Transition Southampton, in partnership with My Home Made Better, is hosting the city's first Energy Action Month in October 2026.

The four-week campaign is set to inspire residents with positive news, practical advice, and a whole range of tried-and-tested ideas for getting ahead with home energy.

🏡 Saving and earning money

Did you know there’s a Government grant for switching out your gas boiler for a cleaner alternative?

Are you curious about selling electricity through solar panels?

Maybe you simply want to reduce your energy bills.

Southampton’s Energy Action Month is the perfect opportunity to find out how to make your household’s money go further.

🏡 Energy independence

Imagine protecting yourself from global uncertainty.

Imagine generating your own electricity, reducing your reliance on the grid and creating a unique system that works for you.

That’s what households across the city are doing, one step at a time. Southampton’s Energy Action Month is the perfect opportunity to learn how you could do the same.

What's happening during Energy Action Month?

🙋‍♂️ Community talks

Join a local talk and panel discussion about making your home more energy efficient.

🟢 Wednesday, 7th October 2026 at St Deny’s Community Centre, 7.30pm – 9pm.

🟢 Tuesday, 13th October 2026 at Ascension CoE Bitterne Triangle, 7.30pm – 9pm.

🟢 Saturday, 17th October 2026 at Bitterne URC (shopping centre), 11am - 12.15pm.

🟢 Wednesday, 21st October 2026 at Avenue St Andrews URC), 7.30pm – 9pm.

🟢 Friday, 30th October 2026 at Immaculate Conception RC, Portswood, 7.30pm – 9pm.

No need to book – just turn up on the day!

🏠 Green Open Homes

More than 15 homeowners across the city are inviting members of the public to see their heat pumps, solar panels and other improvements in action.

From new technologies to energy tariffs and Government grants, there’s plenty of ideas to inspire you to get ahead with your own home energy.

Some homes will also showcase their ideas for saving water, encouraging wildlife, switching to eco-friendly transport and more.

Booking is essential; please browse and book here.

Nothing beats seeing ideas in action. Southampton’s Energy Action Month offers the perfect opportunity to see, first hand, how local people are saving energy and money at home.

Additional support for Southampton residents

Residents who are worried about energy bills and staying warm through the winter may be eligible for financial and practical support through Southampton Healthy Homes.

Imagine switching to solar and powering your home with clean, free energy from the sun – reducing your reliance on the grid, cutting your bills, and even adding value to your property.

Lots of residents across Hampshire and the Solent are doing exactly that – and we’re here to help you decide if it’s a good choice for you too.

If you’ve been thinking about switching to solar but you still have questions, join our friendly, impartial experts on this live, online Q&A session.

We’ll cover:

🔆 How to avoid expensive mistakes

🔆 When plug-in solar could be effective (and when it’s not)

🔆 Is a battery worth the extra cost?

🔆 How to sell electricity

🔆 Questions from the audience

📅 Tuesday, 22nd September 2026
🕡 6.30pm – 7.15pm
💻 Online via Zoom; please register here

Charlie's story

We spoke to Charlie, a My Home Made Better client who was considering installing solar panels but needed a bit of guidance. Here's what she had to say.

"I had a feeling my house would be well suited to solar panels. Parts of it get incredibly hot when the sun is out, so it seemed clear that the aspect was right for solar, and that we should be putting that sunshine to good use. 

"When I started looking into solar, I got quotes from two different installers. What surprised me was just how different they were. One quote was much higher than the other, and I didn't really understand why. I was concerned about making an expensive mistake and, to be honest, I think I probably would have given up at that point because I was worried about making the wrong decision. 

Speaking to the My Home Made Better team

"Things changed when I attended a local talk and met Stu, a My Home Made Better adviser. We arranged an advice call, and he helped me understand the differences between the quotes and what I should be looking for. Being able to talk things through with someone independent was very reassuring. It gave me the confidence to move ahead with the installation, knowing I was making an informed decision. 

"From there, the process was very straightforward. The installation itself was easy, and I'm so pleased I decided to go ahead with it. 

"One of my favourite things about having solar panels is the app. I love being able to see when I'm generating electricity and thinking about how I can make the best use of it around the house. It's really satisfying to know that I'm producing my own renewable energy. 

"I'm also just getting set up with the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), so I'll soon be able to receive payments for electricity I export back to the grid." 

"My next goal is to move away from gas and install a heat pump. I just need to convince my husband first! 

"As a volunteer, I'm really looking forward to speaking to other people about my experience. I think a lot of people on my estate are in a very similar position. Now is a great time for people in Whiteley to be thinking about solar. For those who already have solar panels installed, it's also worth checking that you’re signed up to an export tariff so you can receive payments for any electricity you export back to the grid. 

"Having access to trusted advice made all the difference for me. It helped turn something that felt confusing and overwhelming into a decision I felt confident making. Looking back, I'm so glad I went ahead, and I'm excited to help others do the same."

Useful links

Ofgem's Smart Export Guarantee supplier list

You've spoken to the My Home Made Better team and taken your first steps towards an energy efficient home. Now, you're ready to learn how to switch to a heat pump!

But what should you do first?

We've spoken to a Southampton client who has recently ditched the gas boiler. Instead, she's opted for an air source heat pump to keep her 1920s home nice and cosy.

Here's what she had to say about those all-important first steps.

What was the first step you took, once you’d decided to switch to a heat pump? 

“The first thing was to have a home survey to check it would be viable to have a heat pump at all. The surveyor came round to look at the layout of the house and work out what (if any) work would be needed in each room to make sure the system would work effectively.” 

What did the survey tell you? 

“The survey showed technical information about how much heat was being lost from the house. But what was interesting was that the survey was based on a wider conversation and not just technical data. It took my preferences about where the heat pump could go, into account."

Was there anything that surprised you when you had the survey results? 

“I went through Heat Geek and didn’t realise they’d give me three different options. I could choose between guaranteed efficiency ratings, where the lowest rating was the cheapest overall and the highest was the most expensive. This wasn’t solely down to the cost of the heat pump itself though. It took the whole system into account and the prices reflected how much additional work would be needed in the house to reach that rating.” 

What advice would you give to others who are considering installing a heat pump? 

“If you’ve prepared your home as best you can, for example by insulating properly, a heat pump survey is the next step before having to commit too much time or money. You can learn a lot from the survey and it will really help to inform your decision.”

Photo shows the client's heat pump in situ, before it was connected.