So it’s a one year since we had a heat pump installed in our 1930s three bedroom semi-detached home in Chippenham. Are the myths true? Did it work on a leaky 1930s house that isn’t that well insulated? Has it cost us a fortune to run? Are the neighbours walking around with ear defenders on? […]
Category Archives: Energy Efficiency case studies
More complex retrofit case studies
08
Jun
Jun
This interesting case study is written for us by Mark Harris of Melksham. It demonstrates how a large domestic solar installation can take you off grid for much of the year. Mark’s installation didn’t come through the Zero Chippenham Community solar scheme, but we do cover the Melksham area. Mark tells us his experience… Background […]
12
May
May
It’s been a beautiful sunny month in Chippenham and a great month for solar generation. In this post and video our solar admin Matthew takes a look at the different strategies he uses to make the best of that FREE solar electricity and minimise household energy bills. Introduction I first installed solar on our house […]
10
Jan
Jan
Background In October 2024 we finally replaced our Worcester Greenstar combi boiler with an Octopus Heatpump installation of a Daikin Altherma 3 monoblock Airsourced Heat-pump and 180 litre hot water tank. So two months on how well does it work? Is it keeping the house warm? Is it costing more or less money to run? […]
02
Jan
Jan
In this case study Kev Matthews tells us how he’s navigated the Wiltshire Planning system on his journey to install an Air Source Heat Pump in his Calne home… …With the Boiler Upgrade Scheme from the UK government contributing £7500 (England and Wales) towards the cost of installation, it’s never been a been a better […]
17
Nov
Nov
Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR) is technology that’s typically only installed on highly air-tight and insulated new build Passivhaus standard houses. Even bulk house builders will revert to trickle air vents for ventilation rather than install this technology. So is it possible to perform a relatively inexpensive DIY installation on an old leaky house […]
07
Nov
Nov
Our home is a 1970’s 4 bed in Monkton park (extended from 3-bed in the 90s) and we have been there since 2022 – we love our home and wanted to make it more sustainable! The house has solar PV, a battery and a heat pump, as well as an electric car charger. When we […]
21
Oct
Oct
Our Octopus Heat Pump journey started in late October 2023. We’d been with Octopus Energy as an electricity and gas supplier for a couple of years and made good use of their Intelligent Octopus tariff. We wanted to decarbonise our house, and the last significant step on that journey was to get rid of gas. […]
23
Jun
Jun
Octopus Energy are rapidly becoming one of the major Heat Pump installers in the UK. This is largely due to their highly competitive pricing, which after the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme £7500 grant is applied, puts the installation cost on a par, or sometimes less than a new gas combo-boiler. It is possible to obtain […]
23
May
May
Zero Chippenham members Jan and Trevor describe their experience of an Air Source heat pump installation in their 1970s house in Chippenham. The Myths Air Source Heat Pump? “It makes too much noise”, “It doesn’t keep you warm enough”, “it’s too expensive”. BUT it does take you away from fossil fuels for keeping your home warm and […]
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