What you can do

There are lots of ways you can save energy and use renewable energy in your home. The Council has produced a leaflet showing some ideas of measures you could install in your property when doing a refurbishment or extension. 

There are ways you can also get involved in community energy initiatives. For example, Essex County Council runs collective purchasing schemes for switching energy supplier or installing solar panels. These allow groups of people to get together to switch to a green and affordable energy supplier, or to negotiate an affordable price for solar panels. Find out more about the energy switching and Solar Together scheme. Please note, the energy switching scheme is not currently running as there are limited savings to be made by energy switching.  

Community Energy Colchester are a group looking to offer energy advice, support and installation of discounted simple energy saving measures in Colchester, as well as develop energy based projects. See their website for more information 

For more general information on energy efficiency, visit the Energy Saving Trust website.  

Further information

There is also support available for people who may struggle to afford energy to heat their home. See information offered by Warm Homes Essex, and Green Doctor. 

There are also several opportunities to receive funding for energy efficiency improvements to your home. The Council has a dedicated page listing these opportunities and is working with the National Energy Foundation to provide support to residents wanting to access these. Find out more here.