What our Green Doctors do
Green Doctors are our energy efficient experts working hard to provide free one-to-one advice to individuals struggling to heat their homes. They can visit people in their homes to carry out a range of energy efficiency measures, such as re-programming boilers, to help people save money and energy, as well as signposting to other organisations and services that can provide support and assistance across a range of different issues and concerns.
Meet some of our brilliant Green Doctors!
My name is Terence, I’m a Senior Green Doctor for Groundwork East. I’ve had the privilege of being a Green Doctor for Groundwork UK and Groundwork Thames Valley as well.
Hi I’m Christian and I’m a Green Doctor at Groundwork East. I started in July 2023, and Essex, Braintree, Colchester and Tendring.
I’m Andy. I’m a Green Doctor at Groundwork. I’ve been in the role for over six months now, starting in Summer last year, and initiating visits since July.
At the end of last year, we interviewed some of our Green Doctors working across the East of England, to hear their thoughts on what they do.
This week will be a focus on the bigger picture, where our Green Doctors discussed current circumstances across the region, leading to many people being concerned about energy consumption, which can make a Green Doctor visit a vitally important service to many people, most especially for people facing fuel poverty. We have also shared details on how to get in touch to find out more further down.
What does a Green Doctor do, why are they needed?
Terence
“Well, you can appreciate when I say that with the situation of the whole country at the moment, many people are finding themselves in hardship. There is a lot of debt out there, and some residents that I meet say they are having to choose between heating or eating. So I would say that’s a key factor in why we’re needed. What we do initially all depends on the resident’s concerns and situation, because we will carry out a phone call consultation with them, and we would then assess their needs. Whether it’s a case of it could be a benefit check, it could be they have a dispute with their energy supplier, maybe the cavity walls aren’t insulated, or the loft doesn’t have adequate insulation in there, we can then signpost to government grants. We can help you check if you are eligible, and if you can have energy efficient measures carried out in your home, as well”
Andy
“Green Doctors like myself can offer tailored advice to residents, where we can look at existing energy usage habits, to help bring about behavioral change. We offer advice about how best to use the energy that’s supplied to resident’s homes, but also advice and guidance on how to save money, by providing energy saving measures that we can install, often there and then, to help keep resident’s homes warm and energy efficient. We are needed more so now than ever really, due to the increase in gas and energy prices. There are more people suffering from the effects of rising energy prices, which is also having a knock on effect on their wellbeing, including physical and mental health. Our Green Doctor service is really in demand right now, and we can play an essential part in making sure that our communities are warm”
What does fuel poverty look like?
(People who are in fuel poverty are officially defined as those who spend 10% or more of their income on fuel)
Christian
“It can look like people sitting in their homes with a coat on throughout the day, it can looks like damp or mold on bedroom walls, or any other walls, in many different kinds of shared living spaces. It also looks like an explosion of debt, and there are many, many households that are really struggling with energy debt at the moment. But fuel poverty can also look like increases in different kinds of health issues from respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), asthma, to even heart conditions, everything in between. So it’s not a very nice picture at all”
Andy
“Fuel poverty can look like a lot of different things and it can manifest in a in a lot of different ways. Many people might not realise that they’re in fuel poverty, so they might continue to be living, as they would if they weren’t in fuel poverty, but in actual fact, they are spending far more than perhaps they should be on their energy. For other people, it can really look like that perhaps they’re incredibly worried about the amount of energy that they’re using, so they end up completely cutting off using any energy, because they’re so worried about the prices at the end of the month. So that can manifest in extremely cold homes, with damp or mold problems, which can lead to other physical health problems and breathing difficulties, because of the lack of heating in the home. So there’s not one standard picture or case study for fuel poverty, it can manifest in lots of different ways depending on the household”
Who is eligible for support from Green Doctors, how do you know if you are, and how do you find out more about a Green Doctor visit?
Terence
“We have a website, and our referral form, where people can get in touch to find out more about us, and if they’re eligible. But in a nutshell, the people we can support are:
- People living on a low income
- People living in debt
- People with severe mental illness
- People with dementia
- Young people and families containing children under the age of 5 (especially single parents)
- Pregnant women
- People aged over 65
- People with health issues e.g. cardiovascular or respiratory illnesses that would be affected by a cold home
- People with disabilities
- People in emergency accommodation
- People living in poor housing conditions
Andy
“You can get hold of your local Green Doctor directly (during office hours) if you have questions on the numbers listed. You can also contact your local council, for example, I know that in Norwich, we are part of a wider referral service so other charitable organisations can refer individuals on to us”
Details for contacting our Green Doctors (office hours)
Terence
Covering Bedfordshire
07736 133149
Christian
Covering Essex
07736 134119
Andy
Covering Norwich
07736 132293
You can find out more about how our Green Doctors can help, and make a referral, on our website