The HEAT Hub’s Ask the Expert Event & Webinar Series: Impartial Advice to Help You Improve Your Home

Are you wondering how to make your home more energy efficient and cut your energy bills? Perhaps you’re planning a renovation and want to know which low carbon technologies are worth considering, looking for advice on improving your home’s comfort and energy performance, or simply curious about what options are available. 

Whatever your starting point, getting the right advice can help you make informed decisions about your home. And you don’t have to go far to find it. 

The HEAT Hub’s Ask the Expert Series brings impartial expert advice directly to you through our summer series of online webinars. Whether you’re just starting to explore your options or are ready to take the next step, you can hear from experts on important areas of interest and get answers to your questions - all from the comfort of your home. 

What have we covered so far? 

We’re now two sessions into our summer series, which kicked off in July with an informative introduction to Understanding Retrofit & Fabric First. The session provided a useful starting point for anyone considering a retrofit or wondering where to begin. Retrofit involves improving an existing building to make it healthier, warmer, more energy efficient and cheaper to run, making the fabric of the home, including its insulation and ventilation, an important place to start. 

The session covered key topics including how to plan a retrofit and “get the sequence right”, the core principles of retrofit, ventilation and understanding heat loss. We also took an in-depth look at NEP’s Community Retrofit House, a Victorian mid-terrace in a conservation area that has undergone a full retrofit. Darren, our Contractor and Home Improvements Manager, shared insights into the original retrofit plan and aims, the condition survey, timeline, results and lessons learned. This honest case study gave attendees an impartial insight into the reality of undertaking a retrofit, helping them understand what to expect while highlighting challenges that can potentially be avoided. You can read more about the case study here.

Look into NEP’s Community Retrofit House

The second session zoomed in on three key areas of interest for many homeowners: insulation, glazing and ventilation. We started by taking a deep dive into the key considerations when choosing insulation, including property age and compatible materials, roof and wall construction, and the costs and potential savings of different approaches.  

We then heard from an architect’s perspective, with Jacob Kelly an Architectural Designer from fromthegroundup studio, sharing expert insights into insulation targets and continuity, mitigating heat loss, airtightness and ventilation, glazing, alterations and extensions, and the permissions that may be required. This included considerations such as planning permission, party wall notices, building control, and the roles of principal designers and contractors. 

The session then moved into a Question and Answer session, covering questions submitted by attendees ahead of time and allowing us to focus on the priorities and areas of interest raised by the audience. We closed by giving attendees a digital Home Insulation Pocket Guide to take away and use as a practical reference. 

What’s coming up? 

Our next webinar, ‘Low Carbon and Renewable Technologies’, takes place on Wednesday 23rd September, 18:30–20:00. The online session will explore heating and renewable energy systems, including heat pumps, solar panels, batteries and other solutions that can complement a fabric-first approach. 

An expert solar installer will share guidance on compatibility, advances in technology, installation, maintenance and more, helping homeowners understand the options available and what to consider when planning their next steps. Sign up here. 

We’ll also be in Derby on Saturday 10th October (10am-12pm) for an in-person ‘Home Energy & Retrofit Advice Event’. The event will cover insulation methods, heat pumps and solar panels, with impartial guidance from retrofit experts and installers. Get more info here. We’ll also be in Derbyshire in the Hope Valley on Saturday 31st October 10am-12pm for a ‘Home Improvements Event’ in collaboration with Hope Valley Climate Action Group. 

We have more events to be announced soon across Nottinghamshire – keep your eyes peeled Gedling, City and Rushcliffe residents! In the meantime, check out our workshops and events page or follow our Facebook , Instagram or LinkedIn for the latest updates.

Why join one of our sessions? 

Attendees have given us great feedback, with 89.2% rating our sessions “Very Good” or “Excellent”. Recent webinars have been particularly praised for the clear case study walkthrough, as well as information on grants and Future-Fit Home Energy Plans. One attendee described the sessions as a “comprehensive one stop shop of advice”, while another said we “made it very easy to understand” and were “very approachable for questions.” 

Our sessions are completely free, so if you’re considering a retrofit now or in the future, come along and find out more. Retrofit can be tricky to navigate, particularly for older properties that may be less energy efficient, located in conservation areas or have more complex building types. Our sessions provide practical, impartial insights to help make the journey easier and give you greater confidence in your next steps. 

If you’re unable to attend a session, we also offer tailored Future-Fit Home Energy Plans for homeowners in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. These provide a staged plan for home improvements, based on an in-depth retrofit assessment of your home. Find out more and sign up here. 

Our team is also on hand to answer your questions, whether you need advice on your retrofit objectives, accessing grants, trusted installer referrals or more. You can get in touch at HEAThub@nottenergy.com or on 0115 985 3000.