Category Archives: News

Events, News

Discover the way to sustainable homes…

Green Homes Sheffield is organising a Sustainable Homes Discovery event in the early evening of Wednesday 6 April in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, to share knowledge, practice, and connections about making homes in Sheffield more sustainable for the future.

We’re excited that this event will take place in the Heartspace of SHU, within the Atrium,  from 5pm-8pm, including displays from local businesses and housing organisations, and a programme of talks and discussions.  Presentations from practitioners and researchers  will highlight the challenges, opportunities, and strategies available for retrofitting Sheffield homes to make them fit for a low-energy future.

A range of organisations, businesses, and practitioners are being invited to contribute (e.g. Green Building Store, the Association for Environmentally Conscious Building, and Sustainable Building consultants) and the event is expected to attract homeowners, staff and students from SHU,  and organisations concerned about sustainable housing.  It will be a great opportunity to showcase expertise and opportunities around home energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Attendance will be free of charge (both for stallholders and other participants), and we hope you’ll be able to join us.

Online booking will be available soon, but please get in touch if you’re interested in a display space, or in speaking at the event, or if you have any questions!

House visit, News

Ready, steady, pedal!

It’s definitely not a race, but you could say it’s a marathon – a cycle  tour taking in no less  than 11 of our Green Homes Sheffield hosts! On Sunday 4th October we invite you to join us, and our friends from CycleSheffield and Sheffield Friday Night Ride, for a grand tour, paced to include everyone, and definitely not including Jenkin Road…

You can book for this ride here and find out all about the homes that we will visit here. Wherever you join us, please be prompt, so we can keep up with our busy schedule. To whet your appetite, here are some of the attractions:

First stop after leaving Barkers Pool will be Burngreave, where two contrasting homes are on view. Fireside Housing Co-op consists of 4 terraced houses which have had a low-impact extension built to replace their old offshot kitchens. At Barnsley Road you’ll see examples of different kinds of insulation, solar panels and efficient glazing.

In Meersbrook there are two alternative options to look at – either a brilliant example of internal wall insulation, or some amazing new triple-glazed windows – you choose!

Then we are off again, to visit a ‘typical semi’ but with a world of difference in its energy use. This is a ‘Superhome’ where radical changes have been made to ensure low energy usage.

Deeper into Nether Edge we have another choice – this time between a home with internal insulation installed by the owner, or a chance to see the ‘before and after’ of how sliding sash windows can be renovated to make them energy efficient and cosy.

The next stop is lunch at Strip the Willow cafe, but also a chance to see the recycled Innotherm insulation they have installed.

Then we cycle to Ecclesall Road and visit two large Victorian terraced homes, each with many energy-saving features, including external and internal wall insulation, renovated windows, and solar PV panels.

Next we take a steady route to Crookes, where we will see a small terraced house in one of the most exposed sites in Sheffield, which has had insulation and draught-proofing brought up to a high standard, and where the owner can explain up-to-date facts on getting PV panels.

Finally, our road goes to Stannington and beyond, to Green Directions, where we can see the renewable energy generation that powers their well-insulated barn conversion now used as a venue for weddings and events.  (This last longer section of the ride is optional – indeed you are welcome to join just one part of the tour rather than the whole day – options are available on the booking site.)

We hope you can join us for an interesting day out, and please remember that many of these homes are also open at other times on the weekends of 3-4th and 10-11th October, with all means of transport welcome!

Events, News

Spring is in the air…

Spring is in the air, and we are pleased to announce our next Open Homes event, on 9-10 and 16-17 May.  It’s a great time to plan how to make your home warmer and cheaper to run next winter! Come and visit some of the Sheffield householders who have started on the road to energy efficient homes and want to share what they’ve learnt.

You can find all our open homes listed here and book for tours in different areas of Sheffield, looking at homes old and new, large and small, and all levels of project from draught-proofing to complete extensions.

As many as two-thirds of us worry about the cost of energy, and all the research shows that investing in energy efficiency is the most cost effective way to save on fuel and have a more comfortable home, so join us and get inspired this Spring!

 

Energy saving, News

Why we are ‘The Cold Man of Europe’

The UK lingers in cold and ignorance, according to this report by the National Energy Foundation:  http://www.climatenewsnetwork.net/2014/10/ignorance-hinders-uks-lofty-aims-on-energy-saving/

Householders in general don’t understand how to make their home warmer and save energy, and our houses are old and challenging, the report says.

Be part of the solution – come to our Green Homes Sheffield open days, and find out how to make your home more comfortable and your bills more affordable!

Events start this weekend, full details at http://sheffield.greenopenhomes.net/green-homes-sheffield-139

Events, News

Autumn green home inspirations

Autumn is a great time to get inspired about greening your home, so we at Green Homes Sheffield are planning 4 days of open homes for you to visit.  Each of the days will focus on a different area of the city and offer a selection of homes to visit:

Sat 11 October – 2 homes in Crookes, plus look out for more details for Heeley/Meersbrook

Sun 12 October – 2 homes in Nether Edge

Sat 18 October – homes in Ecclesall Road area plus Nether Edge and further afield… more details soon!

Sun 19 October – Our ‘Burngreave Special’ openings will include 3 very different homes and a chance to talk to tenants and homeowners about the work done.

Across the city there will be around 12 homes to visit, and we are co-ordinating opening times to help you see everything you want to.

Full details of all the homes are at: http://sheffield.greenopenhomes.net/

 

Events, News

Our Autumn open homes announced

Green Homes Sheffield is pleased to announce we’ll be holding a series of open homes days in October 2014. Running on two consecutive weekends, the events will feature clusters of homes in different neighbourhoods of Sheffield. There will be the chance to visit one or more homes in Nether Edge, Burngreave, Crookes, Heeley/Meersbrook and Ecclesall Road.

