ECO HOME

FROM

FTOB

Homeowners, developers and landlords have a responsibility to the planet – and they can reduce their energy bills substantially too. We talk to one landlord, whose Muswell Hill home is currently let by KFH, to show what can be done

T

he 2009 fi lm The Age of Stupid saw an archivist in the year 2055 looking back at how we missed the chance to tackle climate change and save the planet, asking: “Why didn’t we do anything?” Well, James and Tatiana Tanner did do something. “We saw The Age of Stupid and afterwards wanted to learn more about global warming,” James recounts. “We then understood a lot more about the impact we have on the planet and realised how essential it is that we all live sustainably at home.”

Rather than just talking about it, the Tanners got to work on their fi ve-bedroom Muswell Hill property. Perhaps refl ecting a key issue in the world today, James says he was surprised how di cult it was to fi nd a professional to guide them at a reasonable price. They wanted to undertake a retrofi t of the entire house, all the while retaining the original Edwardian features. It was a challenge, James says, but one the husband and wife team took on enthusiastically.

Visiting the property today, which is currently being let through KFH, the beautiful Edwardian façade looks just like its neighbours, and inside you realise being eco-conscious doesn’t mean sacrifi cing design and comfort. The changes made by the Tanners has seen the property’s EPC rating jump from F to B. An EPC (Energy Performance Certifi cate) gives a property an energy e ciency rating from A (most e cient) to G (least e cient) and is valid for ten years. “The Government has proposed that landlords cannot rent out their property unless their EPC is a minimum of C by 2025,” James adds. “They also propose that all properties have a minimum EPC of C by 2035.”

You can see at a glance the changes made by the Tanners to help improve the property’s energy e ciency, such as installing LED lighting, and James has also applied the same approach to his portfolio of properties – as a result, his tenants are reaping the benefi ts. “They have a warm house, which needs little heating. It does not get cold in the winter – there are no draughts or mould – or hot in the summer. As a result, they have low energy bills.”

As well as the EPC rating target, and helping the planet too, the fi nancial benefi ts long term are unquestionable, with James saying they have saved “about £20,000” since making all the changes to the Muswell Hill home some eight years ago, with heating bills reduced from £2,500 pa to £900 pa. Maybe in 2055 people will look back at properties like this as a time when things changed for the better. 

Being eco-conscious doesn't mean sacrifi cing quality design

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ways the Tanners improved their EPC rating

1 They replaced the boiler for a highly e cient condensing combi gas boiler, with a programmer so they can set the heating and hot water times. 2 A thermostat to control the hot water temperature was installed. 3 They added thermostat radiator controls on the radiators. 4 LED lighting and sensor lighting was introduced externally. 5 Internal wall insulation was created by using natural breathable materials. 6 Under fl oor insulation was implemented on the ground fl oor. 7 The loft and roof were insulated. 8 They replaced single glazed windows with Low-E argon gas fi lled double glazed windows, then draught proofed them. 9 Solar PV panels with an immersion heater were introduced so excess electricity can be generated, but when not used can make hot water. 10 They added passive air vents to each fl oor. 11 Fireplaces were blocked to stop cold air entering the property. 12 They replaced their electricity provider for one who generates 100% of their energy from renewable energy.

Tatiana and James Tanner