Promoting warm and efficient homes: interns support West Suffolk’s push for energy upgrades

21 Aug 2025

Throughout their 12-week internship, the 2025 cohort of interns have been working with the Energy and Sustainability team to promote grants to help residents improve the energy efficiency of their homes.  Improving the energy efficiency of your home can help reduce the adverse effects of climate change.  

After analysing regional variations in Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data, the interns were able to identify areas with the greatest opportunity for improvement. They targeted these areas through hosting market stalls throughout July and August in Brandon, Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill, Mildenhall, and Newmarket. By promoting relevant grants, the interns aimed to improve residents' understanding of the importance of energy efficiency and help to reduce their energy bills and make homes cosier in the upcoming winter.

Across the five markets, the interns distributed over 200 leaflets and spoke to 232 people. An additional 549 leaflets were distributed to businesses in West Suffolk as well as to parish and town councils.

By speaking with residents, the interns were able to collect data on their thoughts and behaviours surrounding energy efficiency upgrades. Grants to facilitate the upgrade from a boiler to a heat pump, or the installation of solar panels were the most popular, comprising 54 per cent of interest in a specific grant.  

The interns also discovered that over half of the residents they spoke to did not know their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data for their property, which is the first step towards receiving grants for domestic energy efficiency and can be found here: Find an energy certificate.

Homeowners represented 75 per cent of the residents the interns interacted with, and 62 per cent were over 60 years old. Prominent barriers for residents wanting to access grants to improve domestic energy efficiency included age, income, and living in a listed building or housing association property. By focusing on this demographic, the interns have helped to promote these grants to those most affected by climate change. This includes the most vulnerable members of society, the elderly, low-income households, and those suffering from long-term health conditions. Future projects within the council will ensure that information surrounding grants for those most vulnerable to climate change will be accessible to ensure they get appropriate support.  

Please visit domestic energy efficiency funding to check your eligibility for grants to improve your domestic energy efficiency.

If you wish to give further feedback, please complete the Domestic Energy Efficiency Feedback Form.

Cllr Gerald Kelly, Cabinet Member for Governance, Regulatory and Environment at West Suffolk Council, said “It is a priority for the council that our residents have decent homes which are resilient to changing environmental factors. That is why I am delighted that the interns focused on promoting the energy upgrades that are available for residents to make their homes warm and efficient.

“Our thanks to the interns for this excellent piece of work. Their project will have a lasting impact and the work to engage and inform the local community of grants available to them will continue. I believe the internship has provided an invaluable experience into the world of local democracy and the work the council is doing to build environmental resilience within our thriving district.”

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