The dates for your diary are:

  • Sat 11th and Sun 12th October
  • Sat 18th and Sun 19th October

Check back soon for further details of green open homes to visit, features on view, and times of tours/drop-ins!

 

 

Events, House visit, News

Fun in the sun last weekend!

Kind of hard to believe, as the rain now beats down, but our final Spring open homes weekend was  feast of fun in the sun! We teamed up with Sheffield Friday Night Ride for a gentle tour of 7 open homes – we were delighted to have 50 riders turn up for the ride, who were skilfully shepherded through mini-tours of homes in Meersbrook, Sharrow and Burngreave, and enjoyed refreshments en route in the beautiful garden of our host in Southgrove Road, and afterwards at the Gardener’s Rest pub.

Alongside the bike ride, over the weekend there were other opportunities to visit 7 homes, and many visitors took in several tours on Saturday and Sunday. Lots of questions were asked and contacts made with useful builders, suppliers and installers. The information flowed in all directions as visitors and hosts discussed their energy efficiency projects.  It was great to meet so many people who are so thoughtfully tackling making their home greener.  As we gathered after the final tour of the weekend, at Fireside Housing Co-op, there was a real sense of a developing network of support.

Now our project team are busy putting together a report on our Spring openings, and taking steps to build the network further. If you or your company want to be involved, please use the sign-up form or our contact form to get in touch. We are already looking forward to more events this autumn, and would love to invite you!

Events, House visit, News

Two premieres and a Friday Night Ride!

The weekend of 16-18 May is another opportunity to learn more about how to green up your home by seeing solutions at homes around the city. Green Homes Sheffield hosts are keen to share their experiences with you and tell the story of how they made their home warmer and greener. It’s the last of our open homes events this spring, with 7 homes open and a staggering total of 27 tours, including a ‘Friday Night Ride’ bike tour of several homes in one evening! On show you can see eco-renovations such as internal insulation, solar PV, solar hot water, triple glazing and more.

We are pleased to announce that in Stocksbridge, Greave House Farm is opening for the first time on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th. The old dairy and milking parlour have been converted into a really amazing home. This has included under-floor and ceiling insulation, additional roof insulation and wall insulation. The upgrades have also included double and triple glazing, an air source heat pump, and use of recycled wood. The Supertram Link or bus number 57 (catch it from outside Argos in town) can take you there. Please book for a tour here.

Near Ecclesall Road, an 1890s brick-built semi-detached property on Southgrove Road is open for tours on Friday 16th and Sunday 18th May. This typical Victorian property is now more effectively heated by a condensing boiler and solar hot water, with solar electricity too. There is a wealth of information available on how the home’s energy use has been drastically reduced to make it cheaper to run.

Sheffield Friday Night Ride is a friendly monthly bike ride with a theme – their motto is: “We have nothing to lose but our chains”. This month’s ride will visit several Green Homes on Friday 16 May, covering around 10 miles, with lots of support for new riders. Full details at – no need to book for the bike ride, just meet for a 6.30pm start from Barkers Pool.

If you are thinking of doing some home improvements to make your home more energy efficient and affordable, why not book tours of our homes and learn from what others have done? Join our network for more information at www.greenhomessheffield.net and see full listings and book in advance for tours of all 7 homes at http://sheffield.greenopenhomes.net

Events, House visit, News

Busy Bank Holiday weekend ahead!

Over the Bank Holiday weekend 3rd- 5th May Green Homes Sheffield is offering 7 more chances to visit Green Homes near you in Sharrow, Greystones, Crookes, Millhouses, Crookesmoor and Hunters Bar.

These homes are opening their doors for tours and will show off their eco-features to inspire you. Please come along to learn more from householders who have made their homes warmer, more affordable and greener.

At these homes you can see different examples of insulation used, on internal walls, in attic rooms and under floors. Several homes have solar electricity and there are several examples of how to use solar water heating to reduce your gas bills. You can also find out about different options for upgrading or replacing windows to make them more energy efficient.

Mark Wells, our Green Homes host in Crookes commented: “When I started work to insulate my home, I really benefited from other people’s experience to understand what to do and who could help me. It’s great to have the opportunity to share what I’ve learnt along the way. I hope it will help more householders to get work done that makes their home more comfortable and cheaper to run.”

Please book in advance for tours of all these homes at http://sheffield.greenopenhomes.net – homes are open at different times. More events will take place on 16th, 17th and 18th May, with a total of 18 homes open this spring.

Events, House visit, News

Did you hear the one about the 3 Victorian homes?

… a detached house, a semi and a terrace?? If not, you have the chance to tomorrow, Thurs 24th April, when these 3 homes will open their doors to help you understand how to save energy in your home!

You can book for tours at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm of the detached house on Barnsley Road at   http://sheffield.greenopenhomes.net/266-barnsley-road-open-12-24-april-16-may-10459. The house has many energy-saving features including different kinds of insulation, window solutions and renewable energy.

The work done to make the Victorian semi more cosy and energy efficient is explained in our blog here  – it’s a great example of what can be done from simple DIY to major refurb. There are tours at 12pm, 1.30pm and 3pm bookable here:  http://sheffield.greenopenhomes.net/147-albert-road-open-24-april-and-16-may-10460

And if a terraced house is what you want to see, there is a fine example at http://sheffield.greenopenhomes.net/39-stainton-road-open-24-april-and-5-may-10395. The home has underfloor insulation and internal wall insulation, as well as solar electricity, and there’s a lot to learn about what works in a typical passage-terrace house.    Tours tomorrow at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

Please book your visits so your host can put the kettle on and be ready to tell you their story!