Dream homes Why now could be the best time for you to build

Eco-warriors Why the battle to be green is simpler than you think

The experts talk Make your home more efficient, today

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SMART HOMES

No. 1 / September ‘09

Change today: A detailed guide on how to future-proof your house and save yourself money

MAKE YOUR HOME ENERGY-EFFICIENT

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5STEPS

Kevin McCloud The property guru shares his secrets for a greener, cheaper house

Going green The easy way to lower carbon emis-sions and cut bills

PHOTO: GLENN DEARING

2 · SEPTEMBER 2009 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Miliband promises Great British Refurb

Household emissions must be cut by 2050, but powering them currently produces as many carbon emissions as the transport sector. Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband explains how you can access the help you need to lower emissions and your bills.

Energy and Climate Change Secre-tary Ed Miliband has acknowledged many of the principles behind a na-tional campaign which is lobbying the Government to help UK home owners cut carbon emissions drasti-cally by 2050.

Taking part in a debate to launch the “Great British Refurb”, at Grand Designs Live, in London, Miliband said the Government had to move towards a “comprehensive nation-al plan on energy efficiency” along the lines proposed by the campaign’s supporters, which include Grand De-signs Magazine sponsored by British Gas, the Energy Savings Trust and the World Wildlife Fund.

A key campaign aim is to persuade the Government to make it “easier, more affordable and more attractive” for everyone to go green. Miliband addressed this demand during his debate with Grand Designs present-er and campaign ambassador Kevin McCloud.

“Energy efficiency and low-carbon energy are the fairest routes to curb-ing emissions, saving money for fam-ilies, improving our energy security

and insulating us from volatile fuel prices,” Miliband told the assembled audience. “… I want to ensure that help to meet the costs is available to people house by house, street by street, and that lower-income fami-lies don’t miss out.”

Miliband agreed that only a “Great British Refurb” would tackle the scale of the problems in the UK, where most of the 26 million homes burn up heat. He said the Government was responding and the Great British Re-furb had started in some places.

“In Kirklees, Yorkshire, for exam-ple, the council has gone door-to-door offering free home insulation to all residents, and has achieved huge savings. Warm Fronts, our scheme for families on the lowest incomes, insulated or treated a home every six minutes last year and is working even faster this year,” he said.

But Miliband did agree the Govern-ment had to make it easier for every-one. He outlined some of his depart-ment’s immediate plans to do so.

“From next year, we’re introduc-ing a guaranteed price for renewable electricity generated by households

and communities that’s sold back to the grid, to make it a secure invest-ment well as right for the planet,” he said. “The Government’s low-carbon buildings programme offers house-holders grants of up to £2,500 to fit your own energy generating kit. Al-ready we’ve helped fund 7,550 instal-lations.

“A show of hands at Grand Designs Live showed people wanted to act, had an appetite to do their bit, but didn’t want to spend lots of money up front on a house they might not stay in for long,” Miliband said.

At least one campaign aim looks like coming into effect. On 15 July, the Government published its ener-gy white paper acknowledging one of Great British Refurb’s demands for the inclusion of Pay as You Save schemes for energy efficiency meas-ures.

Just after the announcement, a pe-tition in support of the Great British Refurb campaign, containing a total of 8,000 signatures, was handed in to the Government.

“You should be investing in features to reduce your energy consumption so you have a building that is cheap to run.”

Kevin McCloudThe property expert gives his advice on self-builds and turning your house green

WE RECOMMEND

PAGE 09

Making it easy p. 051. A step-by-step guide on how you can cut emissions and shrink your bills today

Get your gadget-fix p. 102. The technology that won’t damage the environment- or your bank balance

SMART HOMES, 1ST EDITION, SEPTEMBER 2009

Editorial Manager: Katherine WoodleySub-editor: Danielle StaggContent editor: David Smith

Project Manager: Chris EmbersonPhone: 0207 6654402E-mail: christopher.emberson@mediaplanet.com

Distributed with: The Sunday Telegraph, September 2009Print: Telegraph Media Group

Mediaplanet contact information: Simon KenneallyPhone: 0207 665440Fax: 0207 6654419E-mail: info.uk@mediaplanet.com

We make our readers succeed!Ed MilibandEnergy and Climate Change Secretary

Spring clean

1Defrost your fridge and de-scale your kettle so it boils

quicker. Clean the oven door so you don’t need to open it to check on food.

Cycle and recycle

2Leave the car at home and get on your bike. Compost food

scraps, paper, and dust. Gather rain-water in a water butt for the car or plants.

