Heat seeking van targets hot houses

Heat detectives: Councillor Doreen Brophy-Lee with the HeatSeekers team

A revolutionary heat seeking van is to hit the streets of the Rochdale to help thousands of households pinpoint heat loss from their homes.

Rochdale Borough Council has invited the Energy Saving Partnership to survey the borough using its award winning, energy efficiency detection van. The ‘HeatSeekers’ vehicle, uses state of the art thermal imaging technology to identify homes that may benefit from improved insulation.

Operating at night, during the colder months, each vehicle has the ability to assess up to 1,000 properties an hour. The thermal imaging technology highlights where heat is escaping from a property and identifies if your property would benefit from further insulation.

Once the area has been imaged, a team of energy advisors will carry out free surveys, talking to home owners and private tenants about how they can improve insulation and take action to reduce both their energy bills and carbon footprint.

The scheme is entirely optional and there is no obligation on householders to participate. The thermal image only shows the exterior of homes and cannot see through walls.

Rochdale Borough Council cabinet member for housing, Councillor Doreen Brophy-Lee said: “We know all about the cold and wet in the borough. We also know people want to be more energy efficient as claims for grants to keep our homes warm are at record levels.

"By inviting HeatSeekers to the Borough the Council wants to help and encourage many thousands more to look closely at the heat escaping from their homes.

"I urge owner occupiers and tenants of private landlords to take advantage of the low cost or no cost insulation on offer, help save the environment and save money on their heating bills too.”

Residents on means tested benefits or over 70 years of age will be offered free insulation under the scheme while all other householders will receive a substantial discount on the normal retail price.

Keith Hewitson, Director of the Energy Saving Partnership, said: “The technology has already helped improve energy efficiency in thousands of homes across the country. The HeatSeekers vehicle is one of the key front-line weapons in the battle against climate change and is already playing an integral role in the plans to make UK homes more energy efficient.”

The HeatSeekers thermal imaging van takes to the borough’s streets in November and will survey homes through the winter. But you don't have to wait until your image is produced to take up the insulation offer, simply call 0800 111 4968.