Bridget* received help through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, which supported people experiencing fuel poverty to receive energy efficiency improvements to their homes. These installations were intended to make their homes cheaper and easier to heat, saving them energy and money in the long-term. However, just after Bridget’s new heating system was installed – which included insulation, solar panels, a heat pump, and a hot water cylinder – the ECO scheme ended, and so did the support from the installation company as it ceased trading in January 2026.

Installation didn’t meet expected standards

After weeks of what Bridget described as a ‘chaotic’ installation – where her home needed replastering and the installers left behind broken equipment – Bridget was keen to use and enjoy the benefits of her new heating system.

But Bridget had been left in an even worse situation than before the installation. She now had a new heating system that was confusing to understand, two faulty solar panels that should have been removed from her property, radiators that only seemed to work in the rooms she used the least often, leaving other rooms cold and uncomfortable, and a new smart meter installed near the ceiling, which wasn’t automatically submitting readings due to connectivity issues and, because of its location, was impossible for Bridget to safely read.

Bridget was relieved to find support through the Centre for Sustainable Energy

Frustrated, Bridget reached out to the company that managed the installation but was unable to receive further support due to the fact they had ceased trading. Unsure of who to turn to, Bridget spent many hours on the phone until she came across the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE). After an initial call, one of our energy advisors Paul plus a volunteer Hester, arranged a home visit so they could look at the problems Bridget was facing.

Paul was able to solve some of these immediately. He arranged for someone to collect the faulty solar panels and was able to take a meter reading to submit to Bridget’s energy supplier. To help Bridget make sense of how her new system worked as a whole, Paul arranged for a mechanical engineer with specialist knowledge of her specific model to visit and explain. And, after assessing Bridget’s radiators, Paul realised the thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) that controlled the flow of heat to the radiators were broken. These were smart TRVs that were meant to make it easier for Bridget to adjust heat by room, but regardless of the setting, they provided either full or no heat. The engineer also fixed these when they visited.

Bridget told us, ‘I didn’t have the perseverance to keep going and I felt defeated and I didn’t know who to contact.’ She was incredibly grateful that Paul was able to contact all the relevant people on her behalf.

Installation isn’t enough – people need sustained support

Bridget said that ‘Paul was as helpful as he could be with the knowledge he had but if he needed help to understand, how was I meant to figure it out?’ The installer had handed her a booklet but never verbally explained any instructions and didn’t stay to answer any questions. The burden for figuring it out was left to Bridget.

This is why CSE’s Smart Energy Action Plan (SMEAP) project, which addresses the need for further support after installation, is so important. A new heating system is only effective if the person receiving it is confident in using it. Otherwise, people can easily be placed in a worse situation, going from using their heating inefficiently to being unsure of how to use it at all.

Ongoing support from CSE

Bridget also explained that Paul went ‘beyond the pale of duty’ to help her, even visiting her home for a second time to take a meter reading, sign Bridget up for a solar tariff – so she could receive payments, which she could monitor on an app to view her solar output – and to generally check in. Although there are still a few issues left, she praises how ‘on the ball’ Paul has been and is grateful for the fact that ‘he has the knowledge and confidence and he doesn’t take any nonsense’ from the installers or energy companies.

Paul is continuing to fight for Bridget to have a different smart meter installed, concerned by how dangerous it is to have one so close to the ceiling, which Bridget had previously attempted to reach by balancing on a stool. But this is a battle Bridget is convinced he will win for her.

*Name changed for privacy.