MY BEST TIPS

CHALLENGES

WITH THANKS TO:

For an exclusive Grand Designs Live ticket offer turn to page 10

www.greatbritishrefurb.co.uk

3PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

1Invest in a water butt: use the

water on the garden, or the

car.

2Replacing G-rated boiler with

new A-rated boiler cuts bills by

a quarter.

3Eliminate food waste: Buy sen-

sibly and save money.

4Upgrade to Energy Saving Rec-

ommended appliances and

save up to £36.

5Fit thermostatic radiator valves

to prevent heating rooms not in

use.

6Turn appliances off standby

and cut bills by £33 a year.

7Insulate: Cavity walls insulation

saves around £115 a year.

8Draught-proof widows and

doors to save yourself £25 a

year. Fit double glazing and save

£135 a year.

9Use Energy Saving Recom-

mended lightbulbs: Save

around £37 a year.

10Insulate your loft: a depth of

270mm saves £150 a year.

11Insulate water tank and visible

pipes: Good insulation saves

£45 a year.

12 Take showers: Uses a third as

much water as baths.

TIPS

SEPTEMBER 2009 · 5AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPHAN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH4 · SEPTEMBER 2009

Question: Will tighter controls be implemented to curb household emissions? Answer: Intervention won’t be needed if homeowners learn how to save energy.

The Government has set a target to re-duce CO 2 emissions by up to 80 per cent by 2050. Of this, personal carbon emis-sions - from homes and travel - account for around 40 per cent. The Energy Sav-ings Trust’s report - Emission Impossible? - outlines what must happen to meet this ambitious target.

Energy Saving Trust chief executive Philip Sellwood said: “Our survey shows people have an Orwellian view of what life might be like in 2050. More than four in 10 Brits think the UK will need Carbon Police to enforce regulations and a quar-ter believe the worst environmental of-fenders will be forced to go to energy re-hab, or take energy addiction classes. An awful lot of people would be admitted to rehab, if regulations like these were needed,” he said.

Contrary to popular myth, Sellwood says we can lower carbon emissions with-out adopting austere lifestyles. “A low-carbon lifestyle could actually improve the quality of all of our lives,” he said. “Im-agine living in warm, affordable, com-fortable homes – with access to a range

of travel choices, whilst at the same time sustaining our environment.”

He added: “Although it often seems that only expensive, or far-off technological breakthroughs can really make a differ-ence, a low-carbon future can be achieved with a combination of existing technolo-gy, bold policy decisions and the right per-sonal choices.”

Personal choices are critical. Emission Impossible stresses the need for every-body to take small steps at home. Con-sider that every UK household creates around five and half tonnes of carbon di-oxide (CO2) every year – enough to fill a hot air balloon, twice as much as cars. So what steps are open to all?

Before considering spending a little money, the Energy Saving Trust recom-mends the following five easy steps:

Reducing room temperature by 1°C cuts heating bills by up to 10 per cent. Set the cylinder thermo-stat at 60°C/140°F. Close your cur-tains at dusk to stop heat escaping.

Turn off lights when leaving a

room; don’t leave appliances on standby.

Fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher. Boil only as much water as you need. Fix dripping taps.

Use energy-saving light bulbs, which last up to 10 times longer and save you money.

Complete a home energy check and get a free report on how to save up to £300 a year on bills.

After these initial steps, the next stage is to spend a little money to save in the long run. The Trust’s figures provide clues as to where the big savings lie.

If everyone in the UK, that could do, in-stalled cavity wall insulation, we would cut CO2 emissions by nearly 4 million tones, enough CO2 to fill Wembley stadi-um 500 times.

If every household that could do, in-stalled cavity wall insulation, it would save around £700 million a year – enough energy to heat 900,000 homes.

If everyone installed loft insulation up to 270 mm thick, the saving would pay

the gas bills of around 770,000 families for a year.

When it comes to water heating, if eve-ryone with gas, oil or LPG (bottled gas) powered central heating installed a con-densing boiler, we would cut CO2 emis-sions by around 6.7 million tonnes per year, saving £1.3 billion on our bills a year. Around £235 a year can be cut off bills by replacing an old G-rated boiler with an A-rated condensing boiler with full heating controls.

Replacing worn out, inefficient appli-cances with new Energy saving Recom-mended products can help. The Trust a new Energy Saving Recommended dish-washer will save around £12 a year on en-ergy bills and around 48kg of CO2.

A new, energy-efficient fridge freez-er uses around 60 per cent less energy to do the same job than a typical old model. If everyone in the UK upgraded their old cold appliances to Energy Saving Recom-mended products, it would save enough CO2 to fill the Royal Albert Hall 15,000 times.

