This city centre 1870s property is now ready for the future, thanks to a full retrofit.
Like many first-time buyers, Carmen knew her budget could only stretch so far. For many who would have purchased this 1870s converted flat, they might’ve considered some basic modernisation before eventually moving up the housing ladder for a newer, hopefully warmer home. But Carmen (31) was determined to go beyond surface-level improvements, embarking on a full retrofit project that would turn the draughty, cold property into a warm, cosy home.
“It wasn’t an individual thing; I was part of a community. If I wasn’t speaking to people who were doing it, I would have been lost. When you’re part of a community where it’s normalised, it feels exciting and something to be proud of.”
“There’s a kind of resignation in Glasgow that we’re just going to be cold in these old flats. I wanted to see what was possible on my budget.” As someone who had studied architecture and later worked with Loco Home Retrofit and then in community energy for a number of years, Carmen had met lots of people who had made energy efficiency improvements to their homes through her work.
Of course, it had been impossible to ignore the high fuel bills too.
“Every time you turned the heating on, you felt a bit worried because you knew it’s very expensive and it wasn’t going to make a big difference… the heat was up and down quite a lot. You just had to huddle up in electric blankets with a cup of tea.”
At one point during Christmas, Carmen had her family staying with her and knew that she’d need to keep her guests comfortable. “…it cost £200 extra on the bill for just one week to properly heat the place!”
When Loco Home Retrofit came to do their first survey, it soon became clear that this project would not be straightforward due to the property’s quirks. While many homeowners might have given up, Carmen’s determination and commitment to do what is best for both her home and the environment would see her undertake months of DIY, research, and finally, the installation of a heat pump!
Sitting in her comfortable living room, Carmen states that, “It feels like walking into a house where someone is spending a fortune on heating, but we’re not. It’s actually cheaper than last year.”
When Carmen got her Whole Home Plan from Loco Home Retrofit, the survey proved helpful in giving her an overview of what needed to be done and when. The co-op also advised Carmen on available funding and connected her with an excellent installer who could carry out expert work in an unusual building.
Loco Home Retrofit’s Whole Home plan Service suggested that Carmen should:
- Improve the insulation on an element by element basis in the complex roof room
- Install additional ventilation through to extract moist air
- Upgrade or improve single glazed windows
- Perform meticulous draught-proofing guided by thermal imaging
- Install an air source heat pump (ASHP) with guidance on what radiators and pipework may need to be changed
Angus, one of the Retrofit Consultants from Loco Home, shared that
“these measures were calculated to provide an approximate 40% reduction in heating demand, and a further 80% reduction in carbon emissions, which meant a total carbon emissions reduction of 88%. The efficiency of the heat pump alongside the fabric measures also meant bills would reduce whilst comfort increased. Carmen’s property presented particular challenges in access and installation – and it was Loco Home’s intimate knowledge of the supply chain which meant the right installer was found for the job”.
Carmen did as much DIY as possible throughout the project, learning lots of skills along the way.
“The roof was a big opportunity. We used natural materials—hemp and sisal wool. There was a huge job of just clearing out decades of construction waste from the attic—bricks, wood, even old shoes—just to get to the space we needed to insulate.”
In regard to windows, Carmen did consider new double glazing. “I was thinking of getting new windows, but on expert advice, I got ‘gecko glazing’ [secondary glazing] instead. It saved so much money and instantly made a huge difference. It was quite a fun DIY project.”
While still using the boiler in the flat, Carmen tested the low and slow method when heating her home. “One of the first things I did was lower my gas boiler flow temperature. That was the first step that made a huge difference in comfort before the heat pump even arrived,” Carmen remarked.
When the day did come for the heat pump installation, Carmen explained how she was confident that Loco Home Retrofit’s vetted heat pump installer could handle a complex installation. She was extremely happy with their service.
“The installer was absolutely brilliant–especially prompt and responsive after the install, and helped me get the best out of the system.”
While Carmen points out the parts of the living room that she wants to redecorate eventually, she is happy to just enjoy the warmer home for now, worrying about the surface-level things at a later time.
“It’s 19 degrees all the time now. The home is much more steady, comfortable, and cheaper. Our bills have gone down and the comfort has gone up.”
As we sit in the 1870s home that now performs to a more modern standard, it’s clear that one of the most important ways we can look after Glasgow and Scotland’s heritage homes is to keep them liveable by retrofitting them in the right way. Before Carmen, the previous owner had Airbnb’d the property, so it was heartening that the new owner had invested so much into the property, giving it a new life as a result. “You’re a steward of this beautiful architectural legacy…If I pass this on, I’m leaving it in a nicer way than I found it.”
If all homeowners prioritise the efficiency and comfort of their homes, we would start to see Scotland’s housing stock transform. By getting specialist advice from Loco Home Retrofit, anyone can improve their home’s comfort. If you live in a tenement or heritage home, it’s worth getting in touch. Especially if you want to decarbonise your home by either getting a heat pump or even getting a boiler optimisation service.
Near the end of our chat, I mentioned the recent media coverage of heat pumps and the flack any heat pump owner who shares a positive news story might get. I told Carmen about how I had recently seen comments underneath an article about a ground-floor tenement owner who got a heat pump. One of the many negative comments stated that it was “More virtue signalling” and another remarked, “The sooner global warming peaks in Scotland the better (:L)”
Carmen could see how change can be frightening to many and how divisive the topic of home energy has become.
“People talk about ‘virtue signaling,’ but I’m not going to be not proud of it. It was a big effort. When things are going badly in the world, you know you are making an effort in your own life that’s directly counteracting it.”
“You can work on an individual level, a community level, and a global level all at the same time just by picking impactful actions.”
Carmen stated that being a member of the Loco Home Retrofit co-op helped her on the whole journey.
“It wasn’t an individual thing; I was part of a community. If I wasn’t speaking to people who were doing it, I would have been lost. When you’re part of a community where it’s normalised, it feels exciting and something to be proud of.”
1870s Home Gets A Heat Pump
“It’s 19 degrees all the time now. The home is much more steady, comfortable, and cheaper. Our bills have gone down and the comfort has gone up.”
What Is Retrofit?
Retrofitting—the process of upgrading an existing building to improve how they feel and improving energy performance. When we talk about home retrofit, we mean fitting new energy efficiency measures and technology into your home, such as additional insulation, underfloor heating or a heat pump. This is to achieve better energy efficiency – which means lower…