Thousands of Aberdeen homes will take part in a project which will look at how much energy and money is wasted by householders.
Around 6,000 homes will be photographed using thermal cameras to highlight areas where heat is lost.
The city council is carrying out the research over the coming weeks with a view to publishing the images online by February.
The authority has given assurances residents’ privacy will not be affected and the police have been informed about the project.
All residents involved have been notified by the council.
The photographs will show where the most energy is being wasted using colour imaging.
Red will indicate the highest heat loss, followed by yellow and green. Grey and blue show the areas of lowest heat loss.
A thermal image which exposes areas of heat loss takes around three seconds to capture.
The idea behind the project is to encourage people to be more aware of energy efficiency which will, in turn, help them cut their fuel bills.
Currently, the average fuel bill in Scotland is £112 each month according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics.
Councillor Neil Cooney, convener of the communities, housing and infrastucture committee, said: “This is a quick way to measure where energy consumption is high.
“The idea is to cut down on our carbon footprint. It will hopefully save a lot of people a lot of money.
“We can save the householder money to get them the grants that are available for insulating their homes.
“My house is going to be done.”
The photographic surveys are being carried out by IRT Surveys Limited. Staff from the organisation will wear photographic identification.