Enhancing Resident Engagement Through Thermal Imaging

by Hannah Wintle

ALondon borough is giving its residents the chance to identify thermally inefficient areas in their home by loaning out thermal imaging cameras.

Believed to be the first of its kind in the country, the program is being piloted on the Lancaster West Estate in the borough of Kensington of Chelsea.

After initially using thermal imaging cameras to evaluate the efficiency and cost effectiveness of flat refurbishments, the council soon realised the value of being able to pinpoint thermal efficiency on a flat-by-flat basis.

Being able to see the impact of retrofits while also being able to highlight areas of heat loss was an ‘educational’ experience not only for the council but also for residents, who then expressed an interest in evaluating the thermal efficiency of their own homes.

The scheme was born on the back of this revelation, and now the 700 households on the Lancaster West Estate are actively encouraged to borrow the kit to discover any cold spots in their home.

Having identified where heat is escaping, the council can work with residents to offer solutions such as draft excluders and smart thermostats, improving insulation and ventilation across the estate. The data collected from these measures may then be used to inform future retrofits.

Councillor Kim Taylor Smith, Deputy Leader with responsibility for housing, said: “We’re proud of this pioneering thermal imaging equipment loan scheme which will help us make Lancaster West a paragon 21st Century estate with safe, secure and warm homes for residents.”

One of the major benefits of this scheme is the ability to: “Help people identify fast fixes in their homes while we [the council] roll out our programme of major works across the estate.

“This will help us be a carbon net zero council by 2030 while also helping residents keep their energy bills lower once work has been carried out in their home; all part of our Council Plan to be greener, safer and fairer.”

While there is a standard refurbishment plan for the residences on the estate, the thermal imaging cameras allow for a more bespoke approach to target specific areas of concern.

By giving residents the tools to consider heat efficiency in their homes, the council hope to help keep their energy bills down during a time when energy prices have soared.

Councillor Kim Taylor Smith added: “It's very much part of an educational process with people in terms of conservation. So, we launched a pilot scheme to allow residents to borrow these cameras,

Funds will primarily go towards improving insulation by way of cladding and triple glazed windows, but there are also plans to install air source heat systems on not only the Lancaster West Estate, but also the local school and leisure centre.

Housing and buildings are the biggest carbon emitters in the borough, accounting for 80% of carbon emissions. It is hoped that improving housing heating efficiency will progress the council’s ambition to be a carbon net zero council by 2030, while creating a greener, safer, and fairer borough that is carbon neutral by 2040.

Educating residents is the way forward

By involving the residents in the scheme and allowing them to take a hands-on approach, the council hope that the scheme will foster a genuine interest in working towards a net zero goal, as well as seeing the added bonus of reducing energy bills.

“One of the things we have found is that when we've been doing all our surveys with our residents, as to what's important to them carbon zero is a very high priority,

The council also wish to roll out the program across other estates in the borough, offering more residents the chance to assess the energy efficiency of their homes.

In addition, Kensington and Chelsea Council plan to share best practice with other London boroughs, highlighting the benefits of the scheme and emphasising how valuable it is to educate residents on the importance of energy conservation. Since implementing the campaign, the team at the council responsible have been shortlisted for three Awards, including ‘Climate Champion of the Year – South’, in recognition of their progress in decarbonising the housing sector.