The things people usually ask us

Energy Confidence Dorset is a free service for older people in North, South and West Dorset. A trained energy adviser from Age UK North, South & West Dorset helps you keep your home warm, understand your bills, and make sure you are not paying more than you need to.

It runs for 18 months from autumn 2026 and is delivered by Age UK North, South & West Dorset, working with LDS Consultancy, a technology firm based in the South West.

No. Everything is free: the advice, the home visit, and any small improvements our handyperson fits. Nobody will ever ask you for money or bank details.

Older people living in North, South and West Dorset, including Dorchester, Weymouth, Portland, Bridport, Sherborne, Blandford, Gillingham, Shaftesbury and the villages around them.

You do not need to be on benefits, and you do not need to be an Age UK client already. If you are not sure whether you qualify, please call and ask. If you are worried about an older relative, friend or neighbour, you can call on their behalf.

No. We are not an energy company, and we do not sell anything. We will never ask you to sign up to a supplier, buy a product, or hand over card or bank details.

If anyone contacts you claiming to be from Energy Confidence and asks for money, put the phone down or close the door, and call us on the number on this website to check.

No. Energy Confidence Dorset is independent of all energy suppliers. Our advisers can help you understand your bills and talk through your options, and can help you get in touch with your supplier if something needs sorting out.

It depends on what would make the biggest difference for you. Most people get some or all of the following:

• A friendly chat by phone about your heating, your bills and any worries.
• A home visit from a qualified energy adviser, who will look at how your home is heated and suggest simple changes.
• Small improvements fitted for free by our handyperson, such as draught-proofing, radiator valves and low-energy light bulbs.
• Help checking whether you are entitled to extra support, such as Pension Credit or the Warm Home Discount.
• Help getting in touch with your energy supplier if something needs sorting out.

An adviser will arrange a time that suits you and come to your home. They will carry Age UK identification, and you are welcome to call us to check before you let them in.

The visit usually takes about an hour. The adviser will look at your heating controls, windows, doors and lighting, talk through how you use your heating, and suggest simple changes. If small improvements would help, they can arrange for our handyperson to fit them on a later visit. Nothing is done without your say so.

Yes. Plenty of people prefer to talk on the phone, and we also hold advice appointments at Age UK offices and community venues around the area. Just tell us what you would prefer when you call.

Yes. Our energy advisers hold, or are completing, the City & Guilds Level 3 qualification in energy advice, and all staff who visit homes are DBS checked and trained in safeguarding.

Not at all. Everything can be done by landline telephone, by post or in person. This website is here for anyone who finds it useful, but nobody needs it to get help.

No. You can get advice and a home visit whether or not you have a smart meter.

If you do have one, there is an extra option. With your written consent, and only with it, our adviser can look at how much energy your home uses over time. That helps them spot if your home seems to be running colder than it should, and lets them check in with you rather than waiting for you to call. It is entirely your choice, and you can change your mind at any time.

No, never. We can only see your meter readings if you have signed a consent form agreeing to it. The form says exactly what we will look at, what it is for, and how to stop. Nothing is switched on until you have signed, and you can withdraw your consent at any time by phone or in writing.

Age UK North, South & West Dorset looks after your details in the same careful way it does for all its services. Your information is only used to give you energy advice and to show how well the service is working.

If you agree to smart meter monitoring, your meter readings are collected through a secure, regulated service and stored on computers in the United Kingdom. They are never sold, never shared with your energy supplier without your permission, and never used to make decisions about benefits or care.

You can ask to see what we hold, ask us to correct it, or ask us to stop, at any time. There is more on our privacy page.

Yes. Just call or write to us and we will stop. If you had agreed to smart meter monitoring, we switch it off and confirm to you in writing that it has stopped.

We ask a few questions when you join and again later on, about how warm your home feels and how confident you are with your heating and bills. It takes a few minutes, the adviser can do it with you, and it helps us show whether the service is really making a difference. It also helps other charities learn from what works.

The easiest way is to phone. The number is at the top of every page. You can also email hello@energy-confidence.co.uk, or write to Age UK North, South & West Dorset, Units 1 and 2, 5 Crown Square, Dorchester, DT1 3EN.

If you have no heating or hot water and you are cold, please tell us straight away when you call and we will treat it as urgent. If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999 immediately. If you feel unwell because of the cold, call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.