When a 1970s mid-terrace house in Eynsham, plagued by cold spots, damp cladding, and high energy bills, underwent a full eco-refurbishment, it faced unexpected challenges, including asbestos removal.

With guidance from Cosy Homes Oxfordshire, the project not only improved comfort but drastically cut energy costs. Read on to discover how this cold property was transformed into a warm, efficient home.

A cold home transformed

Sitting with Erica, a retired primary school teacher, in her sunny, warm living room in Eynsham, she speaks with a calm, reflective tone about her retrofit journey with Cosy Homes Oxfordshire. Her good humour and relaxed demeanour make it hard to believe that just a few months ago, as the work was about to start, she was devastated to hear that asbestos had been discovered in her home. 

Though it was a challenging time, Erica says she felt reassured by the expert guidance from Cosy Homes Oxfordshire. Their support helped her manage the asbestos issue and ensured that her project stayed on track. 

Despite these unforeseen challenges, Erica’s experience is a testament to how even the most daunting obstacles can be overcome with the right help, leading to a warmer, healthier, and more energy-efficient home. 

A home that was hard to heat

Erica’s three-bedroom, 1970s mid-terrace home had significant insulation issues that made it difficult to heat. The bedroom above her uninsulated garage was particularly cold, and her loft had only minimal insulation, which left the house uncomfortable in colder weather. 

For years, Erica balanced working full-time and raising her family, using the loft for storage. It took her ten years to clear it out and finally install proper insulation, a key step in making the house warmer and more energy efficient. 

The house is heated by a single, large electric night storage heater, which distributes warm air to the two rooms downstairs and the first-floor landing. However, when the system ran continuously due to a faulty meter, Erica’s energy use and costs temporarily soared. After the meter was repaired, she was able to manage her energy use, but the underlying insulation issues continued to drive up heating expenses. 

A new outlook after a long winter

When Erica moved from Scotland to Eynsham, she thought she was prepared for cold weather, but she found her new home was freezing in winter and uncomfortably hot in summer, especially due to large south-facing windows. For years, she made do with curtains as insulation, but during the COVID pandemic, as she spent more time at home, she realised just how uncomfortable her house really was. 

With her children grown and a retirement lump sum available, Erica decided it was time to invest in lasting energy-saving improvements to make her home comfortable all year-round. 

Photos, from top left: The house with its old plastic cladding. Middle: Exposed blockwork before external wall insulation was applied, with soffits and guttering removed ahead of window and door installation. Below: The house, fully insulated and freshly rendered.

Prioritising energy efficiency in retirement

Comfort wasn’t Erica’s only concern. She wanted to reduce her carbon footprint, lower her energy bills, and prepare her home for retirement. Improving her home’s insulation and energy efficiency would also make it easier for her children to maintain or sell the property in the future. 

Finding the right support for the project

Erica was first introduced to Cosy Homes Oxfordshire at a community energy-saving event organised by Green TEA, a low carbon community group in Eynsham. After speaking with a Retrofit Coordinator from Cosy Homes Oxfordshire, who was also a member of Green TEA, Erica used Plan Builder,  CHO’s free online advice tool to explore her options for improving her home’s energy efficiency. 

Encouraged by the positive things her daughter’s partner – an energy assessor who worked with Cosy Homes Oxfordshire – had to say about the service, Erica felt confident in choosing them for her retrofit project. 

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The challenges

Dealing with poor insulation and damp cladding

Erica’s house had significant insulation and damp issues. The loft had 25mm of insulation, and there was no cavity wall insulation, which led to cold spots throughout the home. The exterior PVC cladding became damp and covered in black mould every winter, requiring constant cleaning. 

Although Erica upgraded to double glazing in the 1990s, the windows had since deteriorated, leading to draughts. Upstairs, the external walls consisted of a single layer of block with PVC cladding, while the ground floor had suspended uninsulated wooden floors, contributing further to heat loss. The electric heating system struggled to warm the entire house, leaving some rooms cold and leading to increased energy costs. 

Insulation issues

Before the project started it was suggested that due to the age of the building and the closeness of the soffits to the top of the upstairs window frames, checks should be carried out for asbestos. Asbestos was discovered in the soffits, which temporarily halted work and required adjustments to the timeline. With the asbestos removed, the windows and doors were upgraded and the rest of the work proceeded as planned. External wall insulation replaced the damp PVC cladding, eliminating cold spots throughout the home. Cavity wall insulation was also added internally, further enhancing overall warmth. 

To improve ventilation and prevent dampness, a decentralised mechanical extract ventilation system (dMEV – decentralised Mechanical Extract Ventilation) was installed, with trickle vents fitted in all habitable rooms. Additional improvements included replacing the Perspex roof in the utility room with double-glazed glass for better insulation. Finally, internal wall insulation was added to the garage walls and ceiling, resolving the issue of the cold bedroom above the garage and ensuring warmth throughout the home. 

Overcoming the asbestos challenge

Removing asbestos safely was a major hurdle, but Erica’s Retrofit Coordinator helped her find a trusted company to handle the situation.  

Asbestos, common in homes built in the 1970s, was found in Erica’s soffits. Removing the asbestos was crucial to safely installing the external wall insulation and ventilation system. The asbestos survey revealed both Chrysotile (white asbestos) and Amosite (brown asbestos), but luckily, they were only in the soffits. 

Finding a reliable asbestos removal company was initially a challenge, but with support from Cosy Homes Oxfordshire, Erica found a skilled local team able to navigate the unique difficulties of the site: “I was very worried by the discovery of asbestos, but it was so helpful being part of an umbrella organisation like Cosy Homes, as they helped find a specialist company to take care of the situation.” 

Since the property was mid-terrace with neighbouring gardens on both sides, it wasn’t possible to extract the asbestos externally from the back. Instead, the team carefully constructed an airtight extraction tunnel through the house to a decontamination unit (see photo above) at the front, ensuring safe containment. 

Another challenge was setting up safe scaffolding steps in Erica’s sloped garden, which featured raised flowerbeds. The scaffolders managed to fit the wide steps into a narrow space, allowing trained operatives to manoeuvre safely during the removal. The work was carried out swiftly and professionally, ensuring the safety and comfort of Erica and her neighbours. 

The work required fine-tuned precision and careful handling to ensure everyone’s safety. Reflecting on the experience, Erica thought it would be helpful in future if grants were available to residents to support asbestos removal, especially to support more retrofits to progress safely and cost-effectively. 

The outcome

A warmer, more comfortable home at last

Now that the refurbishment is complete, Erica is thrilled with the results. Her home is much warmer and more comfortable, and she only needs to use the night storage heater occasionally. Her energy bills have significantly decreased, and her energy usage has dropped by about a third. What was once a cold, inefficient house is now a cosy, energy-efficient home – perfect for her retirement. 

Looking back, Erica is delighted with the transformation and is enjoying a home that is not only warm but also future-proofed.

“I’ve found that in the colder winter months, it is now possible to use my old night storage system at a considerably lower temperature to maintain a stable, reliable but still cosy background warmth.”  Erica, Homeowner

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Measures included in Erica’s eco home improvement project:

• Installation of Cavity wall insulation 
• Removal of asbestos 
• Loft insulation 
• External wall insulation 
• Internal wall insulation (garage) 
• Upgrade of double-glazed windows and doors 
• Ventilation system installation