We are Tim Nicholson, 39, a Chartered Surveyor, and Joanne Bowlt, 37, a self-employed PR consultant who met in Oxford when we were students and recently moved back.

In May 2004 we left our London jobs, let our flats, sold our modern cars and bought a fifty year old Morris Oxford that we drove from Oxford, England, to Oxford, New Zealand, in an extraordinary fundraising adventure of a lifetime www.oxford2oxford.co.uk We raised funds and profile for the Red Cross and inspired people of all ages across the world.

Stepping away from the routine of our lives and experiencing first hand how other people live and how aware some of them are of their environment, we were motivated to change the way we live and to try to influence others to live in a way that better respects our planet and its limited resources.

However bad driving a car might be for the environment, the fact that we drove a fifty year old (well maintained) car (slowly) was not as bad as it might sound - it is true that modern vehicles emit considerably less green-house gases than older vehicles but the total emissions from an old classic car driven for it's lifetime will be far less than the green-house gases emitted during the manufacturing process of producing a new car. We would have to have driven around the world many times to produce the amount of carbon emitted in the manufacture of a new car.

Best of course is that we do not drive at all. Our Morris Oxford, known to her admirers as Florence, is about to go on display at the Oxford Bus Museum http://www.oxfordbusmuseum.org.uk/ When we delivered her there we cycled home on our Brompton folding bikes www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk as cycling is now our main form of transport.

Since moving back to Oxford and beginning the renovation of our flat we have learnt a great deal and are learning all the time about how to live a low-carbon healthier lifestyle. We attend many talks and events on Climate Change in Oxford - one that had a particular impact was the launch of George Monbiot's recent book "HEAT - How to Stop the Planet Burning" www.monbiot.com Everyone should read it!

One of the factors that sold the flat to us was that each of the three main rooms has a large window facing south so we gain from the heat of the sun. We have fitted wooden venetian blinds to control the heat from the sun whilst allowing ventilation in the summer. The heating and hot water is from a gas powered combination boiler.

Though the existing combination gas boiler is a few years old we believe that with our current plans and usage replacing it with a more efficient new model would not be cost effective at the moment. We intend to fit an evacuated tube solar panel and a hot water cylinder so that the water going in to the existing boiler will be preheated. Because we live in a flat we must apply for planning permission to fit a solar panel.

Each radiator has a separate thermostatic control. The majority of the time only the towel rails (replacing the original radiators) in the loo room and bathroom come on when we turn on the heating, we turn on other radiators when needed but rarely have the heating on for more than an hour a day in the winter.

Living in a flat limits the amount we can do to harvest rainwater and so on so we have focused on implementing means to reduce our water usage.

See bathroom and toilet for more detail

To reduce the build up of limescale, which shortens the life expectancy of the heating and water system, Charlie fitted a Scalemaster electrolytic scale inhibitor on the cold water mains supply.

For improved drinking water we fitted an undersink water filter with an activated carbon filter (made from coconut husk). www.uk-water-filters.co.uk

We still have to improve the insulation of the flat.

Despite cavity wall insulation being one of the most cost-effective things one can do to save energy we have had to delay its installation because we need the owners of the two flats beneath ours to have theirs done too. One is unsure but we hope his concerns will soon be allayed.

Information and details of grants is available from the Energy Saving Trust. www.est.org.uk

Insulation:  The loft insulation has been increased to a depth of
270mm using Warmcell (recycled newspaper) ordered from
www.Naturalinsulations.co.uk 01920 821069

Windows

The old single-glazed windows have been replaced withwooden-framed 
(heart of Scandinavian softwood from a sustainable source) double-glazed 
windows that are A rated with a U value of 1.  They aresupplied and fitted by 
Berglund Bespoke Windows & Conservatories - telephone
Henning Berglund h@berglund.wanadoo.co.uk 01865 736751.  
More details are available on www.outrup.dk

Switched to low energy lighting.

The circuit board needed replacing and at the same time we had the wiring checked.

Lloyd (eco-knowledgeable electrician lloydtownsend@tiscali.co.uk) replaced the old light pendants with low energy light pendants - better than standard low energy bulbs because the fittings can only take low energy bulbs and the starter is in the fitting not the bulb so is not wasted each time the bulb is replaced.

In the kitchen we had fluorescent strip lights fitted under the top cupboards and low energy compact fluorescent downlighters in the ceiling.

The bathroom light above the mirror is a compact fluorescent tube and the spotlights in the Solavents in the bathroom and loo are low voltage compact fluorescent downlighters. The original light fittings were removed.

All lamps have low energy bulbs.

We researched the energy efficiency, life expectancy and quality of the white goods we needed to buy as well as the ethics of the manufacturers and chose Miele whose UK base is nearby in Abindgon.

General
Some of the items we bought have parts and labour guarantees of 10 years and the washing machines are expected to last for 15-20 years – the longer the operating life of a machine, the less likely the need for new materials and the energy required in producing a replacement. We were impressed with the high environmental standards achieved by their factories and by their attitudes to packaging – “as much as necessary, but as little as possible”. The packaging on our goods was almost all recyclable.
www.miele.co.uk for information but they do not sell direct - try www.homegoods.co.uk who have a large range of brands including Miele and occasionally sell graded Miele items at good prices.

