As part of Muswell Hill Sustainability Group's Green Open Homes season: an annual opportunity to see sustainable domestic energy in situ, be inspired by emissions & energy reducing measures and pick brains for lived experiences and expert advice …

Join us for a 50-minute tour, with Q&A with the homeowner of a 1949 brick, semi-linked house with garage, which has been gradually retrofitted, with most of the work over the period 2020 to 2026, when the gas supply was disconnected after replacing the gas cooker with an electric induction one. Unlike other houses where there has been a major refurbishment all in one go, this is a house where work has been done in stages, and where there have been cheap and simple tweaks to normal maintenance as well as larger installations. The tour will include:

Glazing and Insulation:
• Draught proofing, double glazing or secondary glazing (2 types) on all windows, with some replacement windows – showing a range of cost options for glazing improvements. Loft insulation at joist and rafters level, using wood fibre insulation, in a boarded loft used for storage. Internal wood fibre wall insulation with breathable plaster in 1 bedroom, and sloping roof insulation in 1 bedroom and bathroom. Thermal blinds and thermal lined curtains, including on velux windows.
Solar Thermal System:
• 2 solar thermal panels for heating water, with water cylinder.
Air Source Heat Pump (12KW Vaillant)
• Fitted in 2025, along with new radiators, so the owner can discuss costs and comfort of the first winter.
Solar PV system with batteries:
• 5 solar PV panels generating electricity, with inverter and 2 batteries for storing electricity for later use, and electricity export to grid when batteries are fully charged. The batteries were upgraded and moved to the garage to keep the heat pump running costs down.
Ventilation, FIR heating, EV charging:
• 2 types of single room heat recovery ventilation fans.
• Highly insulated garden room with far infra red heating panel on the ceiling.
• Electric vehicle charging point.
• Shares in cooperatively owned wind farms.
• Water softener to increase the life of the household plumbing, white goods, etc.
Garden:
• 2 rainwater collection water butts, 2 green roofs, tree planting and wildlife friendly garden features.
• Shade sails at the back of the house and for the garden room to stay cool in hot weather.

THE HOMEOWNERS say …
“This has been a long process, starting with low-cost measures from when we moved in 24 years ago, to higher cost ones over a 6 year period from 2020. We followed advice to reduce our energy use and generate our own hot water and electricity before making the switch from a gas boiler to a heat pump. Along with upgraded batteries this has meant that we are warm and comfortable, without having high bills.”


TOUR DATES available for this house …
Sunday 8th November: 12.30pm
Saturday 14th November: 10.30am


PLEASE NOTE …
Tours will begin promptly at their start times
Full addresses will be emailed to those with booked tickets the day before the tour
If fully booked a waiting list can be joined, and notice given to the first names on it if tickets are released and reallocated. If you can no longer use your booked ticket, please cancel it through WeGotTickets, so that it can be re-homed.

ABOUT … Green Open Homes
For 14 years, Muswell Hill Sustainability Group has been running a three-week Green Open Homes season every November, including expert speaker meetings on a range of energy efficiency topics, and tours of a cross section of 10 – 15 local homes that have been future-proofed against heat, cold, energy bills and emissions, amongst other climate change threats. They range from quick fixes to major installations to entire builds, with the intention of offering unbiased, experienced and – where installers are present - expert advice; to inspire, inform and encourage visitors considering similar.

MHSG is pleased to be presenting Green Open Homes this year in collaboration with Muswell Hill & Fortis Green Association, a long-standing (78 years!), independent, non-partisan amenity society, committed to protecting the local environment and quality of life across Muswell Hill, Fortis Green, and Alexandra ward.