Urban Wild on the Common

The My Home Made Better team will be heading to this city-wide festival that celebrates local wild places and the connection, creativity, and community that surrounds them.

Open Home event - Victorian terrace

Visit an energy efficient Victorian terraced house in Winchester, talk to the owner and find out what they've done and how they did it. Book your timeslot here.

Ringwood RACE Against Time Eco Fair

Now in its 5th year, this event promises a day filled with education, engagement and eco-friendly fun for all ages. The My Home Made Better team will be on hand to deliver one-to-one advice.

Cycle Winchester’s Mass Bike Ride

We’ll be joining the cycling fun set to hit Winchester for this popular biking event. Come and find My Home Made Better in the post-ride gathering from 11am.

Why our mantra is: No insulation without ventilation

Thinking about insulating your home? Ventilation is an absolute must.

Let’s take a closer look.

Insulation is an energy-saving material that traps heat in your home. It provides an effective, technology-free solution to reducing heat loss. Many people say they can feel the difference insulation makes straight away!

In most cases, we don’t see our insulation at work, but to avoid future problems, we need to understand what it’s up to.

Laura is a MHMB energy adviser from the Environment Centre (tEC) and said: “Insulation helps keep warmth where you need it, like your living spaces, while keeping cooler air outside your home, or in areas like the loft or under the floor. But as air cools, it releases moisture, so we need to prioritise moisture management before thinking about installing energy efficiency improvements.”

Without ventilation, this moisture can build up on almost any surface and become a breeding ground for damp and mould. If left untreated, this could lead to structural problems and even health issues.

Laura added: “Any insulation installer should include ventilation in their planning as standard. They’ll be able to talk you through exactly what they’re doing to facilitate air flow so you’re not faced with problems later down the line. When installed correctly, insulation is a fantastic solution for many people.”

Read more about insulation here or check out Shamini’s experience of insulating her home in Petersfield.

Selling your electricity

Many residents who have switched to solar panels feel more empowered and independent.

They’re reducing their reliance on the grid, adding value to their property and even getting paid to sell their surplus electricity.

So how does selling electricity from solar panels work in practice?

The Smart Export Guarantee

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a government-backed scheme that enables you to be paid for any renewable electricity you export to the grid.

To get started, you’ll need to apply to a SEG tariff provider. Ofgem lists the energy suppliers currently offering SEG tariffs. Your SEG tariff provider doesn't have to be the same as your energy supplier, so it’s a good idea to look around at the different tariffs. They will vary in rates of payment, and some will have peak and off-peak rates, for example.

How do I access it?

To qualify, your solar panel system needs to be installed by a business registered with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), or meet the equivalent requirements set by Ofgem. You may be asked for an installation certificate to demonstrate this when applying to your SEG tariff provider.

You’ll also need a meter that can send readings every 30 minutes, typically a smart meter. Your solar panel system also needs a total installed capacity of no more than 5MW. Household solar panel systems easily fit within the upper size limit for the SEG scheme. You can find more information about eligibility on the Ofgem website.

What happens next?

When your solar panel system is installed, your installer may recommend an app or platform you can use to monitor your solar panels. You can use this app to see how much you've exported each day in kWh. Depending on your SEG tariff provider, you may also be able to use their app to monitor how much you’ve exported.

Once your system is generating energy and you’re signed up to an SEG tariff, you’ll start to receive payments at regular intervals set by your tariff provider. This could be monthly, quarterly or once per year.

Sound good? If you live in Hampshire, Southampton or Portsmouth, give us a call to talk through options for your unique circumstances. Remember – we’re here to give free, impartial advice to help you make more informed decisions.

MHMB Glossary

Do you know your thermostat from your programmer? Your TRVs from your immersion heater?

Here at My Home Made Better, we keep things simple. We use everyday, relatable language to help you get to grips with the different pieces of the puzzle.

If technical jargon is something you’re worried about, have a browse through our My Home Made Better glossary to get a head start. We can always talk things through in a little more detail when we discuss your home.

General

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
EPCs were introduced in England in 2007 to help people understand the energy efficiency of a property before buying or moving in.

If your home has one, it’ll be a valuable source of information and recommendations! Search your address on the Government’s Find your EPC tool.

Retrofit

In the context of My Home Made Better, retrofit refers to improving the energy efficiency of an existing home.

Keeping the heat in

Draught-proofing tape
An inexpensive tape that can be placed around windows to block out cold draughts.

