In winter 2020 we helped secure a £10,000 Government Green Homes Grant for new Sneinton homeowner, Ellen Angus.

Ellen was already renovating her property and was keen to switch her old gas central heating system to a green alternative.

Like with most terrace properties, they are cold, draughty and poorly insulated, which can result in high energy bills and damp and mould problems.

Ellen came to us for advice and we advised that an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) would be a good renewable heating choice. Living in a 2 bed mid terrace, the garden space although small, could accommodate the unit and the cellar would be good space to house the pipework and water tank.

ASHPs produce low temperature heating, so for a property to be suitable and for the system to work effectively the house must be well insulated. Ellen’s house is of Victorian build, it has solid brick walls, so does not have a cavity to fill, unlike houses built after the 1940s. The only way to insulate these sort of homes is by installing internal or external wall insulation. To keep the Victorian features of the house, Ellen decided to insulate internally, just on the inside on to the walls with windows.

As part of the renovations she opted to have underfloor heating throughout the downstairs which works really well with an ASHP.

Ellen and her home were featured as part of BBC East Midland’s COP26 feature which aired 25th October 2021. Learn more about her ASHP and her reasons behind it in this short video.

Video Source: BBC East Midlands

For further information on ASHPs, please download our ASHP miniguide.

In April 2022, the Government is set to release ASHP grants of £5,000. If you would like to be kept updated on this sign up to our newsletter and we will provide updates as and when we receive them.