Meet Tina
When Tina moved into her home over ten years ago, she assumed it would be warm and affordable to heat because it was a terraced property with an EPC rating of C. However, she soon discovered widespread damp issues, severe heat loss and significant discomfort during winter months.
The property had multiple issues requiring attention. The roof leaked, water from the upstairs bathroom was dripping through the kitchen light fitting, kitchen units were deteriorating, and mould covered parts of the walls.
Tina recalls:
“In cold weather I’d wear two down jackets while cooking because the temperature in the kitchen was 5 degrees.”
Winter indoor temperatures often ranged between 5°C and 15°C, making the home uncomfortable and expensive to live in.
KEY FACTS
Date built: 1970s
Building type: Three-bed terraced house
Wall type: Cavity wall
Overall approach: Project managed by the client with support from local handyman
Services accessed from Futureproof Cumbria: Your Home Retrofit Plan, Standard Specifications
Results: Winter temp: 18°C | Energy use: -86% | Energy bills: £1,000/year | Airtightness: 1m³/hr.m² at 50 Pa
A room-by-room approach
Tina decided to embark on a long-term self-led retrofit project, using government funding wherever possible and tackling the house room-by-room. Through a number of measures she hoped to:
- Stop damp and mould problems.
- Reduce draughts and heat loss.
- Improve comfort for her family.
- Lower long-term energy costs.
- Create a healthier home environment.
Over eight years Tina gradually transformed the property:
Internal wall and floor insulation
Improved loft insulation
Solar PV
Improved airtightness
Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR)
Triple-glazing
The results
Minimum winter temperature
reduction in energy use
1m³
/hr.m² at 50 Pa airtightness rating
Tina's bills have also reduced - in 2025 it cost just over £1,000 for all electricity, including heating and hot water.
Challenges along the way
While the household was eligible for grant-funded solar PV panels and loft insulation, CIGA declared the cavity walls to be unsuitable for cavity wall insulation. The wet insulation was removed, but there was no way to get internal wall insulation via a government scheme at the time, so this measure had to be self-funded.
Tina said:
“It has taken a huge amount of effort and disruption and would have been much better if I could have moved out and done all the work in one go, but I didn’t have the funds for that.”
To make the project more affordable, Tina decided to extend her mortgage repeatedly over a period of eight years, completing the work room-by-room and doing most of the preparation work herself.
How Futureproof Cumbria helped
With the support of a local handyman, Tina used Standard Specifications provided by Futureproof Cumbria for the floor insulation and airtightness work, which were carried out with careful attention to detail to maximise their impact.
Futureproof Cumbria also provided a Your Home Retrofit Plan, modelling potential energy and cost savings. Tina’s electricity for heating is now actually less than the model predicted, so she has definitely achieved her energy-saving goal.
"I’m now comfortable, my energy bills for the future are at the very low end of the scale, and the house is so much nicer in every possible way."
Tina's top tips
- Make the most of any funding that’s available.
- If you can’t afford to move out while the project is ongoing, take a room-by-room approach.
- Although retrofit is a big commitment, don’t be deterred – it’s definitely worth it!
Our range of support helps you make confident, informed choices every step of the way.
Visit our Retrofit Services webpage to find out more, or get in touch below.
…or fill in our online form.
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