Residents in Havering are being offered the chance to borrow thermal imaging cameras to help reduce energy bills and keep warm this winter (January to March 2026).
The thermal cameras, available free from borough libraries, will help identify where heat is escaping from homes and could highlight areas of poor insulation, draughts, or damp.
By simply using the camera, along with the instructions included, it will help residents to view their properties through a variety of colours that signify cold spots in blue and warmer areas in yellow.
After identifying heat loss, they can then act to help improve comfort, cut energy bills, and reduce carbon emissions, by making improvements such as draught-proofing or professional insulation fixes.
To borrow a thermal imaging camera:
- visit a library with your valid library card or sign up if not already a member, to borrow a camera for up to three weeks (one camera is available per library)
- you must have no outstanding library fines or a history of lost items and be over 18 years old
- you will need to sign a borrowing agreement (fines apply if camera is lost or broken)
Councillor Natasha Summers, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Housing Need, Havering Council, said:
“With the cost of heating our homes throughout winter having risen sharply over the past few years, the Council is always looking at new ways to support residents to reduce bills and cut emissions.
“The thermal imaging cameras will help residents work out where homes are losing heat and highlight where energy saving measures could be made.
"Simple inexpensive insulations or draught proofing can be really useful and result in ongoing savings over the long term."