Households across the UK are being offered a free, high-tech gadget that could pinpoint expensive heat loss and save them hundreds of pounds on their energy bills. The initiative provides access to thermal imaging cameras, devices that normally retail for around £200, at no cost.
How a Free Gadget Can Lead to Major Savings
The potential for savings is significant. According to a study by Kingfisher – the parent company of B&Q and Screwfix – and the economics consultancy Cebr, energy-inefficient homes cost their occupants an average of £299 per year in extra energy bills. This problem scales up to a staggering £3.8 billion in additional annual bills for the entire country.
Greg Collier-Jones, from the energy efficiency charity Severn Wye, explained how the technology works. “If you imagine a laser thermometer used to take your temperature — now imagine thousands of those bundled together, each pointing at a spot and feeding data back to a camera lens,” he said. “The camera processes all that data as pixels on a screen.”
Where to Find Your Free Thermal Camera
You don't need to buy one of these handy devices. Many local councils have schemes allowing residents to borrow them for free.
Councils in areas like Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire, Kensington and Chelsea, and Portsmouth are already offering this service to their communities. Major energy suppliers are also participating; Octopus Energy had 200 cameras to lend out for the winter, though demand was so high that their applications for winter 2025 are now closed.
Greg strongly advises against purchasing a camera. “I would strongly advise against paying for a camera – you’re much better off paying for someone to do a walk-around survey,” he recommends.
Using Your Camera and Understanding the Results
Using the device is straightforward. You simply point it at walls, windows, or doors to get an instant visual clue of where heat might be escaping. However, interpreting the data requires a bit of know-how.
“Understanding the data on the screen can be tricky,” Greg cautioned. “For example, a black and a white surface at the same temperature can show different readings. Pointing it at glass will often just show you what’s reflected in the room.”
He provided a simple tip for confirmation: “If the camera shows a cold patch and you can feel a draught with your finger, that’s confirmation you’ve got a leak.”
And it's not all serious detective work. Greg revealed a fun side to the technology: “It’s really fun to point the camera at your cat to see how ‘energy efficient’ they are. We’ve got a few cameras in the office, and honestly, most of the pictures are just people’s pets!”
