A family have 'cut their energy bills by half' while doubling the interior space of their property in an ambitious retrofit scheme. Shivaji Shiva and Magdalen Gorringe have lived in their terraced Bournville property for the past 12 years with their two sons.
Concerned about climate change and the rising cost of energy, the family have transformed their home with an energy-saving retrofit scheme. Retrofitting refers to any improvement work on an existing building which improves its energy efficiency.
The family say their home is now more able to retain heat, meaning they have cut their energy bills in half over winter. They are currently offering tours of their home to anyone interested in making their own property more energy efficient.
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For the energy-saving retrofit work, the couple went for a full 'fabric-first approach' which involved lining the building internally with a sealing membrane to make it nearly airtight. They then insulated the external walls on the inside with plasterboard and insulation board, and lined the party walls to reduce noise transmission.
After that, they installed triple-glazed wooden windows with small panes to meet the requirements of Bournville Village Trust (BVT) and the conservation officer. They also installed an air source heat pump, on the boundary of the property about 25 metres away from the house, tucked into a hedge.
"It feels very good that we can keep a house to a comfortable temperature without bankrupting ourselves," Shivaji said. "We've been able to avoid moving, we can create something that’s sustainable going forward, and when friends are thinking about getting an Air Source Heat Pump, we can say come and have a look at one.
"The heat pump has performed absolutely fine, we've been consistently warm. We're never at a stage when we're waiting for the house to warm up. It's a relief to know you don't have to make a choice, you can make a property really quite beautiful and environmentally sound."
The family hope next to halve their bills again next year by installing solar panels linked to a battery system on their roof and on a pergola in their garden. The couple have received consent from Bournville Village Trust to carry out the work.
People interested in looking around Shiva and Gorringe's house and other energy efficient home make-overs can do so via the Birmingham Green Doors programme, which runs regular tours of eco-properties. "We aim to showcase energy efficient homes in Birmingham and the West Midlands through small group study visits hosted by people who have made energy saving improvements," says Green Doors founder, sustainability expert Phil Beardmore of Energy Confidence.
"Seeing is believing. We want as many people to learn about energy efficient homes as possible".