No need for Carbon PoliceCHANGE

“People have an Orwellian view of what life might be like in 2050”Philip Sellwood Energy Savings Trust

INSPIRATION

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Jutting out at the end of a mundane Victorian terrace in north London, what looks like a stack of zinc-clad boxes is in fact the three-bedroom home of Edward Gibbs and Felicity Caning, and their three children.

Designed by eco-architect Justin Bere, Focus House occupies the nar-row, wedge-shaped site of a former car park. The new 250 sqm building is a mind-boggling example of how to manipulate an awkward space, es-pecially as “it isn’t the rectangular shape you get at the end of most ter-races”, said graphic designer and il-lustrator Gibbs.

After a compact entrance area, the house opens up like a telescope into a light-filled living area-cum-kitch-en diner with a wall of sliding glass doors at the rear and a long roof light on one side.

Surprisingly, Gibbs began with the idea of renovating a flat. He changed his mind when his agent showed him the Victorian house next door and the odd plot attached to it, which failed to interest developers. Edward

bit the bullet, upped his budget and bought the Victorian house and its quirky plot. The revised plan was to do up the house, subdivide the land, and gain planning permission for a two-bedroom house to sell.

However, Bere Architects con-vinced Gibbs he could fit a three-bedroom house onto the site, and his enthusiasm for sustainable design

enticed Gibbs to adopt it as a home. They achieved planning permission in August 2005, with Edward’s budget jumping from £200,000 to £600,000.

Bere has created space with a stacked plan starting with the large living room at the back. This left the narrow front of the building for util-ity areas and the stairs, which lead to the two first-floor bedrooms over

the living area. Building up an extra storey, Bere made enough room for a third bedroom’ its large window en-joys uninterrupted sky views.

To follow his eco agenda, Bere has stuck as closely to the German Pas-sivHaus model. His is now one of on-ly 6,000 homes in Europe to qualify for PassivHaus status – their overall heating is less than 15kW per sqm per year, and the total energy use is less than 120kW per sqm per year. They must also be airtight, have outstand-ing thermal insulation, and make use of renewable power sources. Bere also incorporated solar panels to heat wa-ter. “Being green is easy, you feel good about it,” said Gibbs.

After toying with concrete, he de-cided to use the much greener KLH construction (prefab building com-ponents, made from 200mm thick sheets of solid cross laminated tim-ber).

The family moved in during Sep-tember 2006 and although the build-ing is now over a year old, Gibbs feels he shares “so much history with it having been involved all the way”.

Making your house more eco-friendly is easier than you think, and can save a lot of money, as well as benefiting the environment, says Claire Barrett, editor of Grand Designs magazine.

“First, do the easy things,” she said. “Start with an Energy Audit of your home. Households account for 40 per cent of emissions. Schemes vary from basic advice in insulation, grants and suppliers, to in-depth calculations about viability of renewable technologies.” Consult your local household energy service (HES) h-e-s.org.

Barratt also advices a check-up, which could save £300 a year. “Complete the Energy Saving Trust’s online questionnaire and you’ll receive a report showing potential savings,” Barratt said. Go to www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.

But where to start? Barratt recommends studying the following figures from the Energy Saving Trust, which give approximate annual energy savings for a gas heated three-bed semi-detached house:

Cavity wall insulation £120

Loft insulation £155

Loft insulation top up £45

Draught proofing £25

Hot water tank insulation £30

Primary pipework insulation £10

Boiler and controls £210

A+ rated fridge freezer up to £34

A+ rated fridge up to £12

A rated dishwasher up to £20

Installing double-glazing £140.

Meanwhile, many experts advise using western red cedar timber for work on the house. They say it has the least impact on the envi-ronment throughout its life cy-cle, making it the ultimate green building material.

Western red cedar is sustainably grown and harvested in the pub-licly managed forests of British Co-lumbia, Canada; it requires signifi-cantly less energy to produce than other materials and is recyclable and bio-degradable.

GRAND DESIGNS LIVE’S TIPS

6 · SEPTEMBER 2009 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Out with the old and in with the new

Question: How can I reach my goal or owning my dream family home?

Answer: With the right help and advice taking a risk on a property could bring you out on top

GIVING IT A GOMore homeowners are taking a gamble and choosing to renovate.PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

INSPIRATION

FACTS

Eco makeovers range from simply adding insulation, to generating en-ergy through solar or wind power. Here are a range of ideas.

Insulation: Installing loft insulation

will cost between £130-£200 and save

around £150 in energy bills a year.

Lighting: Each energy-saving light

bulb saves some £7 a year.

Energy generation: PVC cells oper-

ate by turning solar radiation into elec-

tricity.

Air circulation systems: The best

units recover about 90 per cent of heat

that would otherwise go outside.

