The largest consumption of energy and producer of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK, after transport, is from the residential sector.

Many of the homes built between the 1920s and 1950s were constructed cheaply, with draughty windows and no cavity walls. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there was poor attention to these details because space heating was from coal fires, which, though inefficient, producted intense heat.

Homes without cavity walls or no wall insulation at all can cause the cost of heating and emmisions to be 60 to 70 per cent higher than homes with insulation-filled 30mm cavity walls.

Solid brick-walled buildings, even with a damp-proof course, become damp inside.

Improvements in draught-proofing and the addition of double glazing, insulating lofts to a minimum of 300mm and keeping internal doors shut may improve the energy efficiency by five to ten per cent.

Recent reports have suggested that demolition may be the only other solution to these problems.

However, the solution is a radical approach to home renovation; an 'eco-vation' which, in the long term, insulates the entire inhabited area of the building and creates a moisture impenetrable barrier permanently halting moisture ingress and further deterioration of the building fabric.

External thermal cladding for solid brick walled buildings is fast becoming the modern way to reduce heating costs and emissions.

Oxford Eco Design is one of the local companies which can provide and install external wall insulation systems with a variety of finishes.

For more details, call 07985 927725, or visit the website: www.oxfordecodesign.co.uk