Guest post by Lucy Harbor

The cold start to 2026 will have got many of us thinking ahead about how we can keep our homes cosier over winter, while also keeping heating costs down. There are lots of different ways that you can make your home warmer. Some improvements are very low-cost such as draught excluders and radiator reflectors, while others such as installing solar panels can initially be much more expensive but pay back over time.

Last year, we spoke to over a dozen East Sussex residents who had carried out energy saving improvements to make their homes cosier and healthier, and to reduce future energy bills.

The residents lived in different types of properties and had different reasons for wanting to improve their homes. While some experienced challenges during their journey, it was overwhelmingly agreed that they were happy with the result.

Case study 1: Helen*

Helen in Lewes lives in a semi-detached home with her young family. Her home was cold and prone to condensation due to an ineffective heating system and slumped cavity wall insulation. Helen was worried that it was affecting her family’s health, so prioritised using some money from an inheritance to improve insulation and ventilation. This included removing and reinstalling the slumped insulation, insulating under the floorboards, replacing leaky double-glazed windows with more thermally efficient windows and installing a mechanical heat recovery ventilation system.

Helen now feels that the house has a completely different feel, very rarely gets stuffy and has no more issues with mould or condensation. Her home is warmer in the winter and also cooler in the summer. The ventilation system really helped improve indoor air quality.

Case study 2: Claire*

Claire in South Chailey lives in a 1970s bungalow that was constructed using concrete panels, with plasterboard on the inside and a small amount of insulation in between. Her home was very cold and expensive to heat. Through the Warm Home Check service she was able to access a government grant and had solar panels and loft insulation installed. The solar panels have made a big difference to her bills and helped reduce her worries about heating cost increases. She now thinks about the best times to use electricity to maximise the benefit of power generated from the panels.

*Please note names have been changed for privacy.

More funding has recently been announced

Nationally, the government is looking to support more families to upgrade their homes and cut their energy bills through the new £15 billion  Warm Homes Plan. Free insulation and other upgrades are already available for eligible low income households through the Warm Homes Local Grant, with more funding recently being announced for low income homes up to 2030. In future there will also be a new low or no interest loan scheme for those who would like to arrange home improvements like insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and batteries. More information on these opportunities will be available later this year.

They estimate that up to five million homes could be improved by the end of the decade, which may help lift around one million families out of fuel poverty and reduce problems like cold, damp and mould – issues that often affect renters.

Here are some top tips for a smooth home improvement journey from East Sussex residents who have been through it…

Insulate first

  • Solving heat loss needs to be a priority. Seek information on ventilation and insulation, and how insulation works for it to be effective
  • There are simple actions you can take yourself to insulate your home, such as using draught excluders or lining curtains.

Do your research

  • Do lots of research and don’t be afraid to ask questions of the installers/tradespeople. There is advice on the Warm East Sussex website on what to look for when choosing an installer
  • Don’t rush. Take your time to find out the information you need and to think about what it is you want from the improvements.

Get advice

  • Get independent advice on what’s best for your property and your individual situation, if possible. For example, you could find a local tradesperson to help identify the best energy efficiency improvements for your home before you start.

Make a plan

  • Make sure that you do things in the right order for the home energy efficiency technologies to work most effectively. A professional retrofit assessment can help provide a staged plan of improvements based on your finances
  • Think about practicalities – where will things go? How will they fit?
  • If you’re interested in solar panels, the Energy Saving Trust has lots of information to help with your planning. It’s important to use an installer that is ‘MCS-certified’
  • Plan ahead if you want an air source heat pump as the whole process can take a long time – don’t wait for your boiler to break! And check out the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant which offers homeowners £7,500 towards the cost of a heat pump.

Practical tips

  • Get multiple quotes, and ensure companies explain any assessments
  • Don’t hand decision-making over to tradespeople; be persistent and consistent to ensure a high standard of work
  • It’s important to understand how heat pumps work for them to work well, if they are something that you choose. They work very differently to traditional heating systems so require you to treat them differently for them to work their best. Read more about living with a heat pump.

Considering this advice before starting home energy improvement work could help make the journey smoother. Other things you can do:

If you are worried about the cost of your energy bills, or struggle to afford to keep your home warm, then contact the Warm Home Check service. They give free energy advice and home visits to eligible households. Check out the Warm East Sussex website for more information and for other energy saving advice.