Suffolk residents can now borrow thermal cameras from their local library for free

Over the last few years, Sustainable Suffolk have loaned out thermal cameras to community groups for free through their project called Keep the Heat. The thermal images taken by these community volunteers revealed where heat was escaping from people’s homes and businesses, making buildings cold, increasing energy bills and emitting wasted carbon into the atmosphere.

Equipped with information on how home and building owners can stop the leaks, the Keep the Heat volunteers have helped people to take action to stay warmer, lower their bills and their carbon footprint. Since 2022, over 153 community groups have taken part in Keep the Heat, surveying almost 2,000 homes across Suffolk.

Thanks to the success of Keep the Heat and the desire from residents for more ways to take part, people in Suffolk can now borrow a thermal camera themselves from their local library for free. This collaboration with Suffolk Community Libraries gives anyone over 18 with a library card the opportunity to take thermal images of their own home.

To take part:

1. Sign up for a library card, if you don’t already have one. Suffolk library cards are free, simply sign up on the website or ask at your local library.
2. If you live in or around Ipswich, you can collect a camera by visiting Ipswich County Library. If you live outside of Ipswich, you can book a camera online, just as you would reserve a book and it’ll make its way to your local library for you to collect.
3. Take your pictures. The cameras are straightforward to use, and all come with a handy step-by-step guide.
4. Return the camera to the library so someone else can borrow it.

There is no obligation to make your home more energy efficient if you borrow one of the thermal cameras. However, Sustainable Suffolk offer lots of free advice on quick and easy ways to ‘plug’ the leaks that you can do yourself such as draft excluders and thermal curtain linings. They also provide a booklet that highlights grants and support available to Suffolk residents for bigger improvements, such as thicker loft insulation.

Mr & Mrs Bridges, previous participants of the project, said:

“We were fairly confident it wouldn’t reveal anything too drastic, but when we saw the front door a glaring red, we could see just how much heat we were losing. Thermal curtains were an easy, inexpensive solution and we noticed an immediate improvement.”

Councillor Gerald Kelly, Chair of the Suffolk Councils’ Environment Portfolio Holders’ Group, said:

“I am delighted that our Keep the Heat project is now expanding through our collaboration with Suffolk Community Libraries. The project’s earlier phases have been hugely successful, and this new partnership means we can go a step further in allowing anyone in Suffolk to get involved. These simple tools give Suffolk residents and businesses a snapshot into exactly where they are losing heat which will be different for every building and an invaluable step in taking practical action. We want everyone to have the ability to keep the heat they generate inside their homes, keeping their families warm and their carbon emissions down. This project is a great example of how taking action for the climate also benefits our health and our wallets.”

Krystal Vittles, Head of Library Service for Suffolk Community Libraries, said:

“We’re delighted to be working with Sustainable Suffolk to make this technology available to our customers. Tackling climate change and helping local people with the cost of living are both key priorities for our library service. We hope people will make the most of these cameras to help them find the hot spots in their home.”

The Keep the Heat project is funded by the Suffolk Climate Change Partnership (a member of Sustainable Suffolk) and contributes to delivery of the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan.