Advice and funding

There is plenty of advice available in Dorset to help you put your green plans into action. Whether you want to save money on energy bills, make energy-saving home improvements, reduce carbon emissions, or generate renewable energy, there are various organisations, schemes and grants available to help you do this.

Community Energy Champions

The Community Energy Champions are a team of volunteers who are trained to educate, advise and support households to reduce their home's carbon footprint, their energy costs and provide warmer, safer homes. There are five Community Energy Champions based in the Lyme Regis area, who hold drop-ins and outreach activities to communicate sustainable energy in their local community.

The team also have thermal imaging cameras which allow them to assess properties to find cold spots where heat is getting out and the cold is getting in. It works best in the autumn or winter when the property is (hopefully) warm and it’s cold outside. Once these cold spots are identified, you can decide whether more insulation, better glazing or draught proofing is required to prevent unwanted heat loss.

To contact the Community Energy Champions, call Philip May on 07740 974304 or email energychampslyme@gmail.com. You can join the list of properties to survey with the thermal imaging camera or apply to borrow one of the cameras. Contact them before the end of March 2024 to arrange a survey.

Download the Community Energy Champions’ Winter Energy Tips

Low Carbon Dorset

Low Carbon Dorset provides free energy-saving advice to help local organisations reduce their carbon emissions and save on energy costs. Advice is available to businesses and community groups of all sizes in the Dorset Council area and is designed to help organisations take steps to improve energy efficiency, install renewable energy and save money on bills.

Low Carbon Dorset was set up by Dorset Council and is part-funded by the UK Government. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

For more information, including the support available, how to apply and to read case studies of other successful projects, visit the Low Carbon Dorset website.

Healthy Homes Dorset

Healthy Homes Dorset helps Dorset residents keep warm by installing loft and cavity wall installation and offers free, impartial energy advice.

Everyone is eligible for free energy advice from Healthy Homes Dorset and they may be able to install free cavity wall and loft insulation if someone in the household meets certain criteria.

Visit the Healthy Homes Dorset website to find out more.

Dorset Home Upgrade Grant

The grant is designed to improve the energy efficiency of homes across Dorset, enabling homeowners and private renters to access funded energy saving measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation, heating upgrades, air source heat pumps and solar panels.

The HUG2 scheme will help reduce energy use and fuel costs for Dorset residents who live in the lower energy rated homes (EPC D to G) and heat their homes with a fuel other than mains gas such as electric heaters, oil and LPG boilers and solid fuel heating.

The process begins with a telephone assessment to determine eligibility, followed by a home visit, advice on a package of measures, then a retrofit assessment and technical surveys.

Visit the Dorset Home Upgrade Grant website for more information.

Local Energy Advice Partnership

The Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP) is a free home visit scheme to help Dorset residents with free energy advice and energy saving devices, as well as access to other improvements such as heating upgrades, insulation, free appliances and replacement boilers.

LEAP’s services are available to those who meet certain criteria – check if you are eligible on the Ridgewater Energy website. If you are eligible, you will get a free home visit from a qualified home energy advisor.

Dorset Greener Homes

Venues across Dorset open their doors for two weekends each year to showcase ideas for greener living. This is an opportunity to visit homes, gardens, allotments, churches, schools and village halls where steps have been taken to save energy, avoid using fossil fuels, and promote biodiversity.

The events are coordinated by Dorset Climate Action Network (CAN), a network of community groups and individuals working together for a shared vision of a clean, green, sustainable Dorset.

Although Dorset Greener Homes runs over specific weekends during the year, Dorset CAN may be able to arrange a visit to a particular home.

For more information, including the date of the next event, visit the Dorset Green Homes website.