Fridgefreezer
The fridge that was in the flat when we bought it had a sticker inside stating that it had been checked in 1968 - it was still in amazingly good working order but probably not very efficient so needed to be replaced and was eventually collected by the council for proper disposal.

A-rated fridges use about half the energy of C-rated ones and “Energy plus” ones use as little as half the electricity of the average appliance. We chose a Miele A-rated freestanding fridge freezer with separate controls for the fridge and the freezer. It is CFC and HFC free and instead uses isobutene R600a, an environmentally friendly natural gas that does not damage the ozone layer.

Cooker
The cooker in the flat was a 1956 New World freestanding gas cooker that we used initially then freecycled to a local man who intends to convert it to bottled gas for use in a caravan. www.freecycle.org is a useful site where items that are wanted or offered are advertised – all at no cost.

Apparently, the carbon intensity of cooking means that a gas oven and hob are better than electric. However, we have switched to green electricity www.good-energy.co.uk so felt that a gas hob and an (A-rated Miele) electric oven with a fan and a pyrolitic function was the best combination. A fan reduces overall energy needs and a self-cleaning oven helps too because it is well insulated. Induction hobs look fantastic and are efficient but were too expensive for us, plus it meant having the right pans which we do not!

Laundry
Though a tumble dryer is not energy efficient we have one because we are not allowed to hang clothes out in the garden or near the windows – we hope to change this and set up a communal washing line in the garden of the flats.

We chose a Miele B-rated condensing tumble dryer that is stacked with a Miele washing machine that is A+ rated for energy consumption and A rated for wash performance. It has a high spin speed making drying more economical and only uses the amount of water it needs according to the size of the load, though we do try to wash full loads and at a low temperature. The soak function is useful too so that clothes can soak and be mildly agitated for an hour or so prior to washing.

Dishwasher
Research has shown that dishwashers use less water and less energy to heat the water than washing up by hand, especially when the dishwasher is fully loaded, has a hot water feed and is switched off and the door opened to dry the dishes. One study found that the average Briton uses 63 litres to wash up whereas an average dishwasher uses 20 litres. Our Miele Integrated Slimline (8 place settings) uses only 10 litres on its energy saving mode. It is AAA rated and even has a sensor to measure the level of murkiness of the water and sets the wash accordingly.

Kettle

We now boil water in a stove top kettle.

Wireless Electricity Monitor 

This little display about the size of an alarm clock gives a real-time display of the 
electricity we are consuming in pence per hour.  
It reflects our current electricity tarrif and
makes us very aware of our electrical consumption.  It also shows the room
temperature and the humidity.  The brand name is 'Electrisave' and can be
found easily on the web.

The flat has a bathroom with bath and basin and a separate room with a lavatory and basin.

Lavatory

We have kept the original loo and fitted a water saving gadget called an Interflush www.interflush.co.uk so that one uses the minimal amount of water needed to flush in a similar way to a new dual flush loo.

Charlie Mackinnon-Little (who did the plumbing and offered much valuable advice on saving energy and water) moved the existing hand wash basin to the other side of the room to create space for a stacking washing machine and dryer. He fitted flow regulator valves on the existing taps to reduce the flow to 4 litres a minute. (Mains is approx 20 litres per minute). A cheaper way might have been to reduce the flow using the isolator valve but this does not give the same level of control and can hiss.

Charlie Mackinnon-Little is trained in environmental architecture and a specialist in energy and resource management - www.efficientsolutions.org tel: 07979 460925 email: info@efficientsolutions.org

Bathroom

In the bathroom he fitted a thermostatic shower over the bath and taps on the existing basin to match. The fitting in the shower hose reduces the flow to 9 litres per minute. The low flow inserts in the taps initially restricted the flow to 2 litres a minute but this was too low to fire the boiler so we replaced the hot water tap insert to restrict it to 4 litres per minute.

The shower and taps are Tremecati brand bought from the www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk who offered excellent advice. Flow regulator valves and inserts can be bought from many plumbing retailers or websites.

Charlie used existing pipework where possible and used copper because it has a better lifecycle than plastic.

The bathroom walls were half tiled in imperial size 4 ¼” white tiles. Apparently there is only one manufacturer of imperial size tiles (all others are now metric) and as we did not want to remove the existing tiles we found a tile retailer at Kidlington, Oxfordshire, who supplied them. The bathroom is now fully tiled in white with a mosaic band between the old and new.

We replaced the two layers of vinyl flooring in both rooms with natural cork tiles finished with Osmo polyx oil. As the concrete floor was uneven a base layer had to be laid and the tiles laid on top by a professional floor layer. It then had to dry for 24 hours before two coats of oil could be applied, each one needing to dry for 12 hours. Cork is antibacterial, durable, soft, insulating and sustainable. Cork tiles are made from the bark of the evergreen cork oak tree that is stripped every nine years, the bark re-grows and the trees grow for around 200 years. With the demand for cork for wine bottles declining it is important that we continue to use cork for other purposes in order that the cork forests survive.