Rain-water harvesting system: Re-

duces water consumption by half. Cost

around £3,000-£3,500 installed.

Wind generators: Various systems

ranging from £995 upwards. A payback

time of around five years.

Ground source heat pumps: Instal-

lation costs are between £8,000-12,000,

which is reduced somewhat under grant.

HOW WE MADE IT

ARTICLE AND TIPS

BY GRAND DESIGNS

MAGAZINE AND

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8 · SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009· 9AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPHAN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Question: Will the planned changes for the homes of the fu-ture be enough to reduce Car-bon emissions?

Answer: Only if we cut emis-sions from our houses today can we be sure to protect our tomorrow

Energy-efficient eco-friendly new-builds are all very well, but what we really need to do is reduce the carbon emissions from our existing housing, says Kevin McCloud.

Wouldn’t it be a joy if those bills just evaporated - or at least shrank? So with a little wizardry can we re-duce them to tiny proportion?

“It’s not possible to build hous-es that use piddling amounts of en-ergy,” TV property guru, McCloud says. “I often film homes like this for Channel 4, where the owners invest in a building that’s airtight and heat-ed by passive solar radiation, a heat recovery unit and solar panels.

There’s no boiler, no size 16 carbon footprint and an energy bill small enough to get lost in the shag-pile tufts of the eco-carpet in the hall-way.

These are houses that lead the way in energy efficiency and low-carbon

life. All very green and all very Grand Designs.

“Which is all very heart-warm-ing, but frankly, a TV series of six or more-or-less-sustainable buildings is not going to save the planet. Not when there are more than 26 million homes already in existence in Brit-ain, most of which are intensely in-efficient, leak heat and cost a fortune to run.

What’s even more sobering is that the vast majority of these will still be in existence in 2050, the magical date by which the Government wants to have reduced our country’s carbon output by 80 per cent.

Given that housing accounts for around 27 per cent of Britain’s man-made carbon dioxide, I ’d say that tar-get is currently hopelessly unrealis-tic.”

Unless, that is, we can find a way of transforming those 26 million homes into super-eco-performing dwellings. This is the idea that has been preoccupying a whole host of organisations, such as the Grand De-signs magazine, UK Green Building council, WWF, and the Energy Sav-ing Trust.

The Grand Designs Great British Refurb campaign is a significant, not-

for-profit, joint effort to persuade the Government to help finance the re-furbishment and retrofitting of our existing homes through all kinds of clever schemes, tax breaks and in-centive schemes.

The Great British Refurb is also a rallying cry to the construction in-dustry to adopt innovative insula-tion and construction techniques, and to architects and surveyors to get involved and work with communi-ties to design tailor-made neighbour-hood refurbishments.

The challenge is scarily big. To reach the 2050 target, Britain needs to have retrofitted 50,000 homes to low-carbon standards by the end of 2010. By the end of 2011, another 100,000.

By 2020 we need to be refurbishing 1.6 million homes a year. The race it seems, is on.

TRANSFORMING HOMES INTO SUPER-ECO DWELLINGS

NEWS

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

What is the most important bit to ‘get right’/spend your budget? Very easy – spend the money on the bones. Spend the money on the stuff that is there for ever, not the frippery like kitchens and bathrooms which can be replaced. Think of the archi-tecture, glazing and core materials

What is the most common mis-take people make when building a property?The absence of planning and fore-thought and making sure things are going to work which is all part of the design process. Most people spend a year preparing, and often the build-ing takes two years. It is better to do this the other way round.

How do you go about finding a good architectYou ring up the RIBA; go onto their website (http://www.architecture.com/) and they have a finding service to introduce you to architects in your

area. The most important thing is to meet them and make sure they share your vision.

Should you employ a project manager or if you do it yourself what tips do you have?I have a really good tip – if you can afford it employ a project manag-er! Sometimes architects are good at it; sometimes a contractor will em-ploy a main guy. You can cut the cake many different ways but however you do it I always advise getting the professionals in - you are not putting up a shelf!

How do you go about finding a plot of land in the UK and where is a good place to look? Go to plotfinder.co.uk . In my book (Grand Designs Handbook) my kill-er tip is once you decide on an area, buy a bicycle. You get to know the ar-ea, the locals and find out what land is for sale.

What features should you install which will guarantee a good return on investment if ever you were to sell? Ultimately you should be investing in features to reduce your energy con-sumption so you have a building that is cheap to run and easy to look after.

