Visit an Old Home Superhome and be inspired
Tuesday, 23 March 2010 10:53
The Old Home SuperHome network will be opening its doors on Sunday 28th March 2010 for its annual Spring Opening. 
Many of the homes across the UK will be open to enable the public to see how they have achieved a minimum 60% reduction in their carbon emissions. Each homeowner will explain how they achieved the saving; which techniques proved most beneficial; which installers they used and more importantly whether they would use them again, and of course how much they paid.
To visit a SuperHome log on to www.superhomes.org.uk and see which exemplar properties are local to you. For some you can even use an on-line booking system to attend a specific house tour.
The Old Home SuperHome network is an alliance of nearly 50 Energy Efficient Exemplar homes which have all been renovated by their owners to save at least 60% of their carbon emissions. The homes range from the smallest of Victorian terraces, to a 17th Century Grade 2 listed thatched cottage. Carbon savings range from the minimum 60% all the way to the carbon negative properties where the homeowner receives a cheque from their utility company at the end of the year.
All the homes have been renovated by their owners and all are different. Most are highly insulated, some to almost PassivHaus standards, many have renewables, examples include Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal, Ground and Air Source Heat Pumps and Wood Stoves and all have taken the basic steps to reduce drafts and replace high energy consuming appliances.
Visits to SuperHomes have been shown to inspire visitors to make changes in their own homes. In a recent survey more than a quarter of the respondents had subsequently spent more than £5,000 to improve the energy efficiency of their house and more than half had made minor changes following their visits. Visitors mainly cited concern for the environment as their main rational for making the changes, but saving on fuel and water bills also featured highly.
This unique project was awarded the prestigious Ashden Award for Sustainability in 2009 and since then has almost doubled the number of homes available to view.
For more information about the Old Home Superhome project visit their website www.SuperHomes.org.uk.
