A warm home, a clearer bill, and someone to ask.
Energy Confidence Dorset is a free home energy support service from Age UK North, South & West Dorset. A qualified energy support worker can visit your home, talk things through on the phone, and fit small improvements that make a real difference. There is nothing to buy, and nothing happens without your say so.
Delivered by 
Three simple steps
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You get in touch
Phone us, or ask a relative, friend or carer to phone for you. We will have a friendly chat about your home, your heating and anything that is worrying you. We will check you have a smart meter, and help you get one if you do not.
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An energy support worker visits, if you would like one to
They come to your home at a time that suits you, carrying identification. They look at how your home is heated and suggest simple, practical changes.
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We help put things right
Our handyperson can fit draught-proofing, radiator valves and low-energy bulbs for free. We can also tell you about other support that exists and put you in touch with the right team at Age UK.
Practical help, not a sales pitch
- Keeping warm for less Simple ways to keep warm in the rooms you use, without wasting money heating the ones you do not.
- Understanding your heating and energy bills What the numbers mean, how tariffs and standing charges work, and who to go to if something looks wrong.
- Small improvements, fitted free Draught-proofing, radiator valves and low-energy bulbs from our handyperson service.
- Support you may be missing Telling you about Pension Credit, the Warm Home Discount, the Winter Fuel Payment and other help, and putting you in touch with the team who handle it.
- Dealing with your supplier Help getting through to the right person and getting a problem sorted out.
- An extra eye on your home With the consent form you sign when you join, we use your smart meter readings to notice if your home seems colder than it should be, and check in with you. Nothing is read until you have signed. You need a smart meter to take part, and we can help you get one.
Why we are doing this
Every winter, older people across Dorset turn the heating down, or off, because they are worried about the cost. Cold homes make people ill, and a confusing bill can be as frightening as a big one. We think the answer is not a leaflet. It is a person you can talk to, who knows what they are doing, and who will come back.
Energy Confidence Dorset runs for 18 months from autumn 2026. Over that time we aim to visit hundreds of homes across North, South and West Dorset, fit small improvements wherever they will help, and give every household we work with the confidence to run their heating without fear.
We are also doing something that few services of this kind have done before. With the written consent of the people we help, we are measuring whether the help actually works, using real energy use before and after, adjusted for the weather. That tells us honestly what helps and what does not, and we will share what we learn with other charities so that older people everywhere benefit.
Wellbeing first, energy second. If the numbers ever suggest someone is going cold, a person picks up the phone. The principle behind the service
What we are aiming for
- 350 home visits by a qualified energy support worker
- 100 homes fitted with free draught-proofing and other small measures
- 300 households with smart meter monitoring, with their signed consent, and a check-in if something looks wrong
- 18 months, from autumn 2026 to spring 2028
Energy support across North, South and West Dorset
We cover the towns below and the villages around them, from the coast to the Blackmore Vale. If you live in Dorset and are not sure whether we cover your area, phone and ask.
- Dorchester
- Weymouth
- Portland
- Bridport
- Lyme Regis
- Beaminster
- Sherborne
- Blandford Forum
- Gillingham
- Shaftesbury
- Sturminster Newton
- Wareham
A local charity and a local technology partner
Age UK North, South & West Dorset
The charity that runs the service. Age UK NSWD has supported older people in Dorset for decades, from home support and handyperson services to footcare and dementia support. Its energy support workers deliver every visit, call and appointment. Registered charity 1142519.
LDS Consultancy
The technology partner. LDS built and runs the secure system that, with permission, reads smart meter data and shows energy support workers where a home may need attention. All data stays in the United Kingdom, under the charity's control.
Not sure if it is for you? Call and ask.
There is no form to fill in and no catch. If you are an older person in North, South or West Dorset, or you are worried about someone who is, we would like to hear from you.
How to get in touch