Useful Information

Buy with Confidence Search Engine organised by Trading Standards and involves a vetting process for everyone listed on the site.

Which Trusted Trader Scheme a list of accreditation or registration schemes for contractors.

The Licence Plus Scheme provides a key route in supporting TrustMark Registered Businesses to engage in a transitional adoption of fabric-first, whole house retrofit.

Gas Safe Register provides a list of all gas businesses and their engineers who can help you fit/repair new boilers.

The Get a Heat Pump website is a valuable resource for homeowners thinking about low-carbon heating solutions. Developed by the MCS Foundation and backed by Nesta and the Energy Saving Trust, it includes advice on choosing heat pumps, cost breakdowns, personalised guidance, stories from homeowners, and a directory of certified installers.

Stop Loan Sharks (The England Illegal Money Lending Team) investigate and prosecute loan sharks and illegal money lenders while also offering support to those who have borrowed money from a loan shark. Find out more on their website about illegal lending and how to report a Loan Shark.

The Financial Conduct Authority has database information on all people or businesses that legally lend you money in the UK.

The Money Advice Service offers free and impartial money advice, set up by the Government. Their service offers advice and guides to help improve finances, tools and calculators to help keep track and plan ahead as well as support over the phone and online.

MSE’s Academy of Money – The Open University and Money Saving Expert have joined forces to offer a free online course covering key areas of personal finance such as tax, savings, pensions, and mortgages.

Mental Health & Money Advice is the first UK-wide online advice service designed to help you understand, manage and improve your financial and mental health. Their service offers combined support on Managing Money and Mental Health Care. For more information, please see the Mental Health & Money Toolkit. 

Money Helper – Whether you’re worried about rising rents, covering higher energy costs, or tackling debt, here are some useful tools, calculators and guides to help you keep on top of your money.

Fair For You offers a food card that can help you spread the cost of your food bill.

Debt Camel is a personal, non-commercial, blog which offers lots of information about debt advice.

Be Scam Wise is a campaign from the Trading Standards South West to stop people from becoming scam victims. Their booklet contains a great amount of information on spotting, preventing and reporting scams. The Trading Standards South West also have a large campaign, giving information on preventing specifically Doorstep Crime, their booklet goes into further detail in preventing such scams.

Energy Efficiency Loans from Lendology CIC.

The Energy Saving Trust is a national organisation providing impartial advice and signposting.

The Centre for Sustainable Energy is a charity supporting people across the UK to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes. Their energy advisors improve people’s mental and physical health by offering free advice to reduce energy bills and cut carbon emissions.

Solar Wizard: This new online tool by the Centre for Sustainable Energy helps assess solar panel potential by simply entering a postcode. It’s perfect for homeowners, businesses, and councils. Try it out here!

The West of England Combined Authority has funded The Retrofit West Advice Service to provide free, expert advice and resources to help you make energy-saving improvements to your home, reduce your carbon footprint, and save money on your energy bills.

The ECO Scheme is a government incentive that helps people lower their heating costs.

The Warm Home Discount offers a one-off payment of £140 towards energy bills for those who are eligible.

The Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations set a minimum energy efficiency level for domestic private rented properties. See the Government site for official guidance for landlords.

AceOn Group based in Shropshire, work across the UK and provide a UK based service and distribution centre to offer a complete solution for residential and commercial properties for battery energy storage systems including inverters and solar panels.

How to Spot an Energy Scam: With rising scams in our area, it’s crucial to be aware of potential fraud. Check out the Energy Saving Trust’s guide on recognising energy scams and protecting yourself. Read more here.

Heat Geek was created to give expert advice on all aspects of the heating industry to both end users and industry professionals.

The Get a Heat Pump website is a valuable resource for homeowners thinking about low-carbon heating solutions. Developed by the MCS Foundation and backed by Nesta and the Energy Saving Trust, it includes advice on choosing heat pumps, cost breakdowns, personalised guidance, stories from homeowners, and a directory of certified installers.

Age UK – Providing a variety of support locally to people 55 plus.  Find out about services local to you here.

Reengage is offering a call companion service. If you’re over 75, living on your own, and feeling lonely, they may be able to help. To see the Call Companion Leaflet, Click here.

We work in partnership with Coop Legal Services who can provide advice on planning your future to protect yourself and your loved ones.  For more information and general advice, visit the Coop Hub.

For advice on future planning for yourself or someone else, or acting as an attorney or executor, visit the Coop’s Lendology Executor/Attorney Hub.

Finders International are award-winning probate genealogists. They trace missing heirs to property, estates and assets worldwide and offer this service free of charge to Empty Homes Officers.  Finders International have experience in quickly locating and engaging with owners of vacant or derelict property and can assist in resolving disputes. For more information visit their website, call them on 0800 085 8796 or email public@findersinternational.co.uk.

Check if the work you need or want to do to your home needs planning permission here.

LiveWest provides over 38,000 homes to over 80,000 people throughout the South West from Gloucestershire to the Isles of Scilly. LiveWest has plans to build more than 7,000 homes in the area over the next five years, developing new homes of all tenures including low-cost rent and sale, market rent and sale, and a range of supported housing and intermediate housing products creating choice and flexibility. As well as developing new homes LiveWest continues to invest in existing properties and communities. Through the stability of good housing, we place better living for better lives at the centre of our mission both today and for generations to come. At LiveWest we believe in a home for everyone.