| Age
is no barrier to saving energy A period
cottage wins a Green Holidays Gold Award for a rental property
with a renewable energy system. Even
if you property is a period piece, history need not be a barrier
to saving energy and money. Take, for example, this story
of a period cottage used as a rental property. Though
small – 10 metres by five – the owner wanted to
make his property as green as possible and so consulted the
local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre. Their advice took two
forms: step one was to install a renewable energy system to
make use of the natural heat energy from the grounds around
the cottage. Step two was simple – install some insulation
to maintain as much heat as possible. Though
the work to install a renewable energy system was by no means
the cheapest option, the advisor from the Energy Efficiency
Advice Centre was also able to broker a grant scheme to offset
some of the cost. The work entails drilling a hole about a
metre into the ground to bury a pump that extracts heat from
underground – being hidden the system doesn’t
affect the beauty of the property. Insulation
took the form of a layer of polystyrene underfloor insulation
and preparing the internal walls with a damp-proof membrane,
foil-backed plasterboard and period wood panelling. The roof
– often the source of great heat loss – was tackled
with the installation of fibreglass. 
The
owner remarked “I’ve always been very keen on
offering a rental property that was environmentally friendly.
The advice and support from the local Energy Efficiency Centre
was invaluable – especially as this was an out-of-the-ordinary
property in the first place. “Not
only did the advisor help by suggesting what could be done,
but a grant scheme brokered by him helped with a substantial
chunk of the heating system costs. As a result of the changes,
the heating system now costs me the equivalent of running
a chest freezer. My holiday cottage has also been awarded
a prestigious Gold Award from the Green Holidays brochure.
Contact your local Energy Efficiency
Advice Centre, call free on
0800 512 012
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