Housewarming 2024-25

Our Housewarming Programme aims to help homeowners prepare their homes for the future. This includes cutting energy use to meet net zero targets, phasing out fossil fuels, making homes heat-pump ready, and maintaining a comfortable temperature in both winter and summer.

We run events and provide a set of guides (see links below) to help navigate the overwhelming amount of information, build greater understanding of the options available and help homeowners to identify the right steps for their homes.

Upcoming Events 2024/2025

Drop-in: Visit at your convenience by dropping in any time between 10.30am and 2.30pm.

Reserve a slot with our expert: to reserve a one-on-one retrofit advice session with our energy efficiency expert Tony Duffin,  please email us at philippa.oconnor@lcon.org.uk

• Heat Pump myth-busting exhibition: all the facts you need about heat pumps.
• Careers guidance for school-leavers interested in heat pump installation courses and apprenticeships from Michael Huth, the Net Zero Skills Hub Manager, Abingdon and Witney College https:/Abingdon-witney.ac.uk.
• Heating Engineers are on hand with a model of a heat pump. They support Michael Huth at NZSH, Abingdon and Witney College and employ apprentices.
• Surgery with retrofit expert Tony Duffin to help answer more specific questions 1:1.

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2025 HOUSEWARMING RETROFIT SERIES

Reserve a Place: Contact the Housewarming Coordinator (philippa.oconnor@lcon.org.uk).

Previous participants have said:

“A very helpful introduction and overview of how to approach the retrofitting of a home.”
 
“The presenters were excellent and approachable and always willing to help”
 
“Honest and accurate information delivered in a friendly environment.”
 
“enormously helpful to hear from others who have either “started the journey” or had completed an entire project.”

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Reserve a slot with our expert: to reserve a one-on-one retrofit advice session with our energy efficiency expert Tony Duffin,  please email us at philippa.oconnor@lcon.org.uk

• Options and opportunities for generating and storing your own solar power.
• Surgery with retrofit expert Tony Duffin to answer your questions.
• Careers guidance for school leavers interested in solar and battery installation courses and apprenticeships from Michael Huth, the Net Zero Skills Hub Manager, Abingdon and Witney College https:/abingdon-witney.ac.uk.

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Housewarming Guides

LCON has produced a series of seven Housewarming Guides to support people who want to improve their homes. These guides, prepared by independent experts, walk through the options, considering key questions for each stage of any plans to ensure they will work for you and your home.

H1: Taking Stock

This guide provides techniques and approaches to help you identify your homes current status, including thermal images and what they tell you, Energy Performance Certificates and air tightness v air quality.

H2: Insulation

What are the options for insulation – roof, internal and external walls, floors?  How do different materials compare in effectiveness, environmental credentials and potential cost?

(And you can access the Energy Saving Homes Bite-size film ‘Insulating your walls, loft and floor’ here.)

H3: Windows and Doors

What is the difference between double and triple glazing? Will secondary glazing do? What’s a whole window U-value?

(And you can access the Energy Saving Homes Bite-size film ‘Glazing and ventilation’ here.)

H4: Draughts and Ventilation

What is a mechanical ventilation scheme and how does air stay healthy? Which draught proofing works best in different applications?

(And you can access the Energy Saving Homes Bite-size film ‘Glazing and ventilation’ here.)

H5: Heating and Controls

What is needed for air source and ground source heat pumps to work effectively and efficiently? What size of pump is needed and how can this be reduced?

(And you can access the Energy Saving Homes Bite-size film ‘Air-source heat pumps’ here.)

H6: Whole House Plan

Whole house surveys, planning a renovation – including timings and priorities.

H7: Electricity, Appliances and Home Renewables

This seventh guide focuses on electricity – how you might use it more efficiently in your electrical appliances and how you might generate it at home through renewable sources to save money and further reduce carbon emissions.

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Looking for Inspiration?

If you’re just starting to think about eco-renovation and want to find out a bit more first, you may want to take a look at the Energy Saving Homes bite-size films (2-4 minutes each), showing how home owners have put in place different measures to reduce their energy consumption and make their homes warmer in winter. The films cover similar topics to our Housewarming Guides.

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Hire a thermal imaging camera

One of the things a householder may want to do in the process of building a retrofit plan is to see where the heat is leaking out. We can see the contrast between the well-insulated bits of our homes and the leaky parts with the help of a thermal imaging camera. You can hire a camera for £20.00 for half a week from the Library of Things, SHARE Oxford.

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Keep up to date

If you would like to be notified of future events, contact the Housewarming Coordinator, philippa.oconnor@lcon.org.uk or join our mailing list.