Healthy Homes welcomes boost to energy sessions

AS the winter months arrive and the temperature drops, the Healthy Homes team want to ensure that everyone in Frome has access to advice and information to help keep their homes warm, especially when energy bills are at their highest. 

Following on from their successful drop-in sessions at Frome Library, the team are excited to announce further dates. The sessions are hosted by Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), and they’ll be joined by the recently-appointed energy advice champions – these volunteers have been trained by CSE and are currently undertaking a City & Guilds energy awareness course.  

Town councillor Fiona Barrows said, “We’re thrilled that our energy advice champions have got off to a flying start; they’ll be helping at the drop-in sessions, offering valuable advice, so make sure you pop by and pick up some information or pick their brains – from making your home more energy efficient by making small incremental changes, to reducing energy debt; if you have any questions, please come along.” 

The sessions in the library are open to anyone on the following dates from 10am to 4pm: Wednesday 16th November, Wednesday 30th November and Wednesday 14th December. 

If you’re unable to attend a session in person, on Friday 4th November the team will be holding free telephone sessions between 9:30am and 2pm – you can book your space here: https://bit.ly/cse-advice. 

Cllr Barrows said, “We’re also delighted that Frome Renewable Energy Co-op (FRECO) have recently provided over £3,600 of extra funding for the work the team are carrying out. It comes at just the right time as more residents in Frome need advice from the Healthy Homes team.”   

FRECO is an energy co-op that enables the community to invest in renewable energy projects in Frome while producing carbon free energy at cheaper rates, with any surplus being reinvested in a community fund to support energy saving projects. Peter Macfadyen, a director of FRECO said, “We’re pleased we can help with this additional funding for the Healthy Homes project. It will provide vital draughtproofing and energy saving items to be installed in homes of residents this winter. Some of the funding will also be used to purchase energy saving items which will be available via the SHARE shop, for example, more energy usage monitors, room temperature and humidity meters and more.” 

The Healthy Homes project is a partnership between Frome Town Council, the Centre for Sustainable Energy and Frome Medical Practice. For further details visit the Healthy Homes website: www. frometowncouncil.gov.uk/healthy-homes.