2 North Drive, Chilwell, NG9 4DY.
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The property in the Cottage Grove Conservation Area was built in 1946 as a flat-roofed bungalow, with double, solid brick (no cavity) walls. We purchased it circa 1974 and soon set about extending along three sides with standard double brick cavity walls and added a low profile pitched roof in the ‘80s that included new roof insulation. In 2020/23 a further extension was added to the front, built to today’s higher standards of insulation - this work continues as we upgrade insulation and glazing throughout the rest of the property.
See below for more information, with the least expensive first and the number of £s giving a rough indication of cost. [Information provided November 2024.] |
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1. SMART METER £0
A Smart Meter was installed free of charge in 2023 and has allowed us to see when electrical power is being drawn down from the grid and to measure the impact of our Photovoltaic Solar Panels. It also records gas usage. |
Smart meter.
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2. LETTER BOX POSITIONING £0
The simple act of being able to put the letter box in an isolated space to the side of the hall (a link to the garage) has eliminated draughts into the hall. 3. LED LIGHTING £ We have replaced old halogen lighting with energy saving and cost saving LEDs. |
Letterbox in space between hall & garage.
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4. NEW RADIATORS WITH THERMOSTATIC VALVES AND NEW PIPE LAGGING ££
As part of the upgrade, we have replaced old radiators and fitted modern Radiator Thermostatic Valves (RTVs) and replaced old pipe lagging. The new RTVs are more accurate and responsive than earlier models enabling better control of the room temperature. We decided to do this at the time of fitting new radiators as trying to fit new RTVs to old radiators can be problematic as old joints (in our case 50 years plus) can be prone to fracturing. |
Radiator thermostatic valve.
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5. NEW FRONT DOOR WITH DRAUGHT EXCLUDER ££
A new close fitting front door with an integral seal in both the frame and the door, plus, a concealed draught strip which drops into position when the door is closed, has eliminated all draughts into the hall. |
Drop-down draught excluder on front door.
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6. UNDERFLOOR AND CEILING INSULATION £££
As part of the general up-grading of our home we have installed underfloor insulation and new floor boarding plus insulated ceiling plaster board in the newly extended hall plus two rooms off the hall and these spaces are now noticeably warmer. |
Underfloor insulation.
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7. PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR PANELS ££££
A 4-kilowatt system was installed in 2011 when the original generous Feed in Tariff applied. Consequentially, our energy bills for both gas and electricity, until the price hikes in 2023, were covered by the FIT pay-back scheme.
The PVS meter allows us to see when it’s the most cost-effective time to run electrical appliances such as a washing machine and a dishwasher. If it is sunny, or at least not heavily overcast, we run these during the day using the power being generated by the panels and if it’s not, we run them at night on the off-peak tariff.
A 4-kilowatt system was installed in 2011 when the original generous Feed in Tariff applied. Consequentially, our energy bills for both gas and electricity, until the price hikes in 2023, were covered by the FIT pay-back scheme.
The PVS meter allows us to see when it’s the most cost-effective time to run electrical appliances such as a washing machine and a dishwasher. If it is sunny, or at least not heavily overcast, we run these during the day using the power being generated by the panels and if it’s not, we run them at night on the off-peak tariff.
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8. NEW EXTENSION £££££
A new extension in 2023/24 at the front of the house extending the hall, bedroom and creating a new ensuite shower room, was built to modern day standards for insulation and double glazing. It also gave us the opportunity to incorporate features to help reduce energy. One of these is a glass canopy over part of the hall which acts as a heat source. On very sunny days, we simply open doors to the rooms off the hall to spread the heat and because the box aligns east/south it never becomes too hot in the summer and the lower sun trajectory creates a warm space in the winter. Another was a “boot” room which is a link to the integral garage and houses the letterbox so avoiding draughts directly into the hall (see item 2). A motion sensor light ensures we no longer need to remember to turn off the lights. We’ve been so impressed with this simple action that we’ve installed motion sensor lights into two other walk-in spaces off the hall. |
Glazed box over hall.
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BENEFITS
The actions taken since 2020/23 have reduced our energy consumption by about 30% and we expect this to reduce further once the final external and internal insulation works are completed during 2024/2025 . |
Smart meter consumption display unit.
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LESSONS LEARNED
- Don’t have a build start date at the beginning of a pandemic! As soon as our builders were able to resume, there was a major materials shortage and huge price increase.
- Whilst we didn’t experience any particular problems, other than those brought about by the pandemic, and didn’t consult any energy saving specialists, we did a great deal of Googling!
- We also found the staff at a major local building materials supplier (the one with the big green lorries) both knowledgeable and very willing to help with advice and guidance.
- Before undertaking any significant energy saving project, we would advise a thorough investigation of insulation systems and materials as this is a rapidly developing sector.
FUTURE WORK
- New double glazing will be installed throughout the rest of the house in the next few months and, once complete, External Wall Insulation will be fitted to the last remaining solid double brick wall of the original bungalow.
- To maximise the output from our Photovoltaic Solar Panels, we are now considering the installation of a 6- kilowatt storage battery.
- To further reduce our dependence on fossil fuels we are investigating the economics of installing a Hybrid Air Source Heat Pump which will link to our existing gas-fired combi-boiler central heating and hot water system.
Disclaimer: Please note that EcoTrail-NG9 aims to provide information as accurately as possible but the information on this page has been provided by the property owner.
