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Nottingham Eco House

We’ve teamed up with Nottingham Trent University and Nottingham Energy Partnership to create an Eco House for the area.

Unlike many Eco Homes, which use expensive technology, we will covert a small terraced house on a small budget.

The Eco House will provide local people with free workshops, support and information to help them save money on fuel and water metered bills, very simply and cheaply. It will show people what’s possible with little money and very little space - including how to grow your own healthy food in a backyard.

It will help reduce your carbon footprint without costing you the earth!

News of the Hyson Green Eco House launch date will be soon, but until then, to find out more about the Eco House project or to volunteer to help run activities, please contact:

Moby Farrands on 0115 970 8200 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)


Hyson Green LEAF Home Energy Makeover Project
In January 2012 the Partnership Council and Nottingham Energy Partnership successfully won LEAF (Local Energy Assessment Fund) funding. This will give direct help to Hyson Green residents in hard to heat homes to take up energy efficiency measures in their homes. 
Working with the City’s flagship home insulation scheme, Nottingham Warm Zone, the project aims to:

      Collect 400 energy assessments across the area, to help owners understand the money saving impact of possible improvements to their houses.

      Help residents get free insulation for un-insulated lofts and empty cavity walls
      Sign up residents for the Warm Homes discount, a £130 rebate off electricity bills for vulnerable households, via our team of Warm Home Apprentices
      Complete 500 solar electricity desk top surveys, to check if any houses are suitable to generate energy.
      Commence work on Hyson Green Eco House by installing solid wall insulation in order to demonstrate how it works for residents who may find funding or be given grant opportunities.


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      Deliver practical Energy Workshops to help residents save money and energy in their homes -

    Hyson Green Library, Gregory Boulevard
    Mon 26th March (Part 1) and Mon 2nd April (Part 2) 1.30pm - 3.30pm
    Bridge Centre, opposite Hyson Green Post Office
    Wednesday 28th March 10.30am - 12.30pm

    The project aims are to be delivered before April 2012, however improvements to the area will not stop there.
    Hyson Green Eco House is planned for a small house on St. Paul’s Terrace by the Partnership Council workers and local volunteers. Free workshops will be available on practical energy saving repairs and improvements. Volunteers will offer to support local householders to make improvements in their own homes, using Partnership Council equipment and recycled materials where possible.  Help and information will be available for tenants and home owners, with the aim of reducing fuel bills and household costs, helping people apply for grants where available. The Eco House planning group will work with Nottingham Energy Partnership to look at possibilities around governance and funding in order to maximise opportunities for the local community.
    A feasibility study will look at trying to gain additional improvements for the local area and further support for local families experiencing fuel poverty,  drawing on NEP’s extensive project experience in supporting the award winning Meadows ESCo and the £4.2m solid wall insulation known as Aspley Super Warm Zone, and will make the connections with social enterprise and local ownership.

    Please note: If you are a Nottingham resident your home may be eligible for FREE home insulation, please call the Warm Zone team on 0844 499 1920 or apply online.
    The page can be found here: http://www.nottenergy.com/projects/domestic/hyson_green_leaf/


    Hints & Tips

    Here are just some of the practical DIY measures the Eco House project will be putting into action all of which can be carried out by homeowners and tenants for very little money.

    Foil backing radiators to conserve heat

    Placing aluminium foil behind your radiators is a very inexpensive way of conserving heat. It works by reflecting heat back into the room and it works especially well on radiators located on outside walls, where heat can easily escape outdoors and be lost. You can use ordinary tin foil or for even better results you can buy specially designed radiator foil from DIY stores. Simply place foil behind your radiator/s with the shiny side facing outwards and the dull side facing the wall. To secure foil, try use double-sided sticky pads.

    Insulating floorboards

    You may be surprised to know that you lose more heat through your floorboards than you do through your roof! Insulating your floor will reduce your carbon footprint by 350kg of CO2 a year whilst helping to keep your home warm and your heating bills down. You only need to insulate your lowest floor too, as that’s where the heat is lost. You can insulate under your floorboards for around £90 yourself, or if you don’t fancy taking your floorboards up, you can insulate between them and a carpet, using underlay. A cheap option for renters is to fill floorboard gaps with thin strips of newspaper and then seal with a clear silicone sealant (available from DIY shops). Naturally, covering floorboards with carpet or rugs will help too.

    DIY secondary glazing

    Secondary glazing is a cheaper, simpler alternative to double glazing and although not quite as effective, it’ll still keep heat in and help keep noise out. A fifth of your home’s heat is lost through your windows so it’s well worth taking the time to sort them out. The cheapest form of secondary glazing involves fixing plastic film to your window with double sided tape, leaving a gap of around 100mm between the film and the original window pane, then applying heat from a hairdryer to ensure the plastic is shrunk to fit. Closing your curtains at dusk will also help to keep heat in!

    For more green DIY ideas visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/