Some tips to take away from a Victorian retrofit
There was a fantastic ad I saw the other day, where a man got locked out of his smart home after visiting the dentist. With a mouth numbed and appearing to be full of cotton wool, his speech was not recognized by the entry lock! The poor guy stood out in the rain, screaming ‘Open’ to no avail. While his neighbor unlocked her door, casting sympathetic glances his way. I imagine her thinking ‘Poor sod!’. But old school doesn’t mean better. I mean it’s not beyond the realm of possibility to lose your keys. I’ve done it before.
Moving into the digital age is exciting (barring dental visits), and sure it has its pitfalls My Alexa decided to switch on at strange times throughout the day. I’m even woken up at 3 am with a voice saying ‘Connecting to Rika’s iPhone’. Not that I begrudge her some autonomy you see, but seriously, that is some spooky nonsense.
But more importantly, we have gas and energy bills rising by 12% this year. I live in a 2-bed house, and my bills will rise from £80 per month to £100. With the added stress of energy providers going bust, costs will continue to creep up. Insulate Britain may be adopting extreme measures to get noticed, by gluing themselves to the roads?! But their message itself is valid.
We do need to lower our energy consumption, and we need to start thinking about how this can be achieved in our homes.
I visited the Eco Show Home in Walthamstow during the London Open House Weekend in September 2021. I wanted to see what this model energy-efficient home has to offer. Were the measures successful? What would be suitable for my home? Does it break the bank?
47 Greenleaf Road is a Council Owned Victorian Terrace built-in 1902. Retrofitted by the London Borough of Waltham Forest in partnership with Aston Group to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency. The total cost of the works was circa £112k, with eight key elements. Wall Insulation, Roof Insulation, Floor Insulation, Upgraded Windows, Mechanical ventilation, Heating system replacement, PV array, and Wastewater heat recovery.
The result has been energy use reduced by 82%, reduction in CO2 emissions by 81%, and a reduction in running cost by 64%.
Are you impressed yet? Watch the retrofit film and tell me what you think.
Among the thermal insulation solutions, the most fascinating was the Q-bot used to achieve the Floor Insulation! Which you can see in this film. It feels like keyhole surgery for your house. A remote control car that sent under the floorboards first to investigate and finally to spray the underside of the floorboards with insulation. This seals off all those little air gaps that create drafts.
For the tech geeks, you can install smart sockets and LED lighting that can be controlled through your phone. Measure the energy-hungry appliances and remotely turn them off when not needed.
And the solution to the rise in gas prices? Omit it from your property! This will become mandatory for all new-build homes within the next 5–10 years. And is worth considering for older homes.
Here the Air Source Heat pump replaced the existing gas boiler and hot water cylinder, giving the added benefit of extra space and huge energy & cost savings. It is a unit that is fitted outside the property, and may not be visually pleasing to some, but it is silent and efficient.
I spoke to many of the visitors to 47 Greenleaf Road during the London Open House weekend. Some were neighbors curious to find out what all the ‘banging’ over the last year was about. But many were looking to upgrade their own homes and found the technology inspiring and worth investing in.
The Open House weekend is over, but the London Borough of Waltham Forest will be hosting more open days. Visit their website to find out more.