Moving into your own home for the first time can feel overwhelming, regardless of your background, experiences or personal circumstances. Whether you are a university student or a young person leaving care, a former member of the armed forces or someone new to the country with limited English skills, the transition to independent living brings both opportunities and challenges.
This e-learning course is a practical and supportive guide designed to help tenants navigate this important life step with confidence. It covers essential topics to help you:
- Understand domestic energy use
- Set up and manage your domestic energy effectively
- Avoid common pitfalls of fuel poverty and energy debt
- Know how and where to seek help
By the end of this course, you will be better equipped to make informed decisions, manage your household responsibilities, and avoid common pitfalls that may cause fuel poverty and debt in the future.
This practical course is designed to help individuals confidently navigate the world of home energy. Whether you’re setting up your first energy account or looking to cut down on household bills, this course gives you the essential knowledge and tools to make informed decisions.
The course is also suitable for frontline workers who support clients in to independent living and would like to increase their knowledge around supporting individuals to manage their energy needs.
To provide a comprehensive guide to support those transitioning into independent living, prevent people from falling into fuel poverty by successfully navigating their fuel bills, and how to be energy efficient.
Section 1 – Who’s who in the energy sector
- Identify key organisations and roles within the energy sector
- Explore key terms and phrases of the energy sector
Section 2 – Why we need to keep warm at home
- Identify satisfactory room temperatures and situations that may make heating costs hard to meet
- Explore how household income could affect our ability to keep warm and the health impacts of living in a cold home
Section 3 – Opening an energy account
- Know the importance of setting up an energy account when you move into a new property
- Know the steps to take for opening an energy account
- How an energy account might be managed in shared housing situations
Section 4 – Energy efficiency – appliances and power ratings
- Explore energy efficiency at home and interpret energy labels
- Identify energy efficient appliances, their power rating and know the cost of using them
Section 5 – Understanding and reading different types of meters
- Recognise different meter types
- Interpret information displayed on meters for accurate meter readings
- Know the advantages of having a smart meter
Section 6 – Mastering energy tariffs
- Explore the different types of energy tariffs and the advantages and drawbacks
- Be able to recommend a tariff appropriate to the situation
- Recognise how money may be saved on different energy tariffs
Section 7 – Mastering energy payments
- Understand an energy bill
- Calculate consumption from meter readings and how the cost of energy is calculated
- Understand different payment methods and apply them to different situations
Section 8 – Heat loss and insulation in the home
- Know the key area of domestic heat loss and understand how to reduce this by insulation
- Calculate the payback methods and savings on fuel costs of different types of insulation
Section 9 – Efficient home energy management
- Explore how we use domestic energy and how to avoid energy waste
- Understand the information on an Energy Performance Certificate
- Learn how to support the change of energy consumption behaviour
Section 10 – Signposting and support
- Learn why individuals may need to seek help and support and the organisations that can help.
Please note that the course content will focus mainly on England and Wales. If you are based in Northern Ireland or Scotland and interested in this course, please contact lynsey.thompson@nea.org.uk before booking so we can discuss the main differences.
This course will take approximately two-three hours to complete however each learner is different and e-learning offers the flexibility to study at your own pace. Learners will have access to the course for four weeks from their selected start date.
E-Learning
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Our e-learning courses are self‑led, allowing learners to study at a time and place that suits them.
Once registered, learners will have four weeks’ access to the course content, enabling them to progress through the material at their own pace and fit learning around other commitments.
The course features audio throughout and incorporates a range of engaging learning tools, including videos and interactive activities, to support effective learning.
Tutor support is also available on request throughout the learning period.
There are no set dates, learners choose when they would like to start on their booking form, and we send the course login details to match.
You can book up to 20 places using the standard booking form.
We also offer organisational licences for organisations with a larger number of staff to train. These licences provide unlimited learner access for either 6 months or 12 months.
An organisational licence includes:
- A tailored version of the course customised specifically for your organisation
- Two bespoke slides within the course to include organisation-specific information, such as local schemes, contact details or internal processes
- The option to purchase additional tailored slides if required
- The ability to nominate an administrator, who will have access to reporting on learner activity
Please note that organisational licences are not funded. For further details, including costs and terms, please contact us.
This course is currently only available via e-learning. If you are interested in a webinar or in-person version, please contact us to discuss options.
At present, there are no funded places available for this course.
All courses and processes are assessed in line with BSI ISO 9001 quality management standards.
To maintain their effectiveness, courses are reviewed and updated on a regular basis. If you identify any gaps, inaccuracies, or areas for improvement, we encourage you to share your feedback with us.
Upon successful completion of the course, learners will be able to download a certificate of completion for their CPD records.
If you have any questions, please contact us to discuss.
Fees
| Not for profit organisation | Commercial organisation | |
|---|---|---|
| Individual licence – per person | £65 plus VAT | £75 plus VAT |
| Organisation licence – per organisation | Contact NEA for details | Contact NEA for details |
| Not for profit organisation | Commercial organisation | |
|---|---|---|
| Individual licence – per person | £80 plus VAT | £90 plus VAT |
| Organisation licence – per organisation | Contact NEA for details | Contact NEA for details |
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