Our showcase home is No 73 Chester Road, a semi-detached Victorian house in a North London conservation area. Like most of the UK’s old housing stock, its energy performance was well below current acceptable standards. Heating bills were high, the house was cold and draughty, and it suffered from condensation. But in 2007, under the direction of Sarah Harrison, it was transformed into a home fit for the 21st century.

All the external walls and the roof were insulated, and windows, doors and floors draught-sealed to reduce heat loss. A wood-burning stove now provides warmth for the main living area. Water is heated by solar thermal panels, reducing the gas needed for water heating by 75%.

The original sash windows at the front and new windows at the rear all have argon-filled double-glazing and low-‘e’ glass that reduces heat loss. Low energy lights and applicances are used throughout the house.

Restricting valves limit the flow of water into the sink, shower and wash-basins. The garden is watered with rainwater collected from the roof in a ‘water-wall’, and bathwater can be diverted to the garden in dry weather.

As a result of this refurbishment, carbon emissions were reduced by nearly 70% and water consumption by over 30%. According to the Sustainable Development Commission, ‘73 Chester Road is an exemplar of how heritage and energy conservation can be brought together.’

The house has been written about in The Times and The Independent. Click on the links to read the articles.

No 73 is open to the public several times a year, and can also be visited privately by prior arrangement. For more information, see Other services.