Retrofitting our house
We are currently insulating and electrifying our 1980s terrace. We’re working on it during spare time while living there. We hope to be finished by end of 2024.
We stopped burning gas in July 2024.
Roadmap
In November 2022 we had a Retrofit Assessment from People Powered Retrofit. This gave us a great roadmap to a fossil-fuel-free house. It also alerted us to big problems with our ventilation and air quality.
We’ve chosen to improve these areas:
- Ventilation - install continuous mechanical ventilation
- Windows - replace degraded uPVC with high performance triple glazing
- Walls - survey and rectify missing cavity wall insulation
- Loft - remove Kingspan & insulate to 350mm throughout
- Heat pump - install and replace gas boiler
Progress so far:
- Installed rooftop solar panels & battery - September 2017
- Insulated downstairs toilet - November 2021
- Installed an iBoost solar hot water diverter - September 2021
- Replaced front door - July 2022
- Had a Home Retrofit Assessment by the excellent People Powered Retrofit - November 2022
- Removed Kingspan from loft - January 2023
- Replaced gas hobs with induction. - June 2023
- Installed Shelly smart plugs to automatically power off appliances.
- Sealed up various holes to improve airtightness
- Replaced loft hatch with air-tight model - September 2023
- Installed continuous mechanical ventilation (dMEV) - January 2024
- Installed triple-glazed Viking windows - January 2024
- Installed 5kW Vaillant heat pump & 250L tank - July 2024
- Disconnected gas supply - July 2024
Next up, roughly:
- Improve airtightness of loft floor / upstairs ceiling.
- Raise loft boarding and install 350-400mm mineral wool insulation.
- Install wind diverters to south-west facing eaves to prevent wind-washing.
- Remove existing (half-missing) wool cavity wall insulation & install polystyrene beads.
- Insulate around windows (reveals, heads, sills).
Resources
Historical gas consumption
| Year | Gas consumption (kWh) |
| 2020 | 5,421 |
| 2021 | 5,157 |
| 2022 | 3,180 |
| 2023 | 4,499 |
| 2024 | 2,352* |
*2024 consumption is incomplete: 1st January to 17th March 2024.
Progress log and notes
August 2023
- signed contract with People Powered Retrofit to make a Home Retrofit Plan
- sent window dimensions and layouts to Ecospheric for initial price
- cleared a load of wood from loft in prep for replacing boarding
- measured joists, trusses, loft hatch etc and modelled in Sketchup
- ordered air tight loft hatch (AT15) with U value 0.15 W/m²K
- received new loft hatch. measured and double checked dimensions.
destroyedremoved architrave from loft hatch- Ordered 6mm thick timber to reduce the width of the loft hatch between joists. The new airtight loft hatch needs a very precise hole to mate with its foam seals.
September 2023
- Emailed:
- Scandinavian Timber, - Very fast and conscientous reply.
- West Port, - honest reply, they can’t achieve 0.9W / m²K
- A&H Windows
- Installed timber strips into loft hatch, flush with ceiling plaster.
- Installed loft hatch into position. The ceiling needs fixing but the position and seal look good.
- Drew dMEV design onto floorplan
- Finished draft ventilation design, sent to People Powered Retrofit
- Ordered ventilation fans, acoustic ventilators, CO₂ sensors
- Emailed Retrofit Windows in Shrewsbury (suggested by Ecospheric as they offer supply and install)
- Pestered People Powered Retrofit to start the Home Retrofit Plan