Green Open Homes Week ran from 22 to 29 June 2022, with 38 Oxford households opening their doors to visitors to show energy saving measures they had installed1. The wider Energy Saving Homes project was a collaboration between nine low carbon community groups, led by Rose Hill & Iffley Low Carbon and Low Carbon Oxford North, and supported by a large grant and several smaller grants from Low Carbon Hub, plus funding from Oxford City Council and Finders Keepers1.
Visitors saw measures including wall, loft and floor insulation, air source heat pumps, solar panels and storage, and double or triple glazing and ventilation1. The events ran both in person and online, and visitors could talk to householders directly about the pros and cons of retrofitting1. Two thirds of visitors said they were likely to, or would definitely, take action to reduce their home energy consumption as a result of their visit1.
The week culminated in an Energy Saving Fair at Oxford Town Hall on Sunday 26 June 2022, which more than 200 people attended1. It featured talks from experts and contractors on energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, and a contractor demonstrated air tightness testing1. Cosy Homes Oxfordshire reported 54 home retrofit enquiries at its stall2.
"Over 150 visitors were able to visit 38 homes that had installed large or small energy saving measures"
The project also produced seven short films featuring Oxford residents who had installed energy saving measures, launched during Great Big Green Week at Oxford Town Hall in September 20221. Eleanor Watts from Rose Hill & Iffley Low Carbon worked with local filmmaker Benedict Robbins on the three to four minute films, which have had over 1,000 views on YouTube1. The event was repeated in September 2022 as part of Oxford Open Doors and attracted over 120 visitors, with four more homes opening online during Great Big Green Week1.
The sources give different start dates for the week. Low Carbon Hub dates Green Open Homes Week to 22 to 29 June 20221, while Cosy Homes Oxfordshire, writing ahead of the event, said Energy Saving Homes would run from 18 to 29 June 20223. Cosy Homes Oxfordshire also reported that buildings are Oxford's largest contributor to carbon emissions, responsible for 81% of emissions in the city3.
Why it matters for households
The project's premise is that households learn best from other households that have already installed measures, rather than from salespeople1. Visitors could see installed technology, ask residents whether installation was a hassle, and find out what they were actually saving on bills3. The measures shown ranged from low cost draught-proofing to whole house retrofits, and the project was aimed at households of different income levels1. For a home's energy independence, the practical value lies in seeing how insulation, heat pumps, solar and storage perform in ordinary Oxford houses, and what the process involved. Low Carbon Hub states that the project is now in its third year, with 24 residents opening their homes to 291 visitors in 20242.
What happens next
Low Carbon Hub's Community Grant Fund, which supported the project, was open for applications with a deadline for outline applications of Friday 17 January, offering grants of up to £5,000 to groups in its network2. The Energy Saving Homes team has published a guide for community groups on organising an open homes event2.
Sources3 cited
- Energy Saving Homes 2022 - Low Carbon Hub, lowcarbonhub.org
- Energy Saving Homes Oxford - Low Carbon Hub, lowcarbonhub.org
- Energy Saving Homes week springs to life across Oxford - Cosy Homes Oxfordshire, cosyhomesoxfordshire.org