News

Tuesday 16th July- Kentish Town Community Centre (location)

6:20pm for a prompt 6.30pm start

Our next Retrofit Kentish Town session is about Retrofit Plans.

Getting started with a home retrofit project can be confusing as you grapple with options and constraints. A retrofit plan will help you understand which measures to prioritise and how to get started.

In this interactive session we’ll hear from experts who create these plans, as well as from residents who have commissioned them. This will be a valuable event for anyone who is considering retrofitting their home in the future.

Tuesday 18th June- Kentish Town Community Centre (location)

6:20pm for a prompt 6.30pm start

Our next Retrofit Kentish Town session is all about Flats. All types of flats – including conversions, co-ops, shared freehold, housing associations and council landlords. Its not easy, but we’ll be exploring ways to make flats and blocks of flats more energy efficient, reduce carbon emissions and save money on heating. Please come at 6:20 for a 6:30pm start. See you there!

Tuesday 23rd April – Kentish Town Community Centre (location)

6:20pm for a prompt 6.30pm start
Following our survey about what people wanted to hear most about, our series of talks starts with financial assistance available for home-owners. 

We are going to cover:

– National and Local grant schemes for upgrading insulation and heating
– Green Mortgages for improving energy efficiency of homes
– Green loans for retrofit and energy improvements
– Other financial incentives

Please come along! 
We are also really interested in hearing from people who have actual experience, or going through the process, of applying for these schemes.

Saturday 2nd March at the Greenwood Centre, NW5 1LB, 10.30am- 3.30pm

Retrofit Kentish Town will have a stall at a Community Climate Action day, organised by Camden Council. There is an event at 1.30pm for people wanting to find out more about commissioning a retrofit plan for their home and getting grant funding:

1.30pm – 2.15pm – Drop-in session: Getting started with Home Retrofit – Ecofurb & Camden Council

“The main hall will have representatives from a range of local organisations, businesses and residents committed to sustainability including Lifeafterhummus, Camden Fair Trade, Power Up North London, Veg Box, Library of Things, Think & Do, Your Bike Project, Somers Town Future Neighbourhood 2030, Retrofit Kentish Town, Camden’s Climate Citizen Panel and more.

This market-style event will provide you with the tools and skills to get you started on your sustainability journey so you can make a difference while saving money. “

The full programme for the day can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-climate-action-day-tickets-815638606027

The Council has launched an offer on discounted Retrofit Plans, an important first step on starting your retrofit journey:

Expressions of Interest for homeowners in Camden to apply for discounted retrofit plans from Ecofurb – The plans are worth around £600, but will only cost residents £140.

Link to the application can be found here: https://consultations.wearecamden.org/culture-environment/camden-retrofit-plan-subsidy/consultation/intro/

The EOI closes on 8 March. Ecofurb will contact successful residents to arrange their home survey the week after.

Please note: There are a limited number of home surveys available. Should the offer be oversubscribed, the Council will look to allocate plans across a variety of locations in the borough with differing housing types, with the intention of providing case studies of energy efficiency installations occurring in Camden.

Permablitz London is running an eco-refurbishment course at Kentish Town City Farm in April 2024.

There are a few spaces available and the cost is £250 if booked before 1st March 2024. You can book by filling in this form and transferring the money: https://forms.gle/VYcdfuFuwSM7vQFUA

The course will be delivered by Nick Parsons, one of the UK’s leading experts in eco-refurbishment, assisted by permaculture designer and trainer Hugh Livingstone from Permablitz London.

The course will cover:

• Find out how to make critical improvements to your home or other space to make it more comfortable, cheaper to run and better for the environment.
• Learn about energy efficiency, renewable energy, water re-use and conservation, healthy buildings and avoiding hazardous building materials.
• This course will equip attendees with the practical understanding to plan their own eco-refurbishment of an existing building, and to transform it into a cosy, low impact, energy efficient home or other space.

Topics will include:

• Solid wall insulation.
• Insulating materials, from the commonly available to the cutting edge, including the practical issues and compromises associated with each.
• U-values of materials and understanding the heat loss of buildings.
• Airtightness and vapour control.
• Renewable energy options and sustainable water systems.
• Informal discussion on your own eco-refurbishment project.
• If you’re looking to turn your building into an energy-efficient, low impact home or office space, this course will help you understand where to start and give you the skills and knowledge to choose the best methods and materials to suit your needs.

There are more details here:

Eco Refurbishment Course