Sustainability stories - Sidmouth LM

John and Judith Ayers, Sidmouth meeting

We moved to East Devon from Surrey in 2006 to a 1950s bungalow in considerable need of refurbishment.

We were increasingly concerned about issues of environmental management and sustainability, particularly in the context of our reliance on oil for home heating and on electricity for cooking and home appliances.

In undertaking a major refurbishment and redesign of our kitchen, in 2009, we made a number of changes to our living in order to become more sustainable and efficient in our use of energy and natural resources.
The first step was to monitor, and become more aware of, our usage of electricity and progressively to reduce it by replacing all bulbs with energy-saving bulbs, switching off lights, standbys and microwave when not in use and reducing use of the tumble dryer.

We then replaced our oil-fired boiler and electric hob/oven with a Rayburn SFW to burn logs for cooking, space heating and hot water (via a thermal store).

We also installed solar heated water panels on a south-facing roof and, later, had the cavity walls filled with graphite/resin insulation, had the flat roofs insulated and upgraded the loft insulation.

We have two wood-burning stoves in the living area.

The insulation made a significant and noticeable effect in reducing heat loss from the whole house.
The primary sources of heat for the thermal store are the solar panel and the wood-burning Rayburn. Secondary, backup, sources are provided by emersion heaters and an electric boiler. A small electric hob and oven provides a backup cooking facility.

The challenges we faced for the first year centred around the Rayburn: learning how to use it properly and efficiently, keeping the chimney free from build up of creosote and managing the supply, storage, shifting and stacking of logs. We use a lot of logs, in the form of dry, well-seasoned hardwood. Thankfully, supplies in our area of East Devon are plentiful, and we now have sufficient storage space for at least one year’s supply (about 15 cubic metres of stacked logs).

Now into our second year, the system is working well. The house is warm even when the outside temperature is well below freezing. The overall outcome has fulfilled our aim of increased sustainability. Our electricity costs have more than halved and our overall fuel costs are much lower, with long-term stability.

Our advice to others contemplating the same approach is: be prepared for the capital outlay, plan backup facilities in case of emergency and make sure you have a reliable, consistent supply of fuel. (We are considering joining a woodland co-operative.)

There are other projects for the future. The next major step will be the installation of an array of photovoltaic panels on our south-facing garage roof to generate our own electricity. At our present consumption rate, we could probably cover our needs.

Then it’s the re-establishment of water supplies from our disused well, together with a rainwater harvesting system.

We’d love to hear the story of you or your meeting too. Just email sunnivat@quaker.org.uk and tell us about it.