KevinMcCloudWriter and presenter of Channel 4’s Grand Designs

LOOKING FORWARDKevin is paving the way for homeowners looking to make their house more eco-friendlyPHOTO: GRAND DESIGNS

‘Spend the money on the bones’

BE PRO-ACTIVE

BEBEBEBEBEBEBE

2STEP

A helping hand from WestminsterThose looking to go green may be eligable for govern-ment grants to help make their homes more energy- efficientThe British Government has been urged by environmental campaign-ers to give homeowners the option of borrowing money to invest in green homes.

According to the UK Green Build-ing Council, this would make exist-ing housing stock in Britain more energy-efficient and help to reduce carbon emissions.

Although the loan would have to be paid back, households would ul-timately pay less, as energy saving would cut the size of their utility bills.

A Government spokesman said: “We’re looking at innovative ways to have ‘pay-as-you-save’ insulation and clean power in homes: instead of paying up front, we would be able to repay from the savings on ener-gy bills, with the repayments linked to the property, not the owner. And from next year, we’re introducing a guaranteed price for renewable elec-tricity generated by households and communities that’s sold back to the grid, to make it a secure investment well as right for the planet.”

The Government’s existing low carbon buildings programme offers householders grants of up to £2,500 to fit an energy generating kit. It has already helped to fund 7,550 installa-tions.

Find out more when Kevin hosts a special seminar on October 9th at Grand Designs Live in Birmingham

Article courtesy of Grand Designs Magazine

Under floor

heating: It’s been

around for years

but its easier to

lay, super-thin de-

signs mean you

can install it your-

self with no loss of

room heat.

Installing a wood-burning

stove: Sleek and stylish, installa-

tion is pricey, but they reduce long-

term bills.

Increase natural daylight: Us-

ing a solar tunnel brightens up your

home, cuts electricity usage and

saves you money on bills.

A-Rated products: When you

replace your old appliances, go for

A-rated products (A+ or A++ for

fridges and freezers). They use far

less energy, and are much cheaper

to run.

Turn off your standby: For

about £20 you can buy a standby

saver that, at the flick of a switch,

will turn off all electric devices in

your house.

Replace your old boiler: Swap-

ping an inefficient gas guzzler for a

condensing model could save you

a third on your heating bills. By sim-

ply upgrading your heating controls,

you could cut energy costs by up to

17 per cent.

Grey Water system: A ‘grey wa-

ter’ system takes waste water from

the bath, washbasin and applianc-

es, then uses it to flush the loo. You

could reduce your household’s wa-

ter demands by up to 40 per cent

TIPS FROM CLAIRE BARRETT, EDITOR OF GRAND DESIGNS MAGAZINE

AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH10 · SEPTEMBER 2009

People in the UK spend an average of £24 billion a year on gadgets, with families owning nearly three times as many appliances in the home as a generation ago, the biggest figure in Europe. With this sum, comes the increase in household energy con-sumption, with energy-intensive gadgets accounting for over 45 per cent of the average household’s emis-sions.

A survey published by the Energy Saving Trust last October showed that we’re also the worst nation in Europe when it comes to wasted energy from hi-tech devices. We splurge £900 mil-lion a year on leaving our TVs and PCs switched on overnight, generating the same amount of CO2 as driving around the world 19,000 times.

Despite this, as a nation our love of TVs and energy guzzling must-have gadgets still continues to grow, the average home has gone from simply having necessity items such as a ket-tle, iron, cooker or vacuum cleaner, to a whole range of luxury additions from personal identity systems, iPod speakers and home cinema systems, to home security systems, coffee ma-

chines, and the latest computer game consoles.

But with the rise of the eco-con-scious consumer, and with Govern-ment initiatives looking to slow the rapid growth of electricity con-

sumption in homes by introducing more efficient devices, such as the potential ban of Plasma screens this Spring, consumers are looking for more green alternatives.

Stuff Magazine editor and spokes-

person for Grand Design Live’s House of the Future, Fraser Macdonald said: “There’s a common misconception about having an interest in all things shiny and technical: it automatical-ly means you’re an environmental luddite. How very unfair. There are various ways in which guys and girls who love gadgets can have their fun while paying their green dues.

“Luckily, these ways don’t neces-sarily mean compromise. Cutting-edge technology used to achieve its superiority at considerable cost, gorging power and introducing tox-ic chemicals into everyday living. But now, bigger, better, faster and strong-er are complemented by an unfa-miliar but desirable mark of quality: greener.

“Having manufacturers compet-ing on terms such as energy efficien-cy and the usage of recycled materi-als means that the green gadgets of today aren’t made from hemp but are in fact just as sleek, desirable and genuinely life enhancing.”

So, follow a few simple steps to keep the world preserved and your conscience clear. Buy recycled, and look out for lead-free devices and the Energy Saving Recommended logo on any kit you buy.

