The best Instagram accounts for energy saving self-builds
Eco self-builds that create more energy than they use shows us the future of green housebuilding. With annual household bills predicted to spike to £6,000 by January 2023, many people are carefully examining how to save energy and reduce running costs. The heat is well and truly on for self-builders to consider energy-efficient homes.
When it comes to planning and brainstorming there’s plenty of inspiration to draw from on Instagram. We place the spotlight on some real accounts jam packed with ideas on how to create energy-efficient self builds.
1/ @selfbuild.ni.country.life
Lesley and David McAteer put sustainability and renewables at the heart of their self-build. Solar panels, triple glazing and an air source heat pump for minimal heat loss are just some of the features of this eco self-build, which is reaping the benefits of low energy costs.
2/ @passive_build
Embracing energy efficiency and sustainability was at the top of the agenda for Niamh O’Donovan. Her modern, two-storey, energy-efficient self-build in County Waterford, is one of Ireland’s few certified passive builds. Her home features dreamy, nature-inspired interiors with moss art on the walls and a colour palette and vision drawn from local woodland walks and her uninterrupted views of the nearby mountains. With an Instagram account that advocates passive house building in Ireland, she has nearly 33,000 followers. Her home features a compact ventilation system and solar gain from the windows as a heat source. The same ventilation system has a cooling system which provides a cooling element during the summer.
3/ @Mulberry_selfbuild
An oak framed home with timber cladding was the dream for Yorkshire-based couple, Lucy and Sam. It fitted their ideal aesthetic – “modern country rustic” combined with their mission to reduce running costs. Timber frame can deliver great airtightness and it took only a few weeks to construct the SIPs and timber frame. One of the couple’s biggest expenditures included an air source heat pump to absorb warm outside air and used to heat radiators, underfloor heating, and hot water in the home.
Lucy says: “We thought about the lower fuel bills in the long term and the potential income we could make through the UK government’s Renewable Heat Incentive. It seemed the best option.”
4/ @sw_arch
Architectural designer Sarah Wigglesworth shows how beautiful sustainable design can be achieved. “Joyful, inventive and resourceful” homes are what she aspires to create for clients including one family seeking an energy-efficient multigenerational home designed to Passivhaus principles. Sarah has designed her own home and co-working space with innovative materials such as recycled concrete. An inspirational account to watch.
5/ @thehouseinthehollow
Heat and saving money – the buzzwords of the moment were lodged in Gareth Boyd’s mind when embarking on his eco self-build journey in 2017. His innovative approach and hard work has since amassed a dedicated Instagram following who adore the simplicity of his timber-frame structure and its cedar shingles exterior.
Despite a tight budget, his forward-thinking and futureproofing ideas are paying off. By paying special attention to airtightness and installing an MVHR system to recycle indoor heat, he is managing to keep his running costs as low as £300 per year. It goes to show that a fabric first approach for this sustainable self-build in the Northern Irish countryside is a winner, even on limited funds.
6/ @whitebroom.uk
A brand new Instagram account that is likely to garner many followers for second-time self-builders embarking on an eco self-build. Watch as this couple create another sustainable and stylish London property. Their first energy saving home was a certified Carbon Neutral construction in south west London using quality materials – triple glazing, solar panels, car charger, airtightness tape, extra insulation, a heat pump and an MVHR system. They generate as much carbon free electricity as they consume.
7/ @thekeatingshouse
Life has definitely been a rollercoaster for Boyzone star Ronan Keating after he bought an old property in 2016 and began his quest to create a sustainable family home. Due to structural issues, the home was demolished. With imagination and plenty of research, Ronan and his family constructed an inspirational zero carbon home.
Speaking about how their eco self-build has developed, Ronan wrote on Instagram: “Our dream home evolved into a completely zero carbon home which harvests its own rainwater and waste also…We are so proud and excited.”
8/ @tonyandnessecobuild
Tony and Vanessa Hales built their highly energy-efficient four-bedroom home in East Harling, Norfolk for less than £1,000 per sqm. A fine example of how a zero carbon house can be achieved on a tight budget using a green roof to encourage wildlife, an air source heat pump, a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system, solar panels and triple glazed windows.
