Open Eco Homes 2014

Do you like looking at other people's homes to see what they have done to them? Are you curious about what you can do to save energy at home? If so, come to Open Eco Homes 2014 (Sunday 14th Sep and Saturday 20th Sep).  This is now the 5th time that Cambridge Carbon Footprint has run the event and there are 17 homes open, with a range of ages from 1840s to new build. (I've seen the one in North St. and it's fabulous.)  Some people do it DIY, others use professionals. You are bound to pick up some great new ideas. Last year, I learnt about when to use aerogel, and the importance of draught proofing suspended floors - read my post here. Also, this year there will be a series of workshops and follow up events.


The first time we opened up our house for Open Eco Homes we hadn't actually finished work on it and we had to ask people to take care not to step on the missing floorboards and so on. You can see some of the pictures of the work we had done here.

Of course energy saving isn't just about the insulation, draught proofing, heating systems, solar panels and so on - it's also about what you do with them. For example, if you have solar panels, there are various things you can do to get the best out of them (see Optimising Your Solar Water Heating). Visiting Open Eco Homes is a great way to get tips and benefit from other people's experience.

Do have a look if you are in this area and maybe we will bump into each other.