Brake Visits Soon-To-Be Sustainable House

11.24.04am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 26th Mar 2007

Tom Brake MP (left) with Russell Smith in the soon-to-be eco-home

On Monday, Tom Brake MP, Liberal Democrat for Carshalton and Wallington, visited what will become one of the first fully environmentally friendly renovated houses in the UK.

The house, located in Carshalton Grove, Sutton, was bought by Russell Smith, Director of Parity Projects. He has gutted the house and is in the final stages of establishing an entirely new internal works system that is entirely environmentally friendly. For example, he is installing and testing various products like timber-framed double-glazed windows, solar panels, underfloor heating, and a range of insulation types. In some instances setting his insulation standards three times the legally required level. In particular, sensors will be installed that monitor the change in temperature for each type of insulation as conditions change inside and outside the house.

Mr Smith deliberately selected a house that was the least environmentally friendly in order to illustrate all of the options for creating an eco-friendly lifestyle. He said, "There is a lot of 'fog' surrounding the best options available for the average homeowner to improve their environmental credentials and reduce their utility bills. This project will clear the fog and point towards the best options for any existing home".

The project expects to identify which products and systems are best for creating the eco-friendly homes that have been at the forefront of the Government's agenda and in the media. Mr Smith asserts that the changes to the house will produce an 80% decrease in heating costs.

Tom Brake said,

"This is a fantastic venture! It bodes well for the community, the country and even the world at large. The kind of knowledge that will be acquired from this project about what really works environmentally is priceless."