Portsmouth opens doors on green homes as energy bills set to rise
Portsmouth's open homes week aims to show residents how to cut energy bills
Portsmouth residents have been invited to step inside green homes and see how they’re combatting the energy crisis.
Between 27 June and 5 July, Portsmouth will host the Energy Smart Open Homes Week.
The scheme allows residents to better understand how they can help manage their energy bills through measures such as solar panels, heat pumps and home insulation.
The event is a collaboration between Portsmouth Climate Action and My Home Made Better, Hampshire’s retrofit advice service, supported by Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council.
The week allows members of the public to visit retrofitted homes, talk to homeowners and learn what’s possible for their own property.
Nicholas Sebley, of PCA, said the week allows people to “protect yourself” against sudden rises in energy costs.
The government has announced that energy bills in a typical household would rise by roughly 13 per cent.
He championed the government’s Warm Homes Grant, which provides up to £30,000 in free grants for households with incomes of £36,000 or less.
Households earning over £36,000 can apply for low or no-interest loans.
Mr Sebley said the initial investment “pays itself off” and that some residents with retrofitted homes “don’t pay any bills at all”.
He said the current government has been “pretty generous” with grants and “we can’t really ask for a lot more”.
My Home Made Better is a charity-led initiative providing free expert advice to Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth residents. The service helps residents navigate insulation improvements, heating upgrades and renewable energy options.
More locally, Portsmouth has Switched On Portsmouth, which acts on Portsmouth City Council’s Energy and Water at Home Strategy to ensure homes use energy and water as efficiently as possible and that “every Portsmouth household can afford their energy and water bills”.
Residents can view the different homes across the city on show, and book tickets at www.tickettailor.com/events/energysmartopenhomes.