So what were the questions that they had to to answer? Do you want a house that is more comfortable, which has lower running costs and is kinder to the planet? And by the way, do you want this to be something which everyone across the country could have without having to put their hand in their pocket for cash? A pleasant proposition and one which WWF supporter Rebecca Williams was happy to say yes to in agreeing to let the Great British Refurb campaign team do an energy makeover on her house.

While progress is being made across the country in topping up loft insulation and filling cavity walls, her Victorian mid-terrace in inner city Manchester is typical of one of the 8 million UK homes that simply have no cavities to fill. And it's one of the 9 million with a suspended wooden floor lacking insulation. Without getting too techy, this makes them a little bit trickier to deal with, and on occasion a lot more expensive to fix (as explained in the solid wall insulation blog).

But this is exactly the challenge the Great British Refurb campaign is rising to, and we're dong this real life case study to demonstrate that this sort of work would indeed save Rebecca money on her energy bills. With a scheme such as "pay as you save" the money Rebecca  would have paid for this work could be repaid from these savings. As we approach the start of the new political year, we want to ensure that the parties - of all flavours - sit up and take note that this sort of policy does work, and that we can break down some of the misconceptions percolating out there about the fact that it is a hassle and that it costs people too much time, money and effort (see Ellie's blog on Pay As You Save).

It is well documented in this blog as in many other places that our homes are woeful in energy efficiency terms and that at the same time, cheap and deep cuts can (and have to be!) made in their emissions. As we approach a cliff-edge moment in Copenhagen later this year when global leaders need to club together to draw us away from a climate crisis, the importance of tackling this sector comes ever faster into sharp relief. A sector which is widely recognised, from the UN downwards to the PM, as one which must be dealt with in an urgent and dedicated manner.

Kevin McCloud, our Grand Designs Great British Refurb campaign enforcer, will be visiting the house next week as the work comes to completion to help us kick-start this green housing revolution.

Watch this space for more updates, pics, video and all the rest as the project continues, and if you haven't already signed up to the campaign visit www.greatbritishrefurb.co.uk/join-the-campaign

Simon McWhirter
WWF Campaign Manager