With energy bills soaring and one in three children growing up in poverty, Bristol-based CHEESE Project is stepping up to help struggling households stay warm.
Using thermal imaging, this community interest company uncovers hidden heat leaks, empowering low-income families to cut costs and improve their home’s energy efficiency.
On Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, CHEESE highlights the stark reality faced by millions. Cold homes don’t just drive up bills; they cost the NHS an estimated £2.5 billion annually in health issues.
In the South West, the problem is particularly dire, to escape fuel poverty, households here would need an average £521 reduction in energy bills, a huge 54% higher than the national average of £338. That gap has surged by nearly 50% since 2021.
CHEESE offers free thermal surveys for those in fuel poverty and up to 70% off for others through a Retrofit West voucher scheme.
With six million UK households in fuel poverty and energy debts topping £3.7 billion, the NEA’s Fuel Poverty Awareness Day calls for systemic change.