Rydens, Bothenhampton

Rydens is a detached house built in the 1930s. When Dave and Anne moved in they removed the Aga because it used so much energy, replacing it with an efficient condensing boiler.

The house was purchased with insulated cavity walls and double-glazing in place.  They fitted solar thermal and solar PV panels before Feed-In Tariffs and RHI grants were available, and this has since been supplemented by further PV panels on the garage. They installed a wood burner (double-sided), which heats both the sitting room and the hall.  To prevent unnecessary heat going up the stairwell they have a heavy draught-proofing curtain which is kept closed in winter. The conservatory provides natural solar gain while the porch cuts down on draughts from the front door. This and detailed attention to use of all resources results in very low energy bills.

Dave and Anne are very conscious of the need to reduce waste, and they are experts on living on a tight budget  with  water-saving, waste-reduction and recycling as lifestyle choices. Rainwater is collected and used in the permaculture/organic vegetable garden. Any waste food is fed to the chickens.

Journeys into the centre of Bridport are mostly made on electric bikes or on foot.

The Dave and Anne made a video in 2013 for West Dorset EcoHomes with Ali Cameron and Pete West, which can be viewed  here .