South Lawns, Bridport

When Malcolm and Jude moved into this detached urban 70’s chalet-style house they were shocked by the lack of insulation in the roof and walls. They have taken extensive steps to retro-fit improvements in the insulation, and have installed solar thermal, and solar Photovoltaic (PV), with an ImmerSUN system to divert unused electricity to the hot water cylinder.

The porches front and back trap morning and evening heat, giving the house good solar gain; along with the efficient insulation and thermally-lined curtains this home has very low utility bills. This improved thermal insulation has enabled them to remove the gas boiler and radiators, and to fit individual, modern generation electric heaters in individual rooms. The change has produced an extra fuel cost of about £7 per year, but saved much more on the servicing and maintenance of a wet system

Rainwater is harvested from the gutters, filtered and stored in 1500 litre OJ containers,and used for the washing machine, and both toilet cisterns. The garden is based on permaculture principles.

Malcolm has a wealth of advice on reducing energy use,increasing efficiency, and to living sustainably.