FIND OUT MORE IN THE GRAND TECH-

NOLOGY SECTION AT GRAND DESIGNS

LIVE BIRMINGHAM, OCTOBER 9-11

Have fun while paying your green dues

HOUSE OF THE FUTURE (SPONSORED BY SAMSUNG) Consumers are given a glimpse of the gadgets and appliances which will help lower carbon emissions PHOTO: GRAND DESIGNS LIVE

Question: How can I get my gadget-fix without compromising the environment?

Answer: My making sure your appliances are eco-friendly you can lower carbon emissions and save yourself money.

NEWS

BUY ECO-FRIENDLY

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3STEP

INFORMATION

Over the past 30 years, the number of en-

ergy-intensive gadgets and appliances in

a typical home has risen from 17 to 47 ac-

counting for over 45 per cent of the aver-

age household’s emissions

People in the UK spend an average of

£24 billion a year on electrical gadgets.

The power needed to run the electron-

ic explosion has more than doubled in a

generation; the Energy Saving Trust esti-

mates it will grow by another 12 per cent

by 2013.

Electrical gadgets account for 25 per

cent of the electricity used by UK house-

holds. The Energy Saving Trust says it will

rise to around 45 per cent by 2020, an av-

erage increase of 1,000kWh per year at

present.

We spend £900 million a year on leav-

ing our TVs and PCs switched on over-

night

There are 60 million TVs in homes.

Models vary, but a 42in plasma television

can use 822 kilowatt hours a year.

As we see the phase out of energy inefficient light bulbs announced by the EU begin in earnest from September this year, how can consumers be sure they are still making the right lighting choice for their homes?

Well, Philips, the global market leader in lighting solutions, has developed a range of alternative solutions that helps consumers address this issue.

It might be time to wave goodbye to that old stalwart, the incandescent light bulb, but it’s also time to say hello to a brand new era of exciting lighting possibilities for our homes.

The Philips lighting range already includes high quality compact fluorescent energy savers and energy efficient, dimmable halogen bulbs so consumers no longer have to compromise on design or quality. And now there is even more to look forward to with revolutionary, new LED based bulbs and fittings which will offer even more exciting possibilities to create the right ambience in the home, designed to complement both style and mood.

LED bulbs to make a simple switch

Imagine LED bulbs which can simply be inserted into standard lamp fittings but which only use a fraction of the energy required by other bulb types. The real breakthrough, however, lies in the combination of beautiful design and the kind of variety of lighting that people want in their homes, be it general or ambient lighting. Not only do the LED bulbs switch on instantly and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs

but they also pay for themselves in as little as 18 months – meanwhile, the contribution to the environment starts right away.

Available in either clear or frosted glass, the Philips Novallure, Econic and Accent LED ranges are offered in ‘candle’ and ‘lustre’ shapes. So whether you want sparkling light to set off your chandelier or practical, general lighting for day to day activities or even personalized lighting to give a soft, soothing tint to a child’s room, these new LED bulbs

can enhance the ambience in your home in a sustainable way.

LED fittings styled with you in mind

Imagine too, LED fittings whose revolutionary lighting design is so minimalist and versatile that you can use it in radical new ways – yet so stylish and contemporary that you’ll want to make it the centrepiece of your interior. The Philips Ledino collection is an adaptable range of fittings using advanced LED technology, saving up to 80% and with a lifespan of up to 20 years. With Ledino you can capture a pure, refreshing light which creates a natural ambience with appealing designs. What’s more, the extensive Ledino collection also includes outdoor options to harmonize with your interior design – after all, the garden really is an extension of people’s indoor lifestyle! So if you want a sleek table lamp for your desk or a wall lantern to light up your patio, Ledino offers the perfect complement to your home – both indoors and out!

LED lighting for the home– a new era for Consumers

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

For more information please go to www. ledino.philips.com and www.philips.com

11

Many people who would consider a

self-build don’t pursue their dream

because they don’t know how to

go about it. Adrian Dobson, a char-

tered architect and RIBA director

of practice, runs through the prac-

tical issues.

Finding a plot:

! Self-build is popular in coun-tries such as Australia where

building land is plentiful. In the UK, there is less land available so you need more imagination to seek out potential plots; for example back plots in existing built-up areas, fringe plots, or even the conversion of former retail, commercial or in-dustrial premises. Don’t forget that until there is planning permission on a site there is no certainty you can undertake residential develop-ment.

Research:

! If you are not used to carrying out building work you may

need to do some research. A useful booklet “working with an architect for your home” provides a lot of help-ful guidance and is available free-of-charge on the RIBA website.

