A local energy advice charity aims to spread knowledge, skills and confidence to the people of Derbyshire!  

Free training in home energy efficiency skills to NVQ3, gas safety and carbon monoxide advice with free alarms, and free energy surveys of your home are now available through an established regional charity Marches Energy Agency (MEA). 
 

Building Confidence

MEA have recently launched an ‘Accessible Retrofit’ project. With the strapline ‘From £100–£10,000+, we’ll help find the best retrofit solutions for you’  its designed to support Derbyshire residents who fall ‘in the gap’. Or as Rob Narraway, retrofit assessor at MEA, explains 

“those who aren’t eligible for grant-funded retrofit schemes (or who technically qualify but are unable to access funding in practice) but don’t have the cash to afford expensive home improvements. Our mission is to help households who may not be able to fully self-fund deep retrofit works to take meaningful steps to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of their homes.”

Around 20% of Britain’s carbon emissions come from powering our homes. Finding ways to reduce wasted energy and to move to cleaner electricity makes sense from every angle – we’re warmer, with lower bills, we make a small but important contribution to avoiding catastrophic climate change, and we set an example for others to follow. 

As part of this work MEA will be running regular drop-ins across the county, and will be at Crich Share & Repair Café at Crich Glebe Community Centre, 10-1pm on Saturday, 13th September 2025. An advisor will be on hand to discuss your thoughts and issues, book you in for a home visit or technical survey.

Energy advisor Pete Burgess-Allen said “We aim to provide clear, actionable recommendations in line with peoples’ budget, timescale and DIY confidence. We hope to announce some workshops soon, and can also help residents connect with trusted installers and access green finance options where needed.”
 

Skills in the Community

MEA are also keen to skill up enthusiastic local residents to fit low-cost energy-saving measures in their communities and to confidently give good advice to reduce energy bills. Training may involve shadowing experienced Energy Advisors on home visits, and could lead to a formal NVQ qualification. 

 “Working with local environment groups such as Transition Crich we hope to equip competent local experts with the skills to tackle cold homes – a major cause of ill-health - and build resilience in their neighbourhoods. 

Advice and Support

“We will also be running a series of advice sessions on gas and carbon monoxide safety, and can advise on grants for insulation, low-carbon heating, and help with billing issues”. 

To keep up-to-date with future workshops and training, as well as local climate and environment events, sign up to the monthly e-newsletter by emailing ‘please add me to the mail list’ to ccan@mea.org.uk. 

If you’re interested in a home energy survey, or the training possibilities and would like more information, please contact wdd@mea.org.uk 0800 6771332 or come along to Crich Share & Repair Café on 13th September at Crich Glebe Community Centre, Glebe Field Close, Crich Matlock, DE4 5EU.