Our Energy Savvy Green Doctors Help deliver support across Sunderland improving Energy Efficiency
Barbara, getting her home warm for winter
Barbara lives in a big 4 bedroom house that takes a lot of heating in the winter. She contacted Groundwork for advice as her heating bills were high and she was struggling to heat her home adequately.
Previously Barbara had made enquiries about energy efficiency grants on the internet, but had found all of the information very confusing on the internet and wanted some face to face advice.
A home visit was arranged by Cliff, our Green Doctor, to provide Barbra with impartial energy saving advice and support. Cliff provided Barbara with an overview of the energy efficiency grants available, and explained the ways to apply for these grants via Barbara’s energy supply company.
During the home visit the Green Doctor installed small energy saving measures including fitting LED light bulbs, reflective radiator panels, a letter box draught strip and provided a slow cooker. Barbara also received advice to ensure she was on the most suitable energy tariff.
After chatting with the Green Doctor I understand a lot more now and have received assistance to apply for a loft insulation grant. The Green Doctor service was a great help to me, it was very professional and helped me very much. I will be recommending the Green Doctor service to my friends.
Dorothy, getting support on her energy bills
Dorothy got in touch with the Green Doctor service after returning from holiday to find that the social landlord had set her gas heating boiler to run constantly while she had been away. This mean that the credit she had built up on here energy account had been wiped out and she was now very concerned that her energy bills were going to be unaffordable. Dorothy was worried that she would struggle to afford the gas and electricity on her pension income and reached out to Groundwork for help.
I felt like I was struggling to manage my gas and electric bill and needed support to help me stay warm. My gas central heating was far too expensive to keep on!
Fortunately, support from the Green Doctor has helped Dorothy take back control of her energy usage and accessed a lower cost fixed energy tariff going forward into the heating season.
Green Doctor visited Dorothy’s home and together they contacted her energy provider to explain the situation. After some discussion it was agreed to move Dorothy onto the energy providers lowest fixed rate energy tariff for 12 months.
I feel a lot better now that I know that I have somebody to go to in the future if there are any issues that I am experiencing with my utility bills.
Dorothy was so please with the Green Doctor service, she referred her daughter for assistance with her utility bills.
Edwin’s brand new boiler
Edwin is in his 80’s and lives alone in a semi-detached 3 bedroom 1940’s house. He referred himself to the Green Doctor Energy Savvy service when he was told that his 20 year old gas boiler was in very poor condition. He was worried it would break down leaving him with no heating and unable to fund a new boiler.
A Green Doctor home visit was arranged by Cliff, our Green Doctor, to provide Edwin with impartial energy saving advice and support.
The Green Doctor provided Edwin with an overview of the energy efficiency grants available from ECO4 and the Warm Homes Local Grant from Sunderland City Council. Edwin asked the Green Doctor to help him apply for a grant from WHLG and this was done on his behalf for an Air Source Heat Pump, solar panels and battery storage and insulation measures. Edwin also made a referral himself for an ECO4 gas boiler grant.
During the home visit the Green Doctor installed small energy saving measures including fitting LED light bulbs and reflective radiator panels. Edwin also received advice to ensure he was on the most suitable energy tariff and a referral was made to Citizens Advice to ensure he was able to claim a single person Council Tax allowance.
Cliff visited me at home and we had a long chat about my boiler and the grants available to me. He made it very easy for me to understand and gave me the confidence to apply for a boiler grant from my energy company. Cliff then visited me again to support me making an application to the Warm Homes Local Grant from Sunderland City Council. The service I received was fantastic.
Teresa, high energy bill concerns
The Green Doctor visited Teresa in her home to discuss her concerns about high energy bills. Teresa asked the Green Doctor to phone her energy supply company to find out why her payments were so high.
The Green Doctor made the phone call while in Teresa’s home so she could participate in the conversation. It was confirmed that Teresa was on the lowest fixed rate energy tariff for gas and electricity. However, it was discovered that her Direct Debit payments were far higher than they should be. It was agreed with Teresa to reduce the monthly payments by £50 and this would also ensure she remained in credit on her account. Teresa was delighted with the outcome.
The Green Doctor was fantastic, he’s an angel and I’m so relieved now. It’ll be winter soon and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to heat my home, I’m in my 80’s so I need a warm home. Now I am £50 a month better off. Thank you so much, I’m very grateful and will also be telling Gentoo how great the Green Doctor is.
Tony, Support with applying for grants
Tony lives in a mid-terrace 2 bedroom bungalow and has mental health issues. Tony’s Mental Health Nurse contacted Groundwork for advice on behalf of Tony as his heating system was broken and he was struggling to heat his home.
Tony’s Nurse informed him that she has made a referral to Groundwork. Then a home visit was arranged by Cliff, our Green Doctor, to provide Tony with impartial energy saving advice and support.
During the home visit, Tony said that his gas boiler had been condemned approx. 4 years ago due to a gas leak. He did not have any funding to have the boiler repaired/replaced and did not know how to ask for assistance and for the past 4 years Tony had been using electric fan heaters to heat his home and an electric immersion heater to heat his bathing water.
The Green Doctor provided Barbara with an overview of the energy efficiency grants available from ECO4 and the Warm Homes Local Grant from Sunderland City Council. Tony asked the Green Doctor to help him apply for a grant from WHLG and this was done on his behalf for an Air Source Heat Pump, solar panels and battery storage and insulation measures.
I’ve been struggling to heat my home for 4 years after my old gas boiler was condemned. It gets very cold during the winter as I only have an electric fan heater in my rooms. The Green Doctor visited me and gave me lots of advice about grants that can provide me with a new heating system to keep me warm.