Legislation:

!An architect can help navigate the legislative maze. Relevant

legislation includes the Town and Country Planning Act (you need planning permission), the Building Regulations (these specify safe standards of construction and re-quirements for energy conservation and require a plans application and site inspections by the building in-spector), CDM regulations (relate to health and safety of the workers dur-ing the construction and mainte-nance), the Party Wall Act (if you are building on or near a boundary), and the Site Waste Management Regula-tions (these related to the manage-ment of waste during the building project).

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BUILDING YOUR OWN HOME AT GRAND DESIGNS LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM, OCTOBER 9-11

EXPERT ADVICE

Adrian DobsonThe RIBA director and chartered ar-chitect

AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH12 · SEPTEMBER 2009

Time to build a dream home

PLANNING AHEADMany people are taking on the responsibilty of de-signing and building their own family home PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

Every cloud has a silver lining and even with the economic downturn and house prices plummeting, the experts say it’s time to take the mat-ters into your hands – and build your own dream home.

“Now is the best time in 15 years to self-build, renovate or take on any kind of building project,” says Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud.

“The thought of such a project may be daunting at first but the levels of savings and the satisfaction can be enormous. The credit crunch has made more plots available at lower prices because property developers aren’t building new housing stock, making it a good time to consid-er self-building as an alternative to buying a new property. Despite the lack of security over interest rates, mortgages and rising material costs. It’s a buyer’s market.”

Traditionally, developers and builders snap up the best plots of land ready for big developments be-fore they even reach the market, but this is no longer the case. In many cases, developers and builders are go-ing to the wall instead of investing in

building plots.Adrian Dobson, a chartered archi-

tect and RIBA director of practice, agrees it’s a great time to self-build. “With the construction industry in recession, tender prices for building works are at a relatively low level, so now could be a cost effective time to consider the self-build option. Land is also relatively cheap at the present time,” he said.

However, Dobson advises anyone thinking of a self-build to take pro-fessional advice.

“All building projects take time and require careful planning. You will probably need some profession-al advice and to invest a significant amount of your own time, but the end result should be a home which fits your needs and choices, and should have a great deal of added value, both

in financial and in design terms.”Dobson praises the benefits of self-

build as “a bespoke design solution which fits your lifestyle, rather than the one-size fits all offer of a specula-tive housing development or the pre-determined living space offered by purchasing an existing property”.

However, he admits that it’s not for everyone. “Self-build is not ap-propriate when you want to be able to move into your new home straight away, and you need to plan for the ex-pense and inconvenience of having somewhere else to live during the planning and construction of your project.

“You will need to be able to ac-cess appropriate finance to pay pro-fessional and statutory fees and for the building works as they progress. Many banks are now very expe-rienced in lending for self-build projects and provided you are appro-priately credit worthy you should be able to get the funding required. Lenders will want to see a copy of your planning permission be-fore they will release any funds.” `

“Now is the best time in 15 years to self-build, renovate or take on any kind of building project”

Kevin McCloudArchitectual mastermind

Question: What are the benefits of designing or building my own home?

Answer: Low land prices and growing development oppor-tunities means now is a good a time as any to self-build.

NEWS

GET INVOLVEDGEGETT INNI VOVOLLVEVVELLLL DD

4STEP

ADDITIONAL SELF-BUILD FEES

Legal fees There is no standard fee, so it’s worth

shopping around to get the best rate, but

they generally cost in the region of £500-

1,000. Property and plot purchases are

taxed in relation to their sale price. Stamp

duty is payable.

Independent surveyIt’s advisable to have an independent ty-

pographical site survey carried out by an

architect or surveyor which will cost in the

region of £400-600.

Design feesArchitects charge up to 15 per cent of the

total build cost for a full service that in-

cludes design, tender and contract ad-

ministration.

Planning Application feesTypically submitting an application will

cost £200-300.

Demolition costsTypically between £5,000-10,000.

Structural Engineer’s feesExpect to pay up to £500.

WarrantiesA warranty will cost about one and a half

per cent of your total build cost.

Self-build InsuranceAll-risk insurance will cost between

£500-800.

ARTICLE AND TIPS

BY GRAND DESIGNS

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GRAND DESIGNS LIVE

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enormous versatility in styles and applications. Equally important, it

has a low environmental impact relative to other building materials.

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Enhance the beauty of your next project, build with Western Red

Cedar. For more information and suppliers near you, visit our website

or contact our UK office at +44 (0) 1252 527102.

Beautiful, Versatile, SustainableArchitect: Webster Sheryn

Architect: Finne Architects

Architect: Rivington Street Studio;

Client: York St John University; Photo: Sarah Blee'

13

AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH14 · SEPTEMBER 2009

A narrow victory

Dreaming of a family home, architect Luke Tozer chanced upon a site in Notting Hill which was in places just eight-foot wide, and saw possibilities that no one else had imagined.

