1960s mid-terrace 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 1960s mid-terrace in Charlbury is typical of many homes built at the time, with cavity walls, solid floors, and a mix of pitched and flat roofs. Despite already having filled cavity walls, the property was losing heat and running up bills of over £1,100 a year.
With a Whole House Plan, the owners could see how each measure — from insulation to renewable energy – would cut carbon, improve comfort, and reduce bills, step by step.
Here’s what the plan revealed:
| Carbon emissions could be cut to almost zero |
| The EPC rating could rise from 70 C to 99 A |
| Annual fuel bills could drop from £1,152 to £140 |
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.
“Retrofitting insulation is so important for addressing climate change and making homes more comfortable. It’s really great to have a holistic overview of what we need to do and Cosy Homes provided this.”
Megan, Charlbury
Where this home stands now
House profile
| EPC rating | Current 70 C > Potential 99 A |
| Type | Mid-terrace |
| Built | 1960s |
| Location | Charlbury |
| Occupancy | Owner-occupied |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Floor area | 94m² |
| Walls | Cavity, filled |
| Floors | Solid |
| Roof | Pitched with loft plus flat roof |
| Windows | Double glazed, uPVC |
| Annual energy use | 15,300 kWh (163 kWh/m²) |
| Carbon emissions | 2.86 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 | ● | ● |
| Insulate roof of single-storey extension | ●●●● | ●● |
| Increase loft insulation to 300mm | ●●●● | ● |
| Insulate and draught-proof loft hatch | ●●●● | ●● |
| New insulated front door | ●●●●● | ●● |
| Ventilation improvements | ●●●●● | ●● |
| Major measures | Comfort & health | Disruption |
|---|---|---|
| Improve flat roof insulation | ●●●●● | ●●● |
| External wall insulation (to cavity walls) | ●●●●● | ●●● |
| New uPVC double/triple-glazed windows | ●●●●●● | ●●●● |
| Air source heat pump | ●●●●●● | ●●●● |
| Measure | Comfort & health | Disruption |
|---|---|---|
| Solar PV | ● | ●● |
Expert tip
“Flat roofs, when they reach the end of their life, can be upgraded to a warm roof to reduce heat loss.”
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 | – | 70 C | £1,152 | 2.86 t |
| Increase loft insulation | £1.4k–£1.8k | 71 C | £1,099 | 2.70 t |
| Insulate extension roof | £0.9k–£1.2k | 72 C | £1,085 | 2.66 t |
| External wall insulation | £20k–£24k | 74 C | £998 | 2.40 t |
| Triple glazed windows | £8.6k–£13.5k | 76 C | £883 | 2.06 t |
| New insulated front door | £2.1k–£2.7k | 77 C | £871 | 2.03 t |
| Ventilation improvements | £1.6k–£1.9k | 77 C | £871 | 2.03 t |
| Air source heat pump | £7.5k–£12.5k | 85 B | £647 | 0.36 t |
| Solar PV (3 kWp) | £4.5k–£6k | 99 A | £140 | 0.00 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 | 84 B | £658 | 2.50 t |
| Just heat pump | 77 C | £1,016 | 0.57 t |
| Solar + heat pump | 91 B | £501 | 0.21 t |
Expert tip
“Increasing loft insulation makes it a great time to install thermal lighthood covers over downlights. They enable continuous insulation and prevent moisture escaping into the loft.”
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 House Like Mine
This case study is part of A House Like Mine – a collection of real Oxfordshire homes used to model the potential of energy-saving upgrades.
Each one is based on a Whole House Plan: expert guidance on what could be done, what it might cost, and what difference it could make.
These homes haven’t had the work done – but they show what’s possible when you plan it properly.
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.