Rugby residents invited to free evening on cutting energy bills

Rugby residents can get free, practical advice on lowering their energy bills and modernising their heating at a community event later this month.

Chris Knowles, Operations Director at Custom Heat & Cool, will be answering residents’ questions on heat pumps at Get to Know Your Energy. | Custom Heat and Cool

placeholder image — Chris Knowles, Operations Director at Custom Heat & Cool, will be answering residents’ questions on heat pumps at Get to Know Your Energy. | Custom Heat and Cool

The evening, Get to Know Your Energy, is organised by Rugby Community Energy, part of Rugby Eco Hub, a local charity that also runs a repair cafe, a community garden and a library of things. The aim is to give residents trustworthy advice in one place.

Local installers will each cover a different technology, so visitors can ask about heat pumps and Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants. There will also be talks through the evening.

Local firm Custom Heat & Cool will be one of the businesses there, covering heat pumps and renewable heating. Operations Director Chris Knowles will give a talk, and his team will be on hand to answer residents’ questions.

The company’s engineers install heat pumps as well as boilers. Its apprentices learn heat pump and smart heating technology from the start of their training.

Mr Knowles said: “A lot of people have heard about heat pumps but don’t know if one would work in their home. There’s so much information out there that it’s hard to know what to trust.

“The honest answer is that it depends on the house. Some homes are ready now. Others need better insulation or bigger radiators first, and that’s worth knowing before you spend any money. Grants can help with the cost, but it pays to understand what your home needs first.

“We’d much rather people came and asked us those questions in person. We’re a Rugby business, and a lot of the people coming along will be our neighbours. It’s great that the Eco Hub is bringing everyone together in one room.”

Get to Know Your Energy takes place on Monday 23 November from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Rugby Eco Hub, 43 Clifton Road, Rugby, CV21 3QE. Everyone is welcome. Tickets are free and can be booked at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/get-to-know-your-energy-tickets-2002809936434. Drop-ins are also welcome.

Custom Heat & Cool is a family-run business founded in Rugby in 1980. It employs around 70 people across the Midlands and South West and is the UK’s biggest Worcester Bosch installer.