“When we bought our new home, we knew we would need to do a complete refurbishment. The aim was to create a family home that was comfortable, stylish and energy efficient without spending a fortune.
We started with a qualified energy assessment of our home to gather data, make a detailed energy assessment of the property and identify environmental measures to integrate into our plans. The assessor produced an Advanced Home Energy Report. This outlined in detail the most effective energy saving home improvements that we could make and their approximate costs.
We had a limited budget, so the Advanced Home Energy Report was a great way to prioritise where to target our resources to get the maximum impact in terms of the return.”
ROOF, WALLS AND FLOORS
Roof insulation to a depth of 300mm made a 38% improvement to the efficiency of the property as a single measure. We also insulated loft door and installed rigid floor insulation for a storage area. We used glass wool which is cost effective and kinder to the environment than most other non-natural insulation materials. It is also safe to use around the bedroom of my eldest daughter who has asthma. The rigid floor insulation is normally used under concrete floor construction in new builds, so it really can take the weight of storing belongings in the attic while being inexpensive to buy.
Walls were insulated internally with Thermylite 50mm; alcoves were also insulated. Underfloor insulation (Isyne foam) was installed in the front room.
WINDOWS AND DOORS
Front and secondary door and rear doors were draughtproofed.
HEATING
We wanted to ensure that the spacious open plan kitchen and living room was warm and cosy without costing the Earth to heat. This is the biggest room in the house and
where we spend most of our time. We decided we would like to have a wood burning stove installed as this had been highlighted in the Advanced Home Energy Report as
an effective way of providing low cost, low CO2 efficient heating. This measure alone has saved us 20% on our heating bills as well as dramatically improving our comfort levels. We also installed a Veissmann boiler, radiators with foil backing, heating controls and an external weather compensator.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Ten Yingli 185 watt solar PV panels were installed.
LIGHTING
LED lights were installed throughout.
OTHER
A piling technique used to build extension to reduce amount of concrete and skips.
