Thermal imaging cameras show where your home is losing heat, and therefore energy. Pictures on screen are colour-coded to show temperature differences that identify where to improve insulation, block draughts, save energy and keep warm.
Judy Tuck from Shipley Parish Council borrowed a thermal imaging camera from Horsham District Council and was able to work with 11 private homes in her parish to help discover where their home may be losing heat. Many were from around windows, doors and letter boxes, which is relatively simple to fix once you know where the problems lie. For some, the scan provided reassurance that steps they have taken to insulate their homes are effective.
Judy commented:
“I have been able to scan 11 private homes in the last two weeks and can't recommend it highly enough.
“I particularly like that, by using this equipment in people's homes, residents could identify focused, practical and cost effective ways to prevent unnecessary heat loss.
“From my experience:
- I didn't offer a personal view and let householders interpret the photos after explaining the data provided.
- I asked residents to upload the photos and thermal images onto their home computer and delete the camera's memory card - very easy.
- Macs were a bit trickier and in one case, I had to create a Dropbox account to share the images...but I'm not very au fait with Macs and I'm sure it could have been easier!
- Everyone was so grateful for the opportunity and have promised to share their experience with their friends and neighbours to encourage their participation. I hope more will participate this winter.
“These tiny things all add up in my opinion to reducing our carbon footprint, and saving money!”
If you think you would benefit from having a thermal imaging scan please contact your local parish or community group to see if they may be interested in borrowing the camera for their local area (unfortunately we cannot lend the camera to individual households).