Resources for taking action in your home

This page provides links to resources where you can find out how to take action to make your home warmer and more energy efficient. (Please note this page is in development, and more content will be added in due course!)

General information on retrofit

• The Centre for Sustainable Energy provide a broad collection of advice leaflets with information on a variety of topics, particularly on:

  • Energy advice
  • Insulation & heating
  • Renewables
  • Love your old home, making older homes warmer and cheaper to heat.
  • Love your old home workbook (PDF).

• Bristol Green Doors are now led by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) as part of the Futureproof project and their website has lots of useful information, such as:

  • Details on individual retrofit measures.
  • Numerous case studies of retrofit projects (click 'Search our stories')
  • A trades and trade directory (click 'Search our stories')

• DIY Doctor projects provide detailed guides for many different DIY projects around the home. There is also a collection of video guides.

• A Bristolian's guide to solid wall insulation (PDF) is a comprehensive and user-friendly guide for sold wall insulation, commissioned by Bristol City Council and led by the Sustainable and Traditional Buildings Alliance (STBA).

• Super Homes network on low-energy retrofit.

• Mitchell & Dickinson Retrofit News (issue 1, PDF).

Technical information

• Moisture and damp:

  • Moisture guidance for existing homeowners (YouTube)

• Insulation:

  • Problems resulting from absent insulation (Tony Cowling, UKCMB)
  • Avoidance and diagnosis of problems associated with internal wall insulation (UKCMB)
  • Understanding best practice in deploying external solid-wall insulation and internal wall insulation in the UK (Gov.uk)

• Air pressure testing:

  • Air leakage testing Information sheet (PDF) (National House Building Council)

Finding tradesmen

• The Green Register allows you to seach for construction professionals who have professional training in green building practices.

• DIY Doctor Find a Tradesman provides a way to fund trustworthy tradesmen, based on the Plentific market place.

• We Care and Repair provide a handyman service for those over 60 or disabled. They also have a small fund for an emergency free service for those who cannot pay.

Background information

• UWE Housing Types in Bristol

• Energy Saving Trust Review of potential for carbon savings from residential energy efficiency, a report for the Committee on Climate Change (PDF).

• BEIS report on energy consumption in the UK (HTML, PDF)

• The Economics of Low Carbon Cities: A Mini-Stern Review for the City of Bristol (PDF).