Energy Essentials: Smart Ways to Cut Costs & Manage Your Home’s Energy Use

This workshop is designed for households, tenants, landlords, community groups, and frontline support workers who want practical, easy‑to‑understand guidance on reducing energy use and managing bills. It is especially valuable for:

• Households facing rising energy costs who want clear, achievable ways to save.
• Low‑income or vulnerable residents who may struggle with confusing tariffs or inefficient homes.
• Private landlords or housing providers looking to understand EPC requirements and cost‑effective improvements.
• Community organisations and advisors who support residents with energy or financial wellbeing.
• Anyone interested in smart technology, renewable energy, or improving home efficiency.

This session gives practical, clear and actionable advice to help households take control of their energy use. Drawing on real examples, it explains how to understand your bills, what units like kWh really mean, and how everyday appliances impact costs. Attendees will learn about the Ofgem price cap, tariff types, and when fixing might make sense.

The workshop explores simple ways to reduce wasted energy through a “vampire power” audit and highlights low‑cost and major insulation measures that can significantly reduce heat loss. It also covers smart meters, storage heaters, heat pumps, and how modern heating technology affects efficiency and bills.

Participants will be introduced to smart tariffs, load shifting, solar PV, home battery storage, and the Smart Export Guarantee, along with the practical steps and requirements for installation. The session also explains how Energy Performance Certificates are calculated, what their recommendations mean in the real world, and common pitfalls to avoid.

The event finishes with clear actions to take away, useful resources for support, and an open Q&A for personalised advice.

This session will be delivered by Patrick Diskin‑Barr, Building Surveyor at Rand Associates, whose expertise and insight make this event possible. His professional experience brings clarity, practicality, and real‑world relevance to every topic covered.

A buffet style lunch and light refreshments will be availbe for this event.

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Host or Publisher Exeter College