CASE STUDY: Home ENergy Neighbourhoods
Widcombe
“We realised we didn’t have to figure this out alone.”
Five households on one street in Bath came together to discuss energy efficiency, and it changed how they approached home retrofit. They became pioneers of our Home Energy Neighbourhoods project.
Grade II listed terrace
5 neighbours
Listed Building Energy Assessment & Planning Advice
3+ bedrooms
Heat loss and draughts in a listed building
Type
Group members
BWCE Assessment
Size
Key issues
The neighbourhood
Our first neighbourhood is a group of five homes that are part of a listed terrace in the Widcombe area of Bath. Each householder received a detailed Home Energy Efficiency Plan (HEEP) tailored to their property, and because of the terrace’s listed status, they chose to receive a Level 0 survey from a B&NES Council Conservation Officer at the same time. This extra service helped ensure any suggestions in the assessment were suitable and sensitive in terms of listed building planning consent.
After receiving their reports, the group enjoyed a relaxed get-together at one of the homes, facilitated by Lead Assessor Sally Merrett. Each member of the group had a valuable opportunity to understand their reports, compare experiences and begin to understand what would work best across their similar properties. Some had already made retrofit improvements while other were just getting started, but everyone learned something useful.
What they discovered
During the get-together, Sally lead the group through the results of their HEEP reports prompting lots of discussion and uncovering things they hadn’t realised before, including:
Draught-proofing and loft insulation made a bigger difference than expected
Secondary glazing significantly reduced heat loss in historic windows
Some improvements were simpler and more affordable than assumed
A thermal image from one of the assessments clearly showed how effective secondary glazing had been, with far less heat escaping compared to untreated windows.
What happened next
Since the get-together, several of the group have taken action, including:
Making draught-proofing and ventilation improvements
Installing loft and wall insulation
Refurbishing windows and adding secondary glazing
The neighbours continue to share knowledge, contacts and encouragement, making the whole process feel more manageable.
For some on the street, the next step is exploring a heat pump – now with a clearer understanding that it is possible to install such technology in a listed home like theirs.
Are you interested in doing something similar on your street?
Find out more, register your interest and we’ll help you get started.