Luke and Charlotte Toz-er set themselves quite a challenge when they built a house on a slim-fit site in London’s Notting

Hill, which at its narrowest, was just eight feet wide. Architect Luke not only wanted a family house with a lot of flexibility, but one that had a min-imal carbon footprint. That meant a raft of common sense ideas to keep the house sustainable, plus a few ex-tra measures, such as a heat pump to harness energy for heating and hot water from underground, as well as a rainwater harvesting system.

“We have always wanted to build a house for ourselves but I couldn’t quite work out if this site was my dream or a nightmare,’ says Luke, a partner at Pitman Tozer Architects. “Only an architect would have been crazy enough to buy it.”

The Tozers had been living in a two-bedroom flat near Baker Street but by the time Charlotte was preg-nant with their first child Mark, they needed more space. They were look-ing for a bigger house, when they saw an infill site in Notting Hill sand-wiched between two listed, 1860s houses. It was occupied by a semi-derelict, poorly built Fifties cottage, which stretched through the gap and expanded at the rear, nestling among

the back gardens of neighbouring buildings. “It would have put most people off,” says Luke, who founded his practice six years ago. “Developers were deterred by the constraints and we thought long and hard, looked at various schemes and talked to plan-ners before buying.”

As well as making models of the house and explaining their plans, Luke and Charlotte entered into a complex agreement with one neigh-bour, trading improvements to the latter’s listed building for improved access rights to their own site.

At every stage the slim nature of the site meant creative thinking in terms of access, from building a hut on wheels for the contractor, to find-ing a drilling rig slim enough to get through to the rear of the plot to drill the 50-metre deep boreholes integral to the heat exchange system.

Ultimately, the Tozers won through. Having bought the site in September 2005, they finally moved in during August 2007 and were a fraction within their £490,000 build budget.

The finished house makes the most of every square inch of space, yet manages to avoid any feeling of claustrophobia. The narrowest sec-tion, facing the street, is essentially an entrance area on the ground floor

topped by a stack of three single bed-rooms. To the rear, their home begins to unfold dramatically, with a semi-open-plan kitchen, dining area and sitting room with banks of retracta-ble glazing opening out onto a court-yard. During the summer, this whole expanse of glass opens up to create a greater impression of space, with in-side and out on one level for seamless transition.

There are also flexible spaces such as a mezzanine study overlooking the seating area, plus a rear conservatory room on the second floor which dou-bles as a playroom and office. Stor-age and utility areas are packed into the centre of the house, where there is the least natural light, although a roof light over the central staircase brings in some sunlight even here. ‘I love how light and airy the house is and how little space is wasted for cir-culation,’ says Charlotte, who gave birth to her second child, Alexander, eight months ago.

“We have always wanted to build a house for our-selves but couldn’t quite work out if this site was my dream or a night-mare.”

Building a new lifeLuke and wife Charlotte with their two children

CHANCE

PERSONAL INSIGHT

Design passively

1 “Spend time, money and en-ergy on the design process so

the house really works. The layout should mean time spent during the day is within the part that ben-efits from sunlight.”

Insulate

2 Luke’s house has twice as ef-fective a U-value - a measure

of how building element conducts heat - than Government recom-mendations. “The most effective way of saving money is by spend-ing on insulation.”

Natural light

3“There should be a careful use of natural light, with artificial

light being used as little as possi-ble.”

Passive ventilation

4 Design to allow cross and through ventilation for natu-

ral cooling. “The passive ventila-tion for the house is provided by the opening roof-light at the top of the staircase and the two opening windows in the living room roof. In summer, with open windows, a through-draught keeps it cool.”

Sustainable technology

5Lastly, focus on sustainability. “After you’ve secured the ba-

sics, only then you can start look-ing at heat pumps, rainwater har-vesting and other things.”

LUKE TOZER’S BEST TIPS

5

The new, silent heat pump won’t

disturb the neighbours.

Unless you tell them how much

you’re saving.

There are a couple of possible reasons why

you can’t hear an air/water heat pump. It’s

either switched off or it’s the new NIBE F2015.

Works at as low as 15 degrees below zero

Saves up to 60% of heating costs

Exceptionally low noise

Least impact on global warming

NIBE Energy Systems Ltd

Telephone: 0845 095 1200

Web www.nibe.co.uk

ARTICLE

COURTESY OF

GRAND DESIGNS

MAGAZINE

OCTOBER ISSUE

ON SALE NOW

GRAND DESIGNS LIVE

15

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