More than 1,500 visit Camden's Eco House

I’m absolutely delighted to be able to say that more than 1,500 people have now visited the Camden Eco House since it was opened to the public in July. An astounding 890 people looked round it during the Open House weekend (20/21 Sep). It’s proof, if proof were needed, that people want to see how a Victorian property can be refurbished to reduce carbon emissions by 80%. What’s more, as far as I can tell from looking through nearly 1,000 questionnaires, Mike Wells, who keeps writing negative letters in the Camden New Journal, is the only visitor who didn’t appreciate the Camden Eco House.

I agree with Mr Wells that the double glazing we fitted was expensive and that you can find cheaper double glazed replica sash windows. However, since the units were donated to Camden Council, we weren’t really in a position to complain about the list price. All the eco measures in the house were paid for by outside donors who are interested in assessing whether they will really reduce the house’s carbon emissions by 80%. So yes, Mr Wells – they were a present from the tooth fairy.

Mr Wells complains that internal wall insulation “reduces the size of every room”. Actually it only needs to be fitted on exposed walls and since most Victorian houses in Camden are terrace properties they only have one exposed wall per room. Almost every one of the 200 or so people I have personally shown round the Camden Eco House was surprised by how little space you actually end up losing.

He goes on to berate Camden Council for not installing “grey water” recycling from baths and showers for use in the toilets. I would loved to have done this but it simply doesn’t make financial sense in a residential retrofit. All new developments in Camden now have to install rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling. And if you are refurbishing a large office building you will probably find that it makes sense. But it would have cost about £10,000 to install a dual pipe system in the Eco House to allow grey water recycling and that would never have paid itself back.

I do not pretend that every aspect of the Eco House is perfect. The pipework in the boiler cupboard is messy. The localised heat exchangers should have gone in the bathroom and the kitchen. And I would have liked to have retained the original cornicing or at least a copy of it. But overall I think it’s a phenomenal success.

Two years ago the all-party Camden Council Sustainability Task Force which I chair recommended creating zero or nearly zero carbon exemplars in every ward in Camden to inform and inspire residents. I now think we should have at least one eco-retrofit which is permanently open to the public. Ideally it would be in various stages of rebuild so as to give residents as many insights as possible. I’m delighted to be able to say that the Leader of Camden Council, Cllr Keith Moffitt, told last week’s Sustainability Task Force meeting that he would support the idea of a permanently open retrofit so watch this space on that.

There is one thing I completely agree with Mike Wells about. I would like to see the Council lending money for insulation and double glazing to householders and private landlords or their tenants. We could then recoup a proportion of the energy bill saving through the council tax. Landlords should be happy because they would get an upgraded property for free.

Householders or private tenants should be happy because they would pay less overall in terms of council tax plus energy bills. Camden Council’s Finance Director should be happy because he would get his money back, plus interest, in time. And I would be happy because our Camden’s carbon emissions would go down dramatically.

If you haven’t yet visited the Camden Eco House, or if you are wondering what all the fuss is about, then please do go to 17 St Augustine’s Road this Sunday or next from 2pm to 5pm and make your own mind up.