1900s detached home
Could your home be made warmer, cheaper to run, and better for the planet? See what’s possible when you take a whole-home approach to planning energy upgrades.
What’s the potential of a home like this?
This 1900s detached home in Botley, Oxford, is typical of many older houses in the city. With solid brick walls, suspended timber floors, bay windows, and a mix of single and double glazing, it faced high energy use and draughts.
The owners were concerned about rising energy bills, damp in the bathroom, and cold spots around windows and floors. By commissioning a Whole House Plan, they were able to see the impact of measures such as insulation, ventilation, new glazing, and renewable energy.
Here’s what the plan revealed:
| Carbon emissions could be cut by over 90% |
| The EPC rating could rise from 47 E to 92 A |
| Annual fuel bills could drop from around £3,225 to under £600 |
You don’t have to carry out every measure at once. The Whole House Plan gives you a roadmap so you can make improvements in your own time, at your own pace, and within your budget.
“We were aware of rising energy costs and thought, ‘OK, let’s give the Whole House Plan a try.’ Our main concerns were heating costs and damp issues. We were also looking for solutions like a new front door, humidity controls, and floor insulation.”
Cathy and Justyn, Botley, Oxford
Where this home stands now
House profile
| EPC rating | Current 47 E > Potential 92 A |
| Type | Detached |
| Built | 1900s |
| Location | Botley, Oxford |
| Occupancy | Owner-occupied |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Floor area | 138m² |
| Walls | Solid brick |
| Floors | Suspended timber |
| Roof | Pitched with loft |
| Windows | Combination of single and double glazing (timber and uPVC, bay windows) |
| Annual energy use | 38,180 kWh (276 kWh/m²) |
| Carbon emissions | 7.1 tonnes CO2/year |
The EPC rating: now vs potential
An EPC rates your home’s energy efficiency – from A (best) to G (worst). A higher score can mean lower bills, but it doesn’t guarantee comfort. Whole-home upgrades help bridge that gap.
Long-term comfort, short-term disruption
| Key to tables: | Low impact: • | High impact: •••••• |
| Minor measures | Comfort & health | Disruption |
|---|---|---|
| Low energy lighting | ● | ● |
| Draught-excluder to open chimney flue | ●● | ● |
| Insulate and draught-proof loft hatch | ●●●● | ● |
| Cavity wall insulation | ●●●● | ●● |
| New insulated front door + windows | ●●●●● | ●● |
| Ventilation improvements | ●●●●● | ●● |
| Major measures | Comfort & health | Disruption |
|---|---|---|
| External wall insulation | ●●●●● | ●●● |
| Suspended timber floor insulation | ●●●●● | ●●● |
| New triple-glazed windows | ●●●●●● | ●●●● |
| Air source heat pump | ●●●●●● | ●●●● |
| Measure | Comfort & health | Disruption |
|---|---|---|
| Solar PV | ● | ●● |
Expert tip
“The door and surrounding windows are single glazed and draughty, causing the hall and stairs to be cold. Replacing the entire door unit with a new one that meets current building regulation standards will significantly improve the situation.”
Geordie Stewart, Scheme Manager
The difference each step could make
These figures show how each recommended measure could affect the home’s EPC rating, energy bills, and carbon emissions – if installed in the order shown. They’re based on a full Whole House Plan tailored to this property.
| Measure | Est. cost | EPC | Fuel bill | CO₂/year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where you are now | – | 47 E | £3,225 | 7.06 t |
| Draught-excluder to chimney flue | £50–£100 | 48 E | £3,155 | 6.89 t |
| Increase loft insulation | £2k–£2.5k | 56 D | £2,646 | 5.70 t |
| External wall insulation | £40k–£50k | 71 C | £1,703 | 3.49 t |
| Ventilation improvements | £1.5k–£2.5k | 71 C | £1,703 | 3.49 t |
| Floor insulation | £8k–£12k | 74 C | £1,511 | 3.04 t |
| Triple glazed windows | £16k–£20k | 76 C | £1,395 | 2.76 t |
| Insulated door + windows | £4.5k–£6k | 76 C | £1,354 | 2.67 t |
| Air source heat pump | £13.5k–£17.5k | 81 B | £1,231 | 0.58 t |
| Solar PV (4 kWp) | £5.5k–£7.5k | 92 A | £599 | 0.18 t |
Boost your EPC rating
Installing a single major system like a heat pump or solar panels can still make a big difference. These examples show how individual upgrades could shift the home’s EPC and reduce carbon emissions – even before doing everything else.
| Upgrade option | EPC rating | Fuel bill | CO₂ emissions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just solar PV | 82 B | £1,098 | 3.08 t |
| Just heat pump | 77 C | £1,496 | 0.71 t |
| Solar + heat pump | 88 B | £861 | 0.31 t |
Expert tip
“Detached houses lose a lot of their heat through their walls. The measure that will have the greatest impact on reducing heat losses and improving comfort levels for this house is external wall insulation.”
Natasha Ginks, Retrofit Coordinator
Wondering what’s right for your home?
A Whole House Plan gives you expert, independent advice on the best steps to take – and in what order – so every upgrade really works.
Don’t put it off another year. Take the first step with a free consultation. Our team of experienced Retrofit Advisers will listen to your goals, help you understand what’s possible, and outline the best next steps – no pressure, no obligation.
Smarter home upgrades. Backed by trusted retrofit expertise.
A partnership project
A House Like Mine is an Oxford City Council initiative, delivered as part of the Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership (ZCOP) in collaboration with Cosy Homes Oxfordshire. The idea was first developed through case studies in Charlbury, and has since been expanded to show what’s possible for homes across Oxford and Oxfordshire.
It’s designed to help you take the first step towards making your home cosy, energy-efficient, and ready for the future. Step by step.
A House Like Mine was funded by the MCS Foundation, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, and Lucy Group. The case studies are licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence (creativecommons.org).
Prefer a PDF version?
Download a shareable PDF of this case study – perfect for your community group, local class, or anyone curious about improving home energy efficiency.
We’re making this resource freely available to raise awareness of how retrofitting – upgrading your home to use less energy and stay comfortable year-round – can make a real difference.
Click here to download the PDF