What is the cost of turning a Victorian semi into an energy-efficient eco home? Not far short of £50,000, research by The Times has found. The cost of a complete retrofit is typically £37,000, according to Underpin and Makegood Contracting, which carries out refurbishments, with the biggest cost being double glazing, insulating walls and replacing inefficient boilers.
The environmentally-conscious can also fit a solar electricity system (which costs between £8,000 and £14,000) and a solar water-heating system (between £3,000 and £5,000).
Older homes are already about six times less energy-efficient than new- build properties, and efficiency regulations are about to get even tougher. The Government wants all new homes to be zero carbon from 2016, with mandatory improvements in energy efficiency for all new homes coming into effect next April.
The Home Builders Federation warned this week that the targets would add an average of £7,000 to the cost of a new home from next spring and up to £30,000 by 2016. But supporters of the plans say that improved efficiency saves the owners of new-build homes an estimated £556 a year on energy bills.
Owners of older houses can also make big savings. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that homeowners can save £400 a year on energy bills by investing in solid wall insulation and £150 a year on better loft insulation.
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Although turning an old home “eco” is a big expense, there are grants of up to £2,500 to help pay for the solar-power measures.