Eleanor and Chris live in a 1930s three-bedroom end-of-terrace house in Hunsdon Road, East Oxford. Like many homes of this period, it had cavity walls, bay windows, and a gas boiler.

The house was often difficult to keep warm. In winter, they used to set the thermostat at around 19°C when the heating was on. Working from home meant wearing pullovers and using hot water bottles to stay comfortable.

They decided to focus their retrofit on the main living area – a combined kitchen, dining room, and living room where triple glazing has now been installed. The Cosy Homes Oxfordshire team tailored their advice to improve the home’s energy efficiency in a way that suited them.

“Sixteen years ago we weren’t really aware of saving energy at all, and we had our thermostat up at 21°C, or something like that. But we’ve reduced the temperature setting, partly because of climate change, partly because of rising fuel bills.” says Eleanor, East Oxford

What motivated their retrofit?

Eleanor and Chris had long worried about the impact of climate change and felt a personal responsibility to reduce the carbon emissions of their 1930s East Oxford home.

The couple had both recently retired, giving them the time and funds to act. Rising fuel bills made the decision feel urgent, and they saw retrofit as an investment to make their home cheaper to run in the future.

They also wanted their project to inspire others locally, showing neighbours in similar 1930s houses what could be achieved.

Identifying the problems

While planning upgrades to insulation and draught-proofing, they knew they would also need to improve ventilation and create good airflow to avoid any potential dampness issues.

Eight years earlier, before beginning their retrofit journey, they had commissioned a thermal image of their house. It revealed a massive heat leak from the bay windows — a problem shared by around 200 similar homes in the estate. The images showed that heat escaped mainly from the junction between the bay window and the wall.

The front door, with its single-glazed glass panels, was another weak point. By comparison, neighbouring houses with an extra external front door showed much better heat retention.

They had installed 10cm of loft insulation and cavity wall insulation 12 years before, using a government grant. However, they later discovered the work had not been done properly, and some of the cavity wall insulation had sagged, reducing its effectiveness.

Although certain areas of the home already had double glazing, it was starting to fail. Condensation formed on the inside of panes, and some window frames had begun to buckle.

Measures installed

The retrofit measures included:

• External wall insulation
• Loft insulation and boarding, and insulated loft hatch
• High-performance triple-glazed doors and windows
• Demand controlled ventilation

They commissioned the Whole House Plan, which suggested installing an Air Source Heat Pump. The couple planned to proceed with this once their home met a high standard of insulation.

Guidance and whole house planning

Cosy Homes Oxfordshire worked with Eleanor and Chris to develop a Whole House Plan, setting out the most important energy-efficient improvements for their home and the best order to carry them out. The goal was to boost energy efficiency as much as possible while making sure every step worked together.

Taking on a retrofit project can be very technical, and the couple recognised the value of having expert guidance to help them understand what would make the biggest difference.

“If we’re going to spend money on a big measure such as loft insulation, we want to make sure it’s properly done.” Chris, East Oxford

When it came to installing loft insulation, Eleanor and Chris used the plan to brief their contractor and were able to make sure any issues were dealt with properly.

They valued the fact that Cosy Homes looks at the whole house rather than just individual measures. With advice from their Retrofit Coordinator, they were able to explore a range of improvements and understand how each would fit together to significantly reduce their home’s carbon footprint in the long run.

Estimated savings

Savings are based on Whole House Plan estimates and following the recommended measures. The following savings are estimated for the home calculated in November 2022:

• 27% saving on carbon emissions, from 3.07 tonnes to 2.23 tonnes
• 26% saving on fuel bills, from £1,590 to £1,180 per year
• A boost from EPC rating from C to B

“We’re delighted with the Cosy Homes team. As neither of us is tech-savvy, we truly appreciate and value the guidance and advice they’ve provided.” Eleanor, East Oxford

Watch Elenor proudly demonstrate the benefits of retrofitting her own home by taking part in the Clean Heat Streets heat pump project in Rose Hill and Iffley, Oxford.