Groundwork energy advice to 600 local households

Charity Green Doctors prescribe energy advice to 600 local households

Groundwork’s Green Doctors, impartial energy experts, have been visiting households across Oldham and Rochdale to offer both money-saving advice and helping people find the cheapest energy provider, as well as offering practical advice about overall energy consumption and installing energy-saving devices such as draught excluders.

The visits were part of the ‘Healthy Homes’ campaign, in partnership with British Gas Energy Trust, to actively promote the benefits of energy efficiency for both the environment and for the purse strings.

Close to 6,000 energy saving devices were given free of charge to residents, including blankets and socks to keep warm, moisture absorbers to help prevent condensation and mould and energy monitors to help them keep tabs on their energy bills.

Groundwork has also released a selection of short ‘how to’ films in order to offer households some handy hints and tricks of the energy saving trade, including advice around how to switch energy provider, fit a draft excluder and setting thermostats.

Speaking about the programme, Graham Duxbury, CEO of Groundwork UK, said: “It’s great to see the difference that our Green Doctors are making to people’s lives, on both a local and national scale as well as instilling a new way of thinking to encourage behaviour change.

“Over the course of the last 12 months over 2,400 households have received tailored, one-to-one advice, with close to 21,000 energy saving devices given out to households, with 42% of those being over 65. A targeted service such as our Green Doctors can help to keep people warm and healthy while reducing the pressure on NHS and related services.

“Working with British Gas Energy Trust has allowed us to help more local people do their bit to save energy and help the environment while saving them money on their energy bills which is a great outcome for us all.”