Professors at the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI) are quite literally putting their homes where their values are — opening their doors to showcase the practical energy-saving measures they’ve installed, from triple glazing and wall insulation to solar panels and air-source heat pumps.
They are taking part in Oxford’s Energy Saving Homes weekend (13–14 September), part of Oxford Open Doors and the national Heritage Open Days festival.
Three ECI academics are among the households demonstrating a wide range of pioneering improvements that go far beyond “green” gestures, showing what it really means to live in an energy-efficient home.
Examples of measures on display include solid wall, loft and underfloor insulation, advanced glazing, solar PV and solar water heating, air source heat pumps, water-saving devices, and EV chargers.
The ECI homes featured are:
- Headington: a 1900s semi, extensively retrofitted
- Cowley: an 1880s Victorian end-of-terrace
- Summertown: a 1904 terraced house
Visitors will be able to see first-hand how different types of homes can be transformed to reduce energy use and bills.
The weekend also includes families from the Clean Heat Streets project — co-led by the ECI — where households are trialling low-carbon heating technologies.
Dr Tina Fawcett, Senior Researcher and Associate Professor at the ECI, said:
We always enjoy welcoming people to our home to discuss the practicalities of comfortable, lower-carbon living, and look forward to sharing information about our latest addition – an air source heat pump.
Dr Brenda Boardman, Emeritus Research Fellow at the ECI, added:
Every time someone comes to visit us on an Open Day we end up having a fascinating discussion. This covers what we have done to improve our home and what they are trying to do to theirs. We often discover unnecessary worries, confusion over terminology and gaps in their knowledge. The end result, hopefully, is someone who is more confident about the next stage in their energy efficiency journey.”
Prof Jan Rosenow, Energy Programme Leader and Professor of Energy and Climate Policy at the ECI, said:
Showing people a home that no longer uses fossil fuels is always a joy. Mostly people are surprised how ordinary our house is."