Pioneers show how we can save energy in the home with launch of this year’s Dorset Greener Homes.
With fuel prices soaring, this promises to be a hard winter for people struggling to pay their bills. There is a wealth of advice on how to save energy in the home, from switching lightbulbs to LEDs to unplugging devices which draw electricity on standby.
But can a home be made more energy efficient? Where to start when insulating your house? Over two weekends at the beginning of October sixty homes across Dorset will be open to visitors to give practical help on how you can use less energy and resources. Colin Tracy, one of the organisers of Dorset Greener Homes, says “Much of the available advice on insulating your home comes from people who are trying to sell you their own product. By visiting private homes where the owner has installed insulation or heat pumps, visitors can learn from their experience in an unbiased way.”
The homes range from new-build EcoHomes with heat pumps and ventilation systems to simpler and cheaper approaches to making a home greener. This is the ninth year the Open Greener Homes event has taken place, but this year has a record number opening – 60, including several new ones. For the first time these include a Passivhaus, built to a scientifically developed standard to minimise heat loss; a self-build home with ground source heat pump; a church which has installed solar panels and a heat pump, a village hall and a youth club. In one of the homes the owner has installed internal insulation on the walls using natural materials such as sheep’s wool to ensure that the home is not only warm but avoids problems of damp.
The homes are spread over all of Dorset and open at different times. Some require bookingin advance. Sam Wilberforce, co-organiser says: “it would not be possible to visit more than a handful of these homes, and it will be worth visitors deciding what features they are interested in and picking those houses which have installed them. The more popular ones will be booked up quite early. As they are spread over a the whole of the county some planning is essential”.
There are four Sherborne homes open this coming weekend with three on Saturday and one on Sunday morning. Details of homes, opening times and how to book can be found on the website: https://dorset.greenopenhomes.net/