On Friday 22 August, experts from the Let Zero team along with other project partners welcomed groups including local landlords and national stakeholders for the first tours of the Let Zero Show Home, a privately rented property demonstrating a range of cutting-edge energy efficiency measures.
The Let Zero Show Home is a privately rented Victorian terraced house in Tinsley, Sheffield. As a demonstration of the impact of energy efficiency upgrades, Let Zero along with a group of project partners and contractors have installed a wide range of cutting edge retrofit measures, including air source heat pumps, solar panels, insulation, and door and window fittings.
The Show Home tours are open to anyone interested in learning more about retrofit, and to see the impact of retrofit measures first-hand. The first Show Home tours welcomed many stakeholders including local landlords and representatives from the National Retrofit Hub and were hosted by experts from the Let Zero team, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), and contractors Wrapt, who worked on the home.
Project leaders SYMCA began the tour by outlining the challenge and purpose of the Let Zero project, with 60% of private rental properties in South Yorkshire currently failing to meet the proposed EPC rating of C, and 23% of private tenants living in fuel poverty. The Let Zero “one stop shop” service helps landlords and tenants navigate the process of making energy efficiency improvements to their homes.
Project partners then showed attendees around some of the Show Home’s innovative features, including those designed to minimise disruption to the tenant. Contractors Wrapt explained how they used 3D scans of the house to measure and cut internal wall insulation panels offsite which are then brought to the house during construction, minimising waste and more importantly time spent to install. The air source heat pump was installed by manufacturer ICAX, who developed a rapid installation process. External wall insulation was developed by VundaHaus who eliminated the need for wet trades, reducing time needed for drying and the dependency on weather.
The group were also joined by the landlord and tenant who were able to give attendees some insight on their experience of the home improvement process. Landlord Mahara Haque, from My Landlord Cares, says that the measures can help properties reach an EPC rating of C, improve the comfort of tenants comfort and protect the environment, a “win win” for landlords. The tenant told the group that they were looking forward to a warmer, more comfortable winter in their home with their family.
If you are interested in seeing these retrofit upgrades for yourself, there are further tours taking place at the end of September.
Visit our Eventbrite page to book onto the next Show Home tours
Learn more about the Let Zero project
