don’t leave the tap running while brushing your teeth
add a water saving device to your toilet cistern to reduce water used in every flush
if you shower for 60 seconds less each day you could save 15 litres per minute
in the garden use a watering can instead of a hose
install a water butt to harness rain water and let the grass grow to keep the moisture in
only use the washing machine when you’ve got a full load and use the lowest temperature recommended

More tips for saving water and money can be found on the South East Water website (external link).

Boiler upgrade scheme

Through the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme, you could get a grant of up to £6,000 to replace your fossil fuel boiler with a renewable heating alternative such as heat pump or biomass boiler.

Fossil fuel heating systems include oil, gas or electric.

You can get one grant per property. Grants are available for:

£5,000 towards an air source heat pump
£6,000 towards a ground source heat pump (including water source heat pumps and those on shared ground loops)
£5,000 towards a biomass boiler

Find out if you are eligible and apply for the boiler upgrade scheme on the GOV.UK website (external link).

Great British Insulation Scheme

You may be able to get free or cheaper insulation to reduce your home’s energy bills. You might get support if your home:

has an energy performance certificate (EPC) of D to G. You can check your EPC on the GOV.UK website (external link)
is in Council Tax bands A-D in England or A-E in Scotland or Wales. You can check your Council Tax band on the GOV.UK website (external link).

You can be a homeowner, landlord or tenant (either renting privately or from a housing association). If you’re a tenant, speak to your landlord before you apply. You’ll need their permission before any insulation can be installed.

You can contact Action Surrey who can explain how the scheme works and organise surveys for work. For more details visit the Great British Insulation Scheme webpage on the Action Surrey website (external link).

Home Energy Improvement, One-Stop Shop

Find out more and register your interest

For further information on the scheme, please visit the Furbnow website (external link).

Statement of Intent for ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme

This statement sets out Surrey Heath Borough Council’s flexible eligibility criteria for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) and Great British Insulation schemes which run until March 2026.The ECO4 scheme will focus on supporting low income and vulnerable households. The scheme will improve the least energy efficient homes helping to meet the Government’s fuel poverty and net zero commitments. The Great British Insulation Scheme will support the ECO4 scheme in the delivery of predominantly single measures targeted at a wider range of households.

Statement of Intent for ECO4 and Great British Inclusion Scheme.pdf (PDF, 221.9KB)

Local government in Surrey is changing