Neither of the rooms have windows so there is no natural light and the existing extractor fans were noisy and ineffective. Monodraught fitted Sola-vents into each room. A Sola-vent is an integrated natural daylight and ventilations system, incorporating a 230mm diameter SunPipe connected to a dome on the roof, a solar-powered extractor fan and two compact fluorescent downlighters for the hours of darkness.

The ventilation has a movement control sensor and, using only 5w of electrical power the PV panel should provide sufficient power, however, during the winter months we have had to connect them to a trickle feed from the mains to maintain sufficient power in the batteries.

Apparently, an individual 230 Sola-vent system saves annually 4.8kg of CO2 emissions compared to the alternative mains powered electric light and extractor fan. (Based on data from DEFRA 2001)

We felt that the time had come for the kitchen with its 1970’s wood-effect Formica units and work tops to be updated.

The kitchen units and work surfaces were removed and fitted into the garage for storage and we began designing and fitting a new kitchen.

Ideally we would have found old units and remade them to fit but we instead chose basic IKEA units - IKEA might not be ideal but they do not use formaldehyde in their MDF, the wood is sourced from sustainable forests, flat-packed items take less space so transit is more efficient, and stringent checks are made to ensure that the chain of supply do not use chemicals in glues for example that do not comply to the IKEA environmental standard. There are many faults with IKEA and similar suppliers but they do at least have an environmental policy – a huge number of companies do not know what one is.

The work surface is bamboo – we found it good value for money compared to wood, it looks great, is hard wearing and, we’re assured, long lasting. Furthermore, we think it is one of the greenest choices around: the grass is annually renewable and grows up to one metre every 24 hours!

We looked at other options for work surfaces and discounted Formica (layers of paper impregnated with phenolformaldehyde then laminated into wood) and most other MDF or synthetic surfaces because of the chemical content; granite (expensive and much is now quarried unethically); concrete (expensive, production questionable and not practically feasible in a top floor flat).

A product we did like but would have stretched our budget too far is a new product called Resilica (previously sold as TTURA). It is a highly polished composite made from 85% recycled glass and is a sustainable alternative to granite. It comes in over 2000 colour combinations as bespoke mixes can be developed to suit the project. Resilica apparently has a very high resistance to staining, scratching, heat and UV rays and the pictures of it in use look very impressive. www.eightinch.co.uk – a small company that looks really good and has a great attitude.

One other small company that is worth looking at too is Smile Plastics who make sheets that could be used for cupboard doors, worktops, floors from recycled coffee cups or yoghurt pots and a variety of other waste items. Most imaginative. www.smile-plastics.co.uk

Like the bathroom we chiselled the old layers of vinyl off the floor and replaced it with natural cork tiles that were oiled with the same Osmo polyx oil as the bamboo work surface.

The walls were painted using natural Earthborn Claypaint.

For a splashback we used 100% recycled glass tiles from the Green Bottle Unit www.Green-bottle.co.uk www.eluna.org.uk GBU Limited Liability Partnership is a social enterprise based in Hackney in the East End of London, which is an off-shoot of the charity Freeform Arts Trust. The tiles are made to order, contact Thea Mehl

tel: 020 7241 7474 thea@eluna.org.uk for details.

We have 2 bins under the sink (one will be used for food waste when the compost bin is set up and the other for general waste) and a recycle bag for cardboard, paper, glass, tins and plastic which is sorted into bins outside.

We have opened up the flat to maximise natural light.

The kitchen window faces west so the room was dark during the day and was the only room to get the evening sunlight. To make maximum use of the natural light and to create an open brighter living space Tim took down the non-load-bearing wall between the kitchen and sitting room and we blocked in the door from the kitchen into the hall thus creating a kitchen space at the end of the sitting room with a dining space in between. We replaced a thin door from the sitting room into the hall with a sturdier opaque glazed door that lets daylight into the otherwise windowless hallway.

The hardwood block floor had been bleached in patches by the sun but sanding off the varnish and oiling the wood with Osmo Polyx Oil brought out the deep character of the wood and removed the sun damage.

The plaster work had to be redone in the living room and hall. We then had the walls painted with Earthborn Claypaint and the woodwork in Earthborn Eggshell paint. Claypaint is a natural solvent free paint and Earthborn Eggshell is based on natural plant oils so is not harmful in the home nor in its manufacture.

The majority of furniture is reused. We were given an oak cabinet that had been fitted in an alcove in another house finished for use in our flat as a free standing cabinet to house our TV and stereo.

A few of our recommendations:

100% recycled glass tiles www.eluna.org.uk

Sunpipes/Solavents www.monodraught.com

White goods – Miele A or A+ rated www.miele.co.uk

Low energy light fittings

Cork floor tiles

Bamboo work surface

Water regulated flow shower and taps www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk

Earthborn Paints – www.oldhousestore.co.uk

We are making an effort to live a healthier lifestyle with as little impact on the planet as possible - whilst not spending ridiculous amounts of money and still having fun!