High performance doors/windows
Doors/windows that are manufactured with features and materials that guarantee energy efficiency.

Single/double/triple glazing
Windows that use either one, two or three panes of glass, with air gaps between panes to trap heat in and reduce heat loss.

Walls (cavity)
Formed with two parallel walls with a gap in between them, cavity walls are more common in homes built after the 1920s and can be filled with insulation to trap warmth inside.

Walls (solid)
Typically found in older homes, these will usually benefit from insulation which can be added either inside or outside the property.

Heating

Air source heat pump (ASHP)
Heats your home using heat extracted from the air. See heating systems for more information.

Flow temperature
The temperature of the water when it leaves your boiler or heat pump and enters your heating system.

Immersion heater
A component that uses electricity to heat water inside a hot water tank. See our examples of different scenarios that use an immersion heater.

Programmer/timer/control panel
This allows you to set when your heating goes on and off, at different times of day. You may also be able to vary this by day of the week. If you have a hot water tank, you should have the option to set the timer for when your hot water is heated as well.

Reflective radiator foil/panel
An insert that goes behind your radiator and bounces the heat back into the room. These are widely available and inexpensive to buy.

Thermostat
This regulates the temperature of your home. If the air temperature drops to lower than the temperature you’ve programmed it to be (while the heating is on), the thermostat will trigger your heating system to kick in. When the desired temperature is reached, the thermostat will trigger the heating system to turn off. You don’t need to turn your thermostat up when it’s colder outside, and turning your thermostat up higher won’t make your home heat up faster.

Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)
These are the radiator controls that allow you to change the temperature in each room. You could lower the setting in rooms you don't spend as much time in.

Renewables (solar)

Optimiser
A component that enables your solar panel system to work efficiently if one or more of the panels are in shade.

Photovoltaic panels
The technical term for panels that convert sunlight into electricity. Installers often use this technical term as a way to distinguish them from solar thermal panels, which convert sunlight into heat.

Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
This enables you to sell electricity. You’ll need to sign up with an electricity provider that offers this type of tariff, but this can be a different provider to the one that supplies your electricity. You’ll likely come across the term ‘SEG payments’ which refers to the payments made to you.

Solar diverter
Uses surplus solar electricity to heat your hot water tank. When the tank is hot, surplus is automatically exported to the grid instead.

Have we missed an unfamiliar term? Email us at myhome@environmentcentre.com if there’s a word or phrase you think we should add to our glossary.

Heat pump installation in Winchester

Bob had an air-source heat pump installed in early September 2022 at his detached 4-bedroom house in Winchester. Here Bob explains exactly what changes he did to his home - helped by Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis (WinACC) – and the benefits he’s seen since.

Visit a home and see it for yourself!

Nothing beats seeing new ideas in action. My Home Made Better has a growing community of householders willing to share their experiences, answer your questions and show you their new technologies and energy systems working in real time.

If you’re considering installing a heat pump, the visitaheatpump.com community offers plenty of inspiration and opportunity to book a time to visit a household that’s already made the switch. Simply enter your postcode and you’ll find listings in Basingstoke, East Hampshire, Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth.

You might also like to get in touch with Petersfield Climate Action Network (PeCAN), Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis (WinACC) or Energy Alton, who all have strong links to local people who may be able to help you see an energy-saving measure in action.

Transition Southampton and Green Open Homes are also fantastic resources.

If you’ve already made the switch and think you could inspire others, we’d love to hear from you. Please email us at myhome@environmentcentre.com and we’ll link you up with communities and individuals where we can.

Red, gold and green! Using thermal imaging to inform decisions

The bright pops of red, yellow and green that appear from the darkness of a thermal imaging camera are undoubtedly an eye-catching way to discover where your home could be losing heat.

When it comes to research and planning, these handheld devices are a great tool for exploring what’s really going on around your home. Plus, there’s a growing number of organisations offering free surveys; an opportunity well worth investigating if you’re keen to take a deep dive into the nooks and crannies of your home.

Most organisations offering surveys do so during the winter evenings when you have the heating on. Naturally – the results are much more accurate and useful.

Across Hampshire, the Greening Campaign has a fantastic network of trained communities who offer surveys, as do Petersfield Climate Action Network (PeCAN) and Energy Alton.

You might also be able to borrow a camera locally, for example:

Thermal image surveys are a great place to start but can be difficult to interpret correctly. Always seek advice from an accredited professional before taking any action based on image results.