Malcolm and Louise Kinney have written an excellent case study on their experiences retrofitting their house in Garston, South Liverpool. Although some aspects of retrofitting may change, such as the types and amounts of grants available, a lot of this information will be relevant for anyone looking at doing similar work on their house. If you wish to contact Malcolm with any questions, please write to us at foe.liverpool@gmail.com and we will pass on your enquiry to him. Thank you to Malcolm and Louise for sharing this report with Friends of the Earth and the wider community.
Introduction
The case study below is our house and of course every home is different. However, in this area, it is a fairly typical solid wall 1920/30’s semidetached one.
We undertook this project for a number of reasons. Our politics have increasingly become Green and our concerns for the planet and what we are leaving for our grandchildren, are huge issues for us. Also we wanted to invest in a more comfortable eco-friendly home.
Grants are available through a National Scheme which is administered by Liverpool City Council. For details see – Fuel bills and energy efficiency – Liverpool City Council
Stage 1 – Insulation.
Underfloor insulation and external wall insulation.
Company – Next Energy – External Wall Insulation – Next Energy It was a very professional service which took several weeks to complete. Lots of attention was paid to adequate ventilation throughout the house. We have experienced no problems with damp/condensation etc. Windows need to have ‘trickle flow’ ventilation which can, if needed, be retrofitted into existing ones. The bathroom and kitchen also need extractor fans.
Cost £10,000 – Government grant. Means tested. It is always worth checking what is currently on offer as it seems to change quite regularly.
Conditions for grants also vary. You will almost certainly need an Energy Performance Certificate. You can check here if you already have one – Find an energy certificate – GOV.UK Cost of getting one is from about £75
Work completed May 2023
Triple glazed windows front and partial rear. Also replaced porch doors (April 2023) and later on the back extension windows/doors and back sitting room windows and patio doors (July2024).
We used Sure Seal (a good local company) for this and paid for it ourselves. UPVC Windows Liverpool, Security Doors & Conservatories Specialists In Liverpool | Near Me
£15,800
Stage 2 – Solar Panels
We have 16 panels and 2x5kw batteries.
Work completed by Integral Energy Solutions – Integral Solar | Leading Solar Panel Experts in the North West They were highly recommended by friends living in Garston. Excellent service. Scaffolding up on Monday, Panels etc on Tuesday and scaffolding down on Wednesday. Really good clear explanations and great team of workers.
Cost £10,000
Work completed 29/4/2025
Since instillation we have generated over 1500KW hours of electricity and have made £340. During this time, we have used approx. 600kw hours from the grid.
Stage – 3 Installing Air Source Heat Pump
Lots of companies offer installation services. We went for one of the bigger well-established ones from Sweden, Aira. It took 4 days to install it. Quite messy, but not too bad. Needed 3 additional radiators and 6 upgrades to our existing radiators.
Received a £7,500 grant (non means tested) plus £8,000 of our own money. Clean Energy-Tech for Every Home | Aira Some of this can be offset by the need to replace our old boiler.
Work completed June 1st 2025
They say we will save up to 100% CO2 emissions and up to £ 500 on energy bills.
It takes a bit of getting used to! We are still learning. Basically, you set it on the ambient temperature you are comfortable with and let it get on with it.
Stage 4 – Going Gas Free
This was easy for us and just required replacing the gas hob with an electric one. Octopus did not charge a removal fee for the gas meter.
Conclusions
We are not sure yet what our overall CO2 savings will be, but hopefully fairly substantial.
Our house is now much more comfortable to live in and has gone from an EPC rating D to a probable B (not yet got it re tested)
In terms of money: The solar panels are a bit of a no brainer. We should get our investment back in 8 years. It is an approx.11% equivalent return on investing the money. The air source heat pump is not so clear cut.
The bigger picture is complicated and some what baffling. If we are, as much of the science suggests, in the biggest existential crises in human history then why is not every house in the UK not covered in solar panels? There are approx. 3 million 1930’s semis in this country and if everyone was retrofitted to the same standard as ours then this could produce the equivalent of half the annual output of a nuclear power plant (I think – back of a fag packet calculation) The solutions are right in front of us – it just needs political will. This is sadly lacking so ‘just one thing’ will at least make some difference. I heard on the radio that individual action could contribute to 20% of the solution. Sorry can’t remember the source. Still, lots of research to read!
Please feel free to contact us if you want any more advice or want to see what we have done. Also, if you decide to get work done and use either Aira or Integral Solar then please tell them that we [Malcolm and Louise Kinney] referred you as we will get a bonus.
Liverpool Friends of the Earth 