Frightening floor paint may be greener than I thought…(Jul19)
I tried to order 10 litre pots, but was told that 5 litres would be more suitable. It wasn’t because I needed a small amount, but because the paint dries so quickly, that you don’t want to have too much ready at any one time. We got a small team together, with one chap opening […]
My Blog Returns Again… (Oct16)
My blog life has been rather quiet for a long time. There may be some people who have been checking my Blogspot and getting fed up with looking at Lidl lobsters, which was my last post or a photo of me getting married saying that my blog is coming alive again?! Hopefully, it […]
How efficient are energy efficiency schemes? (Jun12)
I wrote this article in June 2012 but am only posting it on my blog on 1st October, in advance of the introduction of the Green Deal. It seems that this government initiative is not being welcomed with open arms – I’m not surprised. I think that there’s ample room for improvement with Energy […]
Eco-flat rented! (May12)
My eco-rented flat near Portobello Rd has been rented. See FT article, I wrote about it Like all properties that are being sold or let, I had to have an Energy Performance Certificate carried out. I was horrified by the first one that I had done because it was totally inaccurate – and didn’t reflect […]
FT Article written on Eco-renovating London flat (Apr12)
My article on eco-renovation was published in the House & Home section of the FT on 21st April, 2012. It’s explains how I set about greening my London flat – and the challenges I faced, despite being an eco-expert – see below for the original copy as written, followed by a pdf of what was […]
London Eco-flat near Portobello rd for rent (Apr12)
The flat is super energy-efficient, having reduced the carbon footprint by at least 59%, and it’s available to rent. Eco-features include bamboo and cork flooring, a kitchen worktop made from recycled glass bottles, a master switch for electrics, LED lighting throughout, a dedicated drying room for laundry, a home office space and a state of […]
My eco-renovated flat is available for rent (Apr12)
Eco-renovated flat – Main room – Jan12 I bought my flat, near Portobello Road, in 1986, with my sister. We shared it for the first couple of years, before she got married and moved out. We re-painted and re-carpeted it throughout but didn’t do much more than that. The kitchen was quite dated even […]
Writing for the Financial Times (Jun12)
I’ve started writing for FT House & Home. My first article, co-written with Fiona Harvey in March 2011 was about Feed in Tariffs. The second piece, published in June 2011 was ‘Eco-technologies at home – Electric Green‘ And the most recent article published on Saturday 21st April 2012, was about eco-renovating my London flat ‘It’s Not Easy Being […]
Eco-scrutiny of my Eco-renovation
My London flat must be the most rigorously scrutinised property on the planet – in terms of its eco-performance. I’ve spent the last few months researching and specifying what eco-renovations are to be done – with help from green architect Jerry Tate. But this week, just before submitting an extensive tender document to builders, I […]
Becoming a Superhome (Apr11)
I’m trying to make my flat a SuperHome – a network of exemplar, old dwellings which have undergone an energy-efficiency retrofit. This means I have to improve its energy efficiency by over 60%. I’ve had the initial assessment done to show the starting point. It looks like I’ll be close to the mark when it’s finished but […]
Eco-building expansion (Mar11)
When Ecobuild started 5 years ago less than 200 people attended. This year they were expecting 50,000 but over 80,000 had registered before the event had even started. I’m not sure how many actually came over the 3 days, but getting there felt like being on one of those Japanese commuter trains, where they pack […]
Articles for the Financial Times (Mar11 & Jun11)
I’ve started writing for FT House & Home. My first article, co-written with Fiona Harvey in March 2011 was about Feed in Tariffs – Enlightened Energy. The second one was on Eco-technologies at home – Electric Green. It was published in June 2011. Future articles will include one on eco-renovating my London flat.