Lower bills, greener homes: how Nest is keeping Wales cosy

No one in Wales should have to live in a cold home. But with the cost of living on the rise, some households find it a challenge to cover their heating bills.

The Nest scheme is dedicated to making homes more energy-efficient, helping to bring costs down. As well as giving energy advice to anyone who needs it, it can arrange home improvements such as better insulation, a new boiler or rooftop solar panels – free of charge to those who need them most.

Since 2011, the programme has upgraded more than 60,000 Welsh homes. It’s open to both homeowners and private tenants, provided they’re on a low income or receiving a means-tested benefit. Homes are eligible for improvement if they have a poor energy performance rating, or at least one resident with a chronic health condition.

Back in the warmth

Although anyone can apply to Nest for help, it also works with trusted partners. In a crisis situation, they can move quickly – such as when someone is left without heating and hot water.

Care & Repair Cymru is a charity that helps older people keep on living independently at home. When it was alerted to an 82-year-old Pembrokeshire man left without heating after a boiler failure, an engineer was sent to the property within hours. And thanks to Nest, an efficient new boiler was up and running at the house within three days.

Iwan Davies, home energy officer at West Wales Care & Repair, says: “The customer lives alone, has complex health conditions, and is on a low income – he wasn’t able to pay for a plumber. He’d been without hot water for almost a month.

“His daughter got in touch with us, and we made a crisis referral to Nest. The engineer immediately assessed that a new boiler was needed. He could then replace the broken 14-year-old model with a new A-rated combi boiler.”

On top of providing a cosy home, the new heating system had a big impact on the householder’s quality of life. Iwan says: “He has significant mobility issues, so he isn’t able to access the upstairs rooms of his house – and this is the only space where a boiler could be fitted.

“With the new one, he has a remote control for the thermostat, and can operate the heating from downstairs. He now has control over his heating and how warm he wants his home. Before, he had to ring his daughter and ask her to come over if he wanted it on for an hour or so.”

Heat from the sun

Two weeks after the boiler was fitted, a Nest engineer paid a return visit to carry out a full energy assessment. This showed that the householder qualified for more free improvements. Soon afterwards, Nest arranged for rooftop solar panels to be installed, linked to a storage battery at the back of the house.

He says: “The solar panels and battery have already helped save on my bills. It’s unbelievable what has been done, and all within a month of phoning Nest. It’s life changing. I would never have been able to afford everything that has been put in.”

All in all, the improvements will save £825 per year on the household’s energy bills, as estimated by the Energy Saving Trust. The efficiency of the new boiler, plus the addition of solar power in the household energy mix, will also lower the carbon emissions linked to heating the house.

With tens of thousands of homes already supported, and a focus on low-carbon technologies, Nest is playing a vital role in tackling fuel poverty and improving people’s health and wellbeing. All the while, it’s helping Wales meet its ambition to reach net zero by 2050.

Find out more

Anyone in Wales can call Nest for impartial energy and money-saving advice. You can call free on 0808 808 2244 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) or request a callback from one of Nest’s expert advisors.

They can provide tips on finding the best energy and water tariff for your home, installing your own energy-efficient technology, and many other ways to boost your household income while lowering your carbon footprint.

There’s information online about which households are eligible for free home energy efficiency improvements from Nest.

Even if you don’t qualify, you may still be eligible for other programmes such as Green Homes Wales, Great British Insulation Scheme, Connected for Warmth and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Nest’s advisors will be happy to help you find the right scheme for your needs.