An eco-renovation

Completing energy-efficiency work when doing up a property can be a good investment, particularly with rising fuel prices.

Ozzie and Mary Ffield bought their Victorian terraced house in Widcombe whilst living in rented accommodation. Whilst empty the Ffields completed a comprehensive eco-refurbishment (or 'retrofit') of the property.

Says Ozzie, "We're expecting to save more than 60% on our fuel bills from all the work we've done on the house. We're also cutting our home's carbon emissions by around 68%!"

He explains further:

"The first thing to do is insulate your home properly - for us that meant a high grade of insulation on the inside of our outer walls, under the floor, and in the loft.
It's vital not to lose the heat you're churning out! Next we upgraded our gas heater and water heater to 80% efficient models.
We installed under-floor heating, with controls, so we're only heating when and where we need it.
We then added a solar-thermal, hot water system to our roof which should normally cover our hot water needs for about 8 months of the year."

The Ffields completed this work whilst adding an extension to the kitchen, and converting the loft. This returned significant cost savings in terms of labour.

The couple were delighted to hear from a visiting estate agent who confirmed that the increase in property-value from the work will cover the cost.

Use our fact-sheets to find out how Ozzie and Mary carried out their work: