Households in Birmingham have got warmer thanks to Birmingham’s Green Doctor service.

More than 400 lower-income households across Birmingham have benefited from a home energy health check from a team of green doctors, in a bid to help people who are at risk of fuel poverty to save money by giving them energy-saving advice.

The green doctors also helped residents by installing energy-saving devices, such as draught-proofing, energy-saving lightbulbs and water-saving hippo bags for toilets, free of charge, to help people save money.

Mohammed Nasim, Family's Green Doctor helps residents cut down on fuel bills.

We worked in partnership with Moseley Community Development Trust and Groundwork West Midlands to deliver the project. The scheme was funded by Be Birmingham’s Working Neighborhoods Fund (WNF) and the European Union Social Fund.

By working closely with Groundwork’s Green Doctors, the free service, which we led, was available throughout 2009 to 2011 to vulnerable residents. People eligible for the service included those aged over 60, in receipt of benefits, with a disability or ill health, or others believed to be in fuel poverty. It involved energy-saving experts assessing properties and giving residents tips to keep warm, save money on gas and electricity bills, reduce energy usage and save the environment.

A survey has shown that since they received their green doctor visits, around two-thirds of households have felt warmer in their homes. And it has been calculated that thanks to the changes made to these homes as well as the energy-saving tips that have been put into practice by residents, Birmingham has benefited from a reduction of around 173 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. This is the equivalent of the amount of energy needed to fill more than 17 million party balloons – surely more than enough to fill The Bullring?