The energy saving makeover of my house is finished, and it’s fab!
I live in an Edwardian end-terraced house in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, which is having major energy efficiency improvements. My house is part of Balsall Heath Housing Cooperative, a small resident-controlled coop with 77 homes. Mine is one of 22 older homes that’s part of the project. The larger measures are being funded by the Coop from its own financial reserves, and part funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority. I am paying for and installing some of the smaller measures myself.
It’s been hard work with many ups and downs, which you can hear about in this “warts and all” Green Doors webinar recording. This disruption gives me a level of empathy for any householder who is nervous about energy saving refurbishment. I have insulation to the floors, walls, as well as existing loft insulation, plus smart heating controls, solar with battery and hot water diverter, and airtightness measures. You can hear about all this in the recording. Click here for more posts on my house. Click here for a PowerPoint presentation .
At the time of writing we haven’t had the heating on as it’s mild and the whole-house insulation seems to be working. The EPC rating has risen to 89 B, which makes it the highest rated house of this type in this postcode area. I actually believe it should be slightly higher as the EPC has missed out some of the smaller improvements. More importantly, I have forecast that the greenhouse gas emissions from the house will decrease by 60% by 2030, and is heat pump ready. We have also solved some issues of condensation damp. Everything that’s been done in my house is replicable to the thousands of similar homes in Birmingham, this isn’t a demonstration project or a vanity project.
It’s been hard work but well worth it! Thank you to Balsall Heath Housing Coop management committee, especially Tony the Chair who was round here every day to make sure it was done properly, and our project manager Richard Bubb, and to the people at the WMCA for their support, and to the guys who worked on the house, most of whom did their very best, in many cases picking up after mistakes were made by others who ran away.
In the Spring of 2026 I will post updates of the impact of the retrofit one year on, and one winter on, from the extensive monitoring I am doing thanks to the smart technology at my fingertips. Subscribe here.