interview with a sustainable homeowner
We recently visited a sustainable homeowner in West Oxfordshire to find out more about the real benefits and challenges of the entire installation process.
With three in four Brits wanting to invest in eco-features on their home*1, there’s a growing market for sustainable measures that shows no sign of slowing down soon. Despite this huge swell of positive intention, making upgrades to our homes is still (nearly always) a stressful period, no matter how well you have planned your project.
We spoke to Milly Chen – who’s made what we think is nearly a clean sweep of sustainable upgrades to her home – to find out more about the process, the positives (and negatives) of her projects, and any advice she has for other homeowners on a green journey.
Q. Could you tell us a bit about your home and the renewable/energy efficiency upgrades you’ve made?
A. Our house is a bungalow and around 100 years old. When we moved in, the EPC rating was a D. Since then, we have made some changes (insulated wall cavity, added solar panels plus battery, and changed a gas boiler to heat pump). The EPC rating is now a B.
Q. What first made you interested in installing renewable energy systems?
A. We read a lot about the global warming and experienced the changes in the climate in our own lives. Twenty years ago, we could see thick snows in the winter and enjoyed the truly magical Christmases. Now, the snow is becoming rare here and hardly lasts. We miss those times when we could build a snowman in our garden and sledge down the village hill.
Q. Was there a particular moment or motivation that inspired you to take action?
Doing what we can for the environment was, and is the main driver, but financial incentives certainly help. After installing the solar panels and battery, our energy bill has reduced substantially. For the heat pump, the grant from the government made it much more affordable. We didn’t know how long the government grant would be around for, so we took the opportunity to replace our gas boiler when it was getting quite old.
Q. Were there any challenges with permissions or planning (especially being in an Oxfordshire village)?
A. Our house is not listed, so that made it easier to make changes. The solar panel provider sorted out the building regulation and certification for us. Similarly for the heat pump, the installer helped us in applying for the government grant.
Q. What was the installation process like? How long did it take? Were there any surprises or lessons learned along the way?
A. The solar panel and battery installation was quite quick. The scaffolding was put up in advance. Then, the actual installation was done in one to two days. Much of this work was outside (on the roof or in the loft), so there wasn’t too much disturbance to our daily lives.
The heat pump work is bigger. There was a survey at the start to see which radiators need replacing (since a heat pump runs on lower temperature, it requires radiators with sufficient surface area. Some of our radiators had to be changed). Once all the changes were planned and agreed, the actual heat pump installation took around one week. There was a follow up to check that everything was working ok. The installer team was very professional and tried to keep the disruption to minimum.
In terms of lessons learned, getting more than one quote is a good idea, unless the provider comes with very good recommendations. We received three quotes for solar panels, and one was twice as much for similar panels and battery. Similarly for heat pump, some providers quote for the heat pump only, and required us to find plumbers separately. We felt this is too complicated, and chose one with an all-inclusive package, who also carries out an annual service after.
In terms of surprises, we didn’t realise that our electric cable needs changing, since there is bigger flow of electricity with solar panels, heat pump and an electric vehicle. It may be worth asking the provider at beginning if the cable needs changing, and see if possible to include that in the package.
Q. Has your household energy consumption or comfort changed? What difference have the installations made to your energy bills?
A. Our house is comfortable and warm with the heat pump. The heat pump unit is in front of our office window, but we don’t find it noisy inside.
The annual energy bills for us are around halved, after we installed the solar panels and battery. The initial costs of installing could potentially be recovered in around five to seven years. The warranty for solar panels and battery is longer. We feel it is a good long-term investment, as well as doing good for the planet.
Q. Is there anything you’d do differently if you were starting again?
We would probably have chose a bigger inverter for the solar panels. We didn’t know too much at start, and we chose the inverter that was big enough for the number of solar panels we wanted at the time. Later, we wanted to add more panels and realised that our inverter isn’t big enough to handle more panels. The price for a bigger inverter is more, although it allows flexibility down the line if you think you may add more panels in the future (the panels are relatively cheap). Visiting or speaking with someone who made similar changes is a good idea!
Milly Chen’s home is based withing the CAPZero area, where we’re modelling how a cluster of communities can create a zero-carbon energy system. Find out more below.
ProgrammeCommunity Action Plan for Zero-Carbon Energy (CAPZero)
Our Community Action Plan for Zero-Carbon Energy is the first of its kind in the UK. It models how a cluster of communities in West Oxfordshire can create a zero-carbon energy system in their local area, in a way that works for them. It is a plan developed by community representatives together with experts, and…Find out more*1: https://cardboard.org.uk/news/home-green-home/