May 5 2008
Londoners will have another chance to learn how to make their homes greener as the London Development Agency’s eco-house will be one of the main attractions at this year’s Grand Designs Live at Excel.
No 1 Lower Carbon Drive, promoting the LDA’s flagship Green Homes service for the capital, will be a key exhibit in the Grand Village which also features live building techniques and Kevin McCloud’s ‘one week to build’ house, which has been designed specifically for the exhibition and will be built on site throughout the show.
The eco-house will support the environmental message of Grand Designs Live by providing advice on how visitors can make changes to their homes or incorporate environmental measures into refurbishment projects to reduce their carbon impact. A series of seminars will be held in the house with speakers including environmentalist and LDA board member Charles Secrett, Jeremy Leggett from Solar Century, architect Tom Coward and restaurateur and chef Oliver Rowe, owner of London’s Konstam restaurant which uses only locally-sourced seasonal ingredients.
No 1 Lower Carbon Drive made its debut appearance on Trafalgar Square to launch the UK’s first Green Homes service in December.
Specifically designed with Londoners in mind, the service offers a free comprehensive telephone advice service, a free website and a paid-for green 'concierge' service to provide a hassle-free tailor-made package of carbon saving lifestyle improvements. Sixty per cent of London's housing was built before 1945, compared to 40 per cent nationally so it is less energy efficient than the UK average. The average household could save around £300 a year by making their homes more energy efficient.
Visitors to the eco-house at Grand Designs Live will be able to get on-hand advice from advisers on changes they can make to their homes reduce their carbon footprint – from energy saving light bulbs to insulation to solar panels on the roof. London home owners will also be able to the sign up to the concierge service which provides a carbon audit of your home and a tailormade package of home improvements you can make. The service will even source quotes and project manage improvement works.
No1 Lower Carbon Drive has already proved hugely successful at Trafalgar Square and the Ideal Homes Show with over 30,000 visitors – over 70 per cent of whom said they would make changes to their behaviour as a result of the visit.
LDA Chief Executive Manny Lewis said: ‘The eco-house has already proved hugely popular and Grand Designs Live is another opportunity for Londoners to learn how they can do their bit to help tackle climate change. In London, one of the biggest source of carbon emissions is our homes. The Green Homes service shows how you can reduce those emissions without reducing the quality of your lifestyle – and how you can save money in the process in lower energy bills.’
The programme aims to cut 500,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in London by 2012.
Grand Designs Live runs from Saturday 3rd May to Sunday 11th May at the Excel Centre.