Portsmouth City Council: Switched On Portsmouth

Switched On Portsmouth was launched in November 2019 by Portsmouth City Council to provide a comprehensive service to offer Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant residents ways in which they can save energy and money in their homes.


About Switched On Portsmouth

Switched On Portsmouth was launched in November 2019 by Portsmouth City Council to provide a comprehensive service to offer Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant residents ways in which they can save energy and money in their homes. The Switched On brand and website has been built upon work already being undertaken by the Housing, Neighbourhood and Buildings department to scale up the work being done to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency. 

Our services are always evolving; we have expanded our team, have invested in training and sourced new schemes and pots of funding in order to be able to provide a holistic service for our most vulnerable residents. We offer a combination of expert money and energy saving advice, as well as in-depth support and free energy saving measures. Every aspect of our work is focused on bringing real savings and innovations to local residents to help them reduce their fuel bills, lower their carbon footprint, and to ensure they can afford to stay safe and warm at home.


How we help

Energy and Money saving Service

We work closely with the Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP) to offer eligible residents a completely FREE energy and money saving service.

During the free home visit, residents will benefit from expert advice and free small energy saving measures, with onwards referrals for income maximisation and larger projects.

First Time Gas Central Heating

Eligible residents can receive a fully funded gas central heating system where they are currently heating their home using other expensive methods.

The scheme funds up to £6000 worth of works with no cost to the household; including all equipment and gas connections, if required.

Emergency Boiler Replacement

During the winter months, eligible owner occupiers can benefit from a free boiler repair or replacement when their gas boiler breaks down or is condemned. To provide extra support during the Covid-19 pandemic it is also available over summer 2020.

New, highly efficient replacement installations, or repairs, will be completed within 10 working days from survey.

Support

We provide online resources through Switched On Portsmouth, and provide direct support to households over the phone. We also attend community events, and deliver training and support to local charities.

Switch Energy Supplier

We offer a simple energy switching service to help residents save money on energy bills. It's quick and easy to compare suppliers and tariffs to ensure that households are only paying what they need to when it comes to their energy bills.

Coronavirus support

The coronavirus crisis meant Switched On Portsmouth moving operations to remote working, however the service remained uninterrupted, and was able to bring new support forward. Concise information and advice, promoted through the website, was visited 3,500 times by those looking for support.

By securing Energy Redress funding, and forging links with charity the Environment Centre, meant that when the coronavirus crisis lead to homes being locked down, prepayment meter top-ups were able to be made available to vulnerable households who could not otherwise afford energy for their homes. Over £3,000 was provided to 94 households in crisis during this time, allowing people to top up their meters. This efficient allocation of funding to those most in need meant that the council was in a position to successfully bid for more external funding when it was made available. The efforts of the team has meant that no home in the city has had to go without gas and electricity during this time, either because they are unable to leave their homes, or afford to top up their meter.


Our impact

  • 18,000+ page views for Switched On Portsmouth online
  • 465 home energy advice visits completed
  • 137 free gas central heating systems installed
  • Total savings to residents of £818,844.20
  • 23 free white goods allocated

Future aims

In March 2020, Portsmouth City Council approved a Home Energy and Water Strategy to focus out ambitions for reaching every household in the city. The strategy aims to build upon the platform laid by the ongoing fuel poverty work to create an offer for all households, whilst continuing to support those most in need.

We are excited that in only a few short months since the publication of the strategy, we have already begun to expand our services, finding funding to support projects which align to its aims. Key themes of the strategy and action plan includes providing additional support for fuel poverty and bringing innovation to the work we do; as well as the provision of help and advice to every household in the city.


Read the full 2019-2020 Impact Report