Summer is not normally the time of year we think about making our homes all cosy, warm and more energy efficient. But it's a really good time to think ahead to ensure that as the colder months approach, our homes are damp and draught free. Having a well-insulated, warm, energy efficient home has such a positive impact on people's physical health, mental well-being and it can lead to lower household bills and a reduction in our carbon footprint.

The Healthy Homes team are running a series of events and webinars over the upcoming months as part of the Healthy Homes Project, which is a partnership between Frome Town Council, Frome Medical Practice, and the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), as part of the two-year National Lottery funded Green and Healthy Future programme. The events will help people to understand their home energy and discover the support that is available to ensure a healthy home.

To kick things off, the team will be hosting a series of free, drop-in energy advice sessions with CSE. The sessions will be held centrally at the Boyle Cross, from 9am - 1pm, with the first session on Wednesday 7th July. Whether you have questions about lowering your energy bills, moving to low carbon heating, home insulation or dealing with energy debt, the team will be there to help. Drop by for a one-on-one discussion with one of CSE's trained energy advisers or pick up some of CSE's helpful short guides.

If you're not able to make that, there are several other sessions planned:

4th August

1stth September

22nd September

20th October

Cllr Rob Collet adds: "If you see the team at Boyle Cross, have a chat and get some free advice on how to make your home as energy efficient as possible. They will have lots of interesting facts and plenty of ideas on the support that can be accessed which can make for a warm and healthy home but also reduce our carbon emissions – which is a win win."

The team are also hosting a series of free online webinars:

Heating your Home, Thursday 15th July 5:30 – 6:30pm

This online session will provide an overview of both traditional and low carbon heating options for your home. It will also cover funding available to install a new heating system or upgrade inefficient or broken boilers.

To register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/159876891085

Retrofitting Your Home, Thursday 26th August 5:30 – 6:30pm

Want to know how you can make your home more energy efficient, or planning some home repairs? This online session will introduce the principles of responsible retrofit and the whole house approach. We will look at what should be considered when planning energy efficient improvements and the suitability of different measures. There will also be information on funding and how to access further advice and support.

To secure your place, please register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/159963331631

Future webinars will look at heat pumps, the Warm Home Discount scheme and switching, keep an eye on the Healthy Homes page on Frome Town Council's website for further details.