Take back control of your bills: Lewes firm offers energy-saving help
A Lewes man who got tired of talking about sustainability has set up a firm to help Sussex residents make their homes cosier.
After a career in strategy and policy, Rob Whitehead was inspired to set up The Net Zero House to help make people’s homes cheaper to heat. He’s seeing more and more customers as concerns about soaring gas prices push residents to find ways to take back control of their bills.
“I got fed up with talking at a strategic level about climate change and the big challenges within it, and how we weren’t making progress in key areas like decarbonising houses,” says Rob, who worked for a London thinktank and at the United Nations.
“I used to talk about it a lot and didn’t get any traction so I set up a company that would do exactly that.”
He now offers expert energy-efficiency advice for homeowners and landlords, and also installs insulation, draft-proofing and ventilation measures.
“Recently we’ve seen a real spike in people asking about insulation. My typical customer is worried about their heating bills and frankly, quite a lot of them are cold and they want to do something about it.
“For most people it really makes sense to insulate the loft or under the floor of a house: the cheapest and most cost-effective steps are draft-proofing doors and windows.”
He added that it can help to keep the temperature of your house steady all year around. “Just as insulation keeps houses warmer in winter, it also helps to keep them cooler in summer too.”
Rob adds: “We try to keep it affordable – most homeowners have a budget at some point for improving their homes, and we’re trying to steer them towards making energy-efficient improvements.”
And it’s creating jobs in the area too: among Rob’s team of four is 23-year-old Mason Ford, from Lewes.
“I’ve left a lot of houses better now, so I’m really happy with the work,” he says. “It’s really varied: I get to do different things, to work with my hands and to talk to clients which is a lot of fun.”
Mason plans to go travelling and hopes to work on similar projects around the world, happy that he can bring some knowledge from his role.
“I’m hoping that these skills will translate when I apply for work abroad,” he says. “I’ve got very handy with power tools and developed some fundamental labouring skills which hopefully make me more employable. They all want people that are good with tools and this is tough work, so they want people that are able to handle that.”
Ewan Klein is among those who have taken steps to better insulate their homes; The Net Zero House team recently completely insulated the loft at his two-storey house in Wallands Park in Lewes.
“We moved here from Edinburgh in February. This house was a lot warmer than the one in Edinburgh, but it was noticeably cooler upstairs so there was a sense that we were losing heat through the roof,” says Ewan, adding that he and his wife plan to add a heat pump and solar panels soon.
“Obviously it would be nice to have lower energy bills but also we felt it was the right thing to do for environmental reasons.”
Rob’s top tips for making your home more energy-efficient
- Make sure you have decent draft-proofing measures in place: check your front door and your windows.
- Improve your loft insulation – think of insulation as a tea cosy around your home that can keep the heat in.
- Consider insulating under your ground floor as well to prevent heat loss there.
- Check whether you need better ventilation: lots of insulation can make your home more airtight, which can trap moisture inside and cause damp. Opening a window each morning can help, but there are also mechanical vents you can install to help to balance out the moisture in your home.
