Our internal thermal-imaging surveys enable you to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home, so you save money on your bills and reduce your climate impact.

Our survey season

We can perform surveys when it is colder outside by circa 8 to 10°C. This is the difference between the warm inside temperature of the property and the colder temperature outside. So, our surveys in the South begin in Autumn and continue through to Spring. Further North our survey season is longer.

Examples of common findings

The images below taken during our surveys show a selection of thermal faults:

We see cold air leaking through from underneath kitchen units in some homes. These spaces are hard to access but work can be done and there are a number of ways to go about it. Usually an unsealed pipework is lurking behind.

Missing insulation in the bay window roof area and uninsulated single skin walls are making this part of the house particularly chilly. Putting a reflective panel behind the radiator improves efficiency by 50%.

Significant heat loss through a light fitting that has not been sealed to the ceiling.

Because of the pulling mechanism sash windows can be challenging to seal. An affordable DIY solution might be installing a secondary acrylic sheet with a magnetic strip. This is also an acceptable solution for listed buildings.

Cold air trapped cascading down behind incorrectly installed dot & dab plasterboard on a new-build. Unfortunately, this is a very serious and very common problem causing massive heat-loss. Usually the dry-lining board has to be removed.

Heat loss through the gap between the floor and the skirting boards. Typically found in Victorian/Edwardian houses.

Cold air is flowing down from an unheated loft space: a poorly fitted light is at fault. We have seen this issue with numerous spotlight fittings. Many of our customers reported this to be an unexpected source of heat loss in their homes.

Insulation missing/not meeting the required thickness (270 mm) in the loft on above a top-floor new-build flat.

The surveying process

  • Book a suitable time/day (see ‘book a survey’ below for more information)
  • Our surveyor will come at the prearranged time.
  • A large blower door is fitted to an external door and run continuously to reduce the pressure inside the building, causing cold air to be drawn in through any gaps.
  • Each room is surveyed with you, the householder. You are included in the process.
  • Any anomalies (cold areas) are discussed and possible causes and remedies also suggested.
  • Our thermal imaging camera identifies cold spots, draughts and thermal faults in the fabric of the building, showing as Black & Blue on the images. All images and commentary are recorded as a video with still photos taken of salient issues. Meanwhile you watch on a tablet screen linked by wifi.
  • Full discussion of the surveyor’s findings is carried out with you whilst recording is being downloaded. The recording is then saved onto a memory stick for you to keep. The recording contains far more detail than a written report can, but we do leave you a hand-written summary of the findings.
  • During downloading, we complete a survey with you including a review of your bills/energy usage. You will need to have them available in advance. All areas of the survey are discussed and suggested remedial actions you can take to improve the cold areas.
  • You have a recording of the survey to retain for future use, for yourselves or share with a contractor if you need to get external help.

Please note – Our suggestions are purely for guidance; we can not offer this as professional advice. You must always consult an expert to determine the best way forward.

How did our Thermal Imaging journey begin?

Our unique survey process was developed after studying methods, used in the UK and USA, of thermal imaging and pressure testing; including those of Ian Mawditt of Four Walls Consultants and Philip Haile of Transition Bath. Subsequently we worked with Brian Harper of Malvern, who had been developing thermal imaging since the 1970s. We now use a unique bespoke Heatview® camera and software developed by our technical director Jeremy Birch. Our training for Heatview® surveyors has also been specifically developed, based on 6 years experience and over 1000 surveys.

Ongoing Research

Because we are continuously developing the CHEESE Project and its approach, we will ask you to complete a short questionnaire one month after the survey to obtain feedback and to learn how effective the survey was for you. We will follow up again after a year to see if your energy use has changed!

The one-month follow-up form we provide should be filled in by you without our prompting, otherwise a surveyor will contact you to obtain the necessary details.

We will contact you one year after the survey by telephone or email to find out how you are getting on. We would like to know:

  • Your actual (not estimated) energy use since the survey. This is to compare with the figures we recorded on the day of the survey. We would like you to calculate the total kilowatt hours of electricity and gas you have used that year, from your bills, as you did before the survey.
  • What actions over the year you have taken to reduce energy use.
  • How much money you have saved as a consequence of saving energy, from your bills.
  • Any other comments that you might have.

Book a survey now

Please use our booking system to organise your survey. You will be directed to our booking platform. You will be able to choose a booking slot (subject to a surveyor’s availability) and then make your payment via Stripe Card Services.

VOUCHERS** If you have a voucher from Retrofit West, this should be obtained FIRST from their website. Next step; email your confirmation email and voucher to surveys@cheeseproject.co.uk. One of the team will call you and book your survey.

The survey was very professional and Dori explained everything very well. It was great to get the memory stick recording the survey, afterwards which I can use as a reminder/reference point as I make the changes; along with support info fact sheets attached within the stick. I have already installed a Chimney Sheep UK! Dori was very thorough in her survey. I would highly recommend the Cheese Project.

– David, 13 May 2024