{"id":116059,"date":"2025-12-21T08:40:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T08:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=116059"},"modified":"2025-12-21T08:14:45","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T08:14:45","slug":"energy-bills-melt-away-with-this-tiny-device","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/energy-bills-melt-away-with-this-tiny-device\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy Bills Melt Away With This Tiny Device Anyone Can Borrow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As winter energy bills bite harder across the UK, many households are seeking ways to stay warm without turning up the heating. The rising cost of gas and electricity, combined with older housing stock and poor insulation, has created a perfect storm of inefficiency and high costs. A less obvious, but increasingly popular, solution is making its way into homes: thermal imaging<\/strong>. Once reserved for engineers and surveyors, thermal cameras are now available to borrow or hire for as little as \u00a315, a small investment that could uncover significant savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spotting Heat Loss Before It Costs More<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to consumer group Which?<\/em>, thermal imaging technology offers a direct way to detect heat escaping from a home. Unlike an X-ray, these cameras measure surface temperatures, highlighting where<\/strong> heat is leaking<\/strong> through insulation gaps, broken seals, or draughty edges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karen Lawrence<\/strong>, senior researcher at Which?<\/em>, explained: \u201cThermal imaging can help you spot thermal defects \u2013 the places where heat leaks out of your property<\/em>.\u201d These include \u201cdraughts through gaps and cracks that are hidden from view; patchy or missing insulation inside lofts and cavity walls; and missing or broken seals around doors, windows, loft hatches or other openings<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, red areas on the thermal image indicate warmer spots, while blue shows cold patches. From inside the house, colder areas can suggest draughts or poor insulation<\/strong>; from the outside, red spots might signal heat escaping unnecessarily. A thermal survey requires a temperature difference between inside and out, ideally 10\u00b0C<\/strong> or more, to provide the clearest contrast. Winter <\/a>conditions, therefore, make the perfect backdrop for a quick check-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Borrowing or Hiring Cameras Offers Accessible Insights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thermal cameras don\u2019t come cheap if bought outright, professional-grade models often exceed \u00a310,000<\/strong>, but there are affordable alternatives. Local councils and community initiatives such as the Library of Things<\/em> in London lend out devices from just \u00a315 per day, making thermal imaging more accessible than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Which?<\/em><\/a>, over recent years nearly 5,000 Octopus Energy<\/em> customers have borrowed cameras through the supplier\u2019s loan scheme. Although currently closed, the programme has proven popular with households aiming to make targeted home improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those with more flexible budgets, a professional thermal assessment may offer deeper insights. Typically priced from \u00a3300 to \u00a3750 <\/strong>depending on property size, these surveys include detailed reports, high-resolution images, and expert analysis. They can identify not just heat loss, but also structural issues like damp, bridging, and failed cavity wall insulation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most importantly, the insight from a thermal camera can guide homeowners towards the most effective solutions, from simple DIY draughtproofing to major insulation upgrades. According to Which?<\/em>, fixes like draught-proofing alone could save households \u00a335 to \u00a350 annually<\/strong>, while comprehensive insulation can lead to much higher savings in the long term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the tool in conjunction with Which?<\/em>\u2019s Home Energy Planning Service<\/a> helps users build a personalised strategy for improving home energy efficiency. Ultimately, thermal imaging offers a rare combination of affordability, accessibility and effectiveness, quietly empowering homeowners to reduce energy loss, improve comfort and limit bills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As energy costs continue to surge across the UK, one low-cost device is offering surprising results behind closed doors. Borrowed for just \u00a315 a day, this small gadget is revealing heat leaks that even seasoned homeowners miss. It\u2019s helping thousands quietly save without any major renovations or costly upgrades.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":116061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116059"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116062,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116059\/revisions\/116062"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}