“The Warmer
Homes Project”.

The Midlands’ new energy
advice and guidance service.

Delivered by
Powered by

Socially Grown, together with sister company Residential Energy Services, won £373,329 of funding towards a mobile energy advice service for hard-to-reach households, funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and supported by the Midlands Net Zero Hub.

Who are Residential Energy Services?

Since 2014, Residential Energy Services (RES) has provided energy subsidy awareness and advisory services to over 20,000 individual households in the UK, engaging with householders to advise on energy efficiency measures.

RES specialise in educating householders on energy efficiency measures and managing the customer journey from initial advice through to installation, paying particular attention to “hard to reach” properties and people, with in-house visits, phone calls and multi-language communications.

Contact our team of energy experts

THE CHALLENGE

The Government’s Local Energy Advice Demonstrator Programme (LEAD) awarded grant funding to 9 pilot projects who could demonstrate new and innovative approaches to delivering in-person energy efficiency and clean heating advice at a local level.

The award was implemented at a time when the UK is facing a great challenge in fuel poverty, as 6.3 million UK households are having to spend more than 10% of their income on energy bills (National Energy Action.) This effect is being felt nationally, as well as at a local level:

In the West Midlands, only 41% of households are rated EPC C and above.

In the centre of Stoke-on-Trent, over a quarter of households live in fuel poverty (25.5%.) This is higher than the West Midlands average of 17.8% and the national average of 13.4%.

How energy efficient is your area?

Staffordshire
Shropshire

Loft Insulation

Stafford
Stoke
Staffordshire Moorlands

Wall Insulation

Stafford
Stoke
Staffordshire Moorlands
 = Below average rating

Loft Insulation

Shropshire
Telford

Wall Insulation

Shropshire
Telford
 = Below average rating

The Solution.

The Warmer Homes Project, delivered by Residential Energy Services in consortium with Socially Grown, is an engagement programme that supports and reaches hard-to-reach consumers directly in their communities.

Raising awareness

Using a community outreach and education vehicle, RES provides a local, mobile means to raise energy efficiency awareness, integrate with hard-to-reach consumers, and facilitate action to create energy plans.

EXAMPLES OF HARD-TO-REACH CONSUMER AREAS AND COMMUNITIES

 

Rural (off-gas) areas

Fuel poor areas
Energy rating band D or below

Householders with special needs and disabilities

Less internet literate householders

Reaching those in need

By offering a blend of in-community pop-up events along with county and local town show appearances, RES regularly reaches a variety of audiences that meet one or more of the categories listed above.

EXAMPLES OF HOW WE HAVE REACHED THESE COMMUNITIES:

 

Pop-up events at health centres

Appearances at food banks

Pop-ups at religious sites

Attendance at local rural shows

Face-to-face in-community pop-up events

An Innovative Approach to Energy Advice.

The Warmer Homes Project is a first of its kind. Events and appearances are eye-catching and easy to understand with wholesome energy advice, focused on reducing fuel bills and creating warm and healthier homes.

DURING POP-UP SESSIONS,
RES ENERGY ADVISORS:

 

Offer advice and education

Co-create an energy action plan

Arrange energy assessments where appropriate

Identify consumers of concern and refer them to Citizens Advice or similar

Helping homes become more energy efficient.

RES energy advisors provide examples of energy-saving measures to help communities understand how energy-saving measures really work, what they look like, and how they are delivered to help make homes more energy efficient.

 

Energy experts there to support you every step of the way.

Communities have ready and immediate access to our energy experts who offer the service to either complete an energy action plan there and then, or make an appointment to attend the householder’s home for retrofit advice. This provides immediate, measurable outcomes and ensures the customer journey is a stress-free process.

Regular pop-up events

Events take place at least three times a week across the Staffordshire and Shropshire areas. Each pop-up session is advertised on RES’ website.

View events here

Hands-on approach

This practical, hands-on approach to energy advice is fully supported by an ecosystem of digital communications, managed and optimised by Socially Grown.

Contact our energy experts

Powered by

 

Socially Grown is
The Warmer Homes Project’s
digital communication and PR provider.

We are responsible for creating and distributing all complimentary communications and driving a PR programme across the Staffordshire and Shropshire regions to increase awareness and demand. We use a multi-media approach including both digital and physical collateral and touchpoints, including van livery.

Branding and collateral design and delivery
Website design and user experience
SEO
Social media
Content strategy and delivery
PR and communications
Video marketing

Highlights.

The Warmer Homes Project Launch

The Warmer Homes Project launched on Friday 22nd September 2023 at the Climate Expo & Sustainability Conference at Keele Hall.

Residential Energy Services’ managing director Sarah Parry is now a regular guest with Stuart George on BBC Radio Stoke, to talk about the Warmer Homes Project and deliver energy advice to listeners.

RES director Sarah Parry recently spoke with BBC Midlands today as the National Energy Action charity reveals that 40% of homes in Staffordshire have below-average levels of loft insulation. 36% of homes have substandard walls.