In a typical British home up to one third of the heat produced by central heating systems is lost through the roof, walls, floor and windows.
We wanted to help – so for the past few years, we’ve loaned out high-tech thermal heat cameras to vulnerable and low-income customers. These simple cameras plug straight into your phone so you can spot areas with major heat loss and take simple quick steps to stop it.
So far, 8000 of our customers have borrowed one of our cameras. We wanted to let you know how it’s gone.
Just a few articles written about the massive benefits of our thermal camera scheme
We did a survey after our launching our wildly popular thermal camera scheme and here is what we found:
- 92% of people found the camera very useful in helping spot heat loss
- 96% of people would recommend using a thermal imaging camera to a friend or family member
- 86% of people found the cameras easy to use
- Over half of people made immediate changes to prevent heat loss in their homes
How to get the best out of one of our cameras? Octopus social media guru Greg shows you how he used one to save £133 over winter:
Here’s what a few of our happy customers had to say:
James from Surrey:
‘Our home is 100 years old, with sloped ceilings and bay windows that are difficult to insulate. So, I was really keen to get a thermal camera to identify the exact problem areas. The actual camera setup was very straightforward and it connected directly to my phone.
The entire experience was super easy and enlightening! I was able to identify a lot of areas inside and outside of my home that needed better insulating or a draught excluder.
The camera allowed me to identify new issues I hadn’t considered. I now know what work is needed in my home, and how to tackle it.
I’ve already been able to make some specific improvements, for example, now that the cameras have shown how much heat we lose through our windows I make sure to close all the curtains in the home early on a cold evening. It immediately made a big difference, and my home feels warmer because of it.
The camera also helped me discover areas where my cavity wall insulation wasn’t well fitted, so we know exactly how and where to improve it.
I used it for around 3 days, and then loaned it out to some friends who live in the area because I was so impressed. We all found it so incredibly useful I spoke to our estates Home Association to invest in thermal cameras for the entire area!’
James’ top tip: The camera is particularly useful on a cold day, and early in the morning when you get the most light!’
Check out all the places our thermal cameras have been!
Jeannette from Merseyside:
‘I am a single mother, and like many people have been struggling with very high bills. I jumped at the chance to get a thermal camera, so I could make improvements around my home and save money. I used the camera at my home, and at my parents and it was incredibly easy and useful! It’s the sort of device my 80 year old mother could easily use!
My property was built in the 70’s and doesn’t retain heat well due to its flat roof. I expected the conservatory extension would be the biggest issue. But surprisingly, the camera detected cold spots near my windows, external walls and my radiators, even though they are foil insulated. It also revealed drafts around external doors and under my staircase. Without the camera, I would have never guessed those were the spots I was losing the most heat!
I have been able to make lots of adjustments around my home like adding tape to seal drafts and adding more foil behind my radiators. Everything I’ve learned has helped me understand why my bills were so high and what changes I needed to make.
I’ve been incredibly concerned about another expensive winter so this has made a huge difference. I’m really grateful I got to borrow the camera and it’s been so beneficial for myself and my parents. It has saved me money and shown and taught me things I’ll remember in every home I live in!’
Janet’s top tips: Take some photographs with it and save them, so you can refer back to it in the future!”
Here’s some more top tips and feedback from our customers on the best things they did to improve heat loss in their homes:
‘We have made a ton of improvements from sealing our windows to installing draught exclusions around the home, as well as installing expanding foam around our doors to stop heat loss into hallways and insulating external doors.
My top tip would be to make full use of all the information that is available on heat loss and energy efficiency online and on the Octopus blog/forums!’
Shane
The camera confirmed a lot of my thoughts around where the heat loss in my home was coming from. And I was shocked to see how much of a difference simply closing my blinds and curtains would make! It’s been a simple solution with a big impact.’
Jacqueline
I can’t recommend it highly enough! It’s free and so worth doing as heat loss around your home can be easily rectified but makes a huge difference in your bills!
Liam
It was so straight-forward to use and made the problems super obvious. It’s made a difference in our home and I’m grateful to Octopus; this is how you show you care about your customers!’
Peter
We want to empower customers to detect and address the issues in their homes that may be contributing to higher bills. Stopping heat loss can make a huge difference on your bills. If you can keep your home warmer, longer, you don’t need to put the heat on as long. Keeping the heat on an hour less per day could save you £133 over winter, whilst reducing your carbon emissions.
We want to help you save money on your bills and keep your home warm for less. Entrusting this piece of kit to our customers has paid off for thousands of people across the country, who have proven it really works.
