We’re now halfway through our Birchwood Energy Advice Campaign, an 8-week initiative bringing free, practical energy support directly into the heart of the community.

Over the past few weeks, our team has been out and about across Birchwood, speaking with residents and offering face-to-face advice on managing energy bills, understanding tariffs, keeping homes warm, and accessing additional support.

The response has been incredibly positive. So far, we’ve:

• Hand-delivered leaflets and energy advice guides to almost 4,000 households across Birchwood.
• Through nine community events so far, we have provided one-to-one energy advice to more than 250 residents.
• Distributed over 100 LED bulbs, 50 mini hygrometers, 40 carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, and hundreds of thermometer cards and information leaflets to help residents better manage energy use at home.

One of the biggest successes of the campaign hasn’t been measured in numbers.
What we’ve noticed is that the longer we’re present in the community, the more residents are willing to stop and talk to us. Familiar faces become trusted faces, and conversations that start with a quick question about an energy bill often develop into discussions about wider challenges people are facing at home.

This reinforces something we’ve long believed at Energy Projects Plus: meaningful engagement takes time. Building trust within communities is essential if we want people to access the support available to them, which is why we will remain available and active in the community well beyond the initial 8-week campaign.

It’s an approach we’re keen to replicate in other communities in the future. By establishing a visible local presence and demonstrating that we’re here for the long term, we hope to help more residents access the advice and support they need.

Still to Come
We still have two free “Let’s Talk” community sessions taking place at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre:

Let’s Talk Bills & Tariffs
📅 17 June | ⏰ 10:30am – 3:00pm
This free drop-in session will help residents better understand their energy bills and the support available to them. We’ll explain how the Energy Price Cap works, explore different tariff options including time-of-use tariffs, and discuss whether a Smart Meter could help households manage their energy use more effectively. We’ll also cover additional support available through the Priority Services Register, water social tariffs, and other schemes designed to help reduce household costs.

Let’s Talk Grants & Free Measures
📅 24 June | ⏰ 4:00pm – 7:30pm
This session is ideal for anyone interested in improving their home’s energy efficiency but unsure where to start. We’ll be explaining the funding and support currently available through schemes such as the Warm Homes: Local Grant, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and LEAP. Residents will also be able to learn more about insulation, solar panels, heat pumps, and free energy-saving measures that could help make their homes warmer, healthier, and more affordable to run.

If you’re based in Birchwood, or work with residents in the area, we’d love to see you there. And if you’d like to discuss bringing a similar community energy campaign to your area, we’d be delighted to hear from you.