Lewes and district Eco Open Houses is running its fourth annual event showcasing homes that inspire with ideas for green living and cutting energy bills.
This year, 16 eco-friendly homes will open their doors to the public, nine for the first time.
Lewes homes will open over the weekend of September 14 and 15, while those in outlying villages will be showcased on September 21 and 22.
The inspiring homes on show range from renovated Victorian cottages to 1960s conversions and stunning architect designed new-build properties. Properties in the villages and countryside feature exciting off grid measures such as air, ground and water source heat pumps, as well as being examples of good eco building. All have drastically cut their electricity, gas and water bills as well as carbon emissions.
Details of addresses and opening hours are on our new dedicated website, http://www.lewesecoopenhouses.org.uk/ The homes are free to visit and all are welcome.
The Lewes properties include 11 St Swithun’s Terrace, which was built in 1900. This building demonstrates how far emissions can be reduced for a simple house, by employing the most cost-effective measures. Solar panels for hot water were installed several years ago, along with a highly insulated hot water tank.
Recently a 1.05 kW PV array was added to help offset the already frugal electricity use. Window heat losses, always a problem with sash windows, were sensibly managed by relatively inexpensive secondary glazing, which also cuts out draughts.