Oxford’s campaign for low-energy homes
12 Sep 08
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Between 11 and 14 Sept, 19 eco-homes in Oxfordshire are open to the public with the aim of inspiring other householders to install low-energy products and systems in their homes.
The project is organised by Oxfordshire ClimateXchange, a campaign by Oxford University Environmental Change Institute (ECI) to take climate change issues into the community in partnership with the charity Climate Outreach and Information Network.
This is the second Eco-Homes Open Days event to be staged in Oxfordshire and offers homeowners the opportunity to see how they can transform their ordinary homes into low energy eco-homes. The owners of the eco-homes will show interested members of the public around their properties and during the tour provide practical advice on the systems, products and installers they used.
Jo Hamilton, Oxfordshire ClimateXchangeWe hope that people coming to this event will be able to make the connections to enable them to think about putting eco-friendly products in their own homes.
The eco-homes include 17th century cottages, an Edwardian terraced home, a 1970s flat, as well as new-builds, fitted with heat pumps, solar collectors, sheep wool insulation, triple glazing, condensing boilers and a range of other water and energy saving features. Two of the new-build properties were made out of straw bales and there is even the chance to view a narrow boat which runs on vegetable oil and solar power.
Jo Hamilton, from Oxfordshire ClimateXchange, said: ‘We hope that people coming to this event will be able to make the connections to enable them to think about putting eco-friendly products in their own homes. Even better, we hope that several homeowners from one area will join forces to engage installers and suppliers of eco-friendly products, as then there are even greater benefits for everyone.’
The ECI is a world leader in environmental research, particularly in research relating to carbon reduction in UK housing stock. In July 2008, the ECI published a report, commissioned by the Federation of Master Builders, on how the building sector could work with other stakeholders, including government, to create a low carbon built environment. Among the recommendations in ‘Building a Greener Britain – transforming Britain’s housing stock’, author Gavin Killip argues that the government should introduce council tax rebates to reward energy efficient homes, and cut VAT from 17.5 per cent to five per cent on housing refurbishment across the UK.
