Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the Flagship home?
A: The Flagship Home is a 19th century townhouse
which has been refurbished to a much higher
standard of energy efficiency.
This will make living in the house more affordable for tenants, as their fuel
bills will be reduced. It will also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted
into the atmosphere by the house - carbon dioxide is a major contributor to
climate change.
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Q: Where is the Flagship home?
A: It's at 36 Beaufort Gardens in
Knightsbridge, just 100 yards from Harrods.
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Q: Who lives in the Flagship home?
A: The house is divided into 19
bedsits and a self contained flat, all of which
will be rented out. Four of the bedsits are
allocated as keyworker accommodation, so will be
available for lower rents to nurses, teachers,
social workers and so forth. It's very unusual
to find affordable accommodation in this area -
it means that key workers have a genuine
opportunity to live in the heart of London.
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Q: Who owns the Flagship home?
A: The Flagship Home is owned by SE
Land and Estates plc, which owns residential and
commercial property across the UK.
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Q: Why is the Council involved?
A: The Flagship Home is divided
into bedsits and therefore classified as a House
in Multiple Occupation (HMO). The Council looks
after regulations for HMOs in the area.
The Council also wish to provide an example to other landlords in the Borough
- to encourage greater awareness and take-up of energy efficiency.
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Q: Why is the Flagship home special?
A: The Flagship Home was a real
technical challenge. Firstly it's in a
conservation area, so there are restrictions on
the type of refurbishment that you can carry
out.
Secondly, it predates our understanding of the impact of human behaviour on
the environment. Whilst it is a beautiful structure, it was not built with
energy saving in mind. It has solid-walls, whereas most modern homes have cavity
walls which can be easily insulated. It has high ceilings and large windows. It
also did not have a fixed heating system.
These properties are known as "hard-to-treat". The Flagship Home
project demonstrates that it may be hard, but it's not impossible - real energy
savings can be made.
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Q: What has been done at the Flagship home?
A: A range of energy efficiency
measures has been installed:
Walls
The layout of the building has been adjusted and all the external walls have
been dry-lined - this means that they have been insulated on the inside. This
insulation will reduce heat losses through the walls by 65 per cent.
Windows
All the windows at the back of the house have been replaced with highly
efficient wood-framed double glazing. At the front, the original façade had to
be maintained, so secondary glazing has been installed.
Roof
A new top floor has been added to the house - providing 3 more bedsits. This
meant that a new highly insulated roof could be added - along with a solar panel
which will provide around 60 per cent of the tenants' hot water requirements.
Heating
Each bedsit now has its own radiators and programmable thermostat. Heat is
provided to the whole building from two high efficiency condensing boilers.
Compared to before - when tenants were plugging in electric heaters - the new
system is more reliable, cheaper and much greener.
Ventilation
If you insulate a building well and add a good heating system, you need to
make sure that you are providing the right amount of ventilation. If you don't,
you encourage damp, condensation and mould - which can cause health problems.
The Flagship Home has a "heat recovery ventilation system". Heat is
extracted from outgoing air from the kitchen and shower areas. This heat warms
the incoming air - reducing reliance on the boilers to provide heat; moisture is
also removed so that dry air is fed back into the living areas.
Kitchens and bathrooms
All the kitchen goods are highly energy efficient - A-rated or equivalent.
The toilets have a "low-flush" option - flushing uses either two or
four litres of water (a typical toilet uses six litres).
Lighting
In the living areas and shared areas (stairs, corridors), light fittings have
been installed which will only take low-energy light bulbs.
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Q: How much did it cost?
A: The overall cost of the
refurbishment project - of transforming the
house - was around £600,000.
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Q: Who paid for it?
A: The landlord paid most of the
project costs. The additional capital costs of
the energy efficiency measures were supported by
funding from the Royal Borough of Kensington and
Chelsea, the Energy Saving Trust and London
Energy.
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Q: How much money did the Council contribute?
A: The Royal Borough of Kensington
and Chelsea has contributed £140,000 to the
Flagship Home project.
Westminster City Council has contributed £1,500 to the Flagship Home
project.
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Q: How much did the other Councils contribute?
A: The Energy Saving Trust's
Innovation programme provided a grant of
£90,000 towards a feasibility study and project
management and marketing costs.
London Energy has contributed to the costs of insulation and white goods
through its Energy Efficiency Commitment programme.
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Q: What return on investment can the landlord expect?
A: The landlord now has 18 high
quality bedsits and a self-contained flat
available to rent - the improved quality of the
property means that rental income should
increase.
As the quality of the accommodation has improved, tenants will be more
inclined to stay longer, reducing the costs of having empty properties.
The works have also increased the value of the property - for either sale or
refinancing.
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Q: What energy savings have been achieved?
A: Overall, carbon dioxide
emissions will be cut by over 60 per cent - from 25
tonnes a year to nine tonnes a year.
The average house in the UK holds two to three people and generates six tonnes of carbon
dioxide a year. The Flagship Home will hold 36 people and generate just nine
tonnes.
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Q: What cost savings will be achieved?
A: Fuel bills for the building
will be cut by more than 60 per cent - from
around £3,400 to £1,100.
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Q: How else can the improvement be measured?
A: "NHER" stands for
National Home Energy Rating; it's a UK wide
scheme which provides a reliable method for
measuring the energy performance of a home. It
runs from one to ten, ten being the most
efficient. As a result of this project, the
Flagship Home will leap from three to nine!
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Q: My house / properties are very different. What can I do?
A: Almost every home in the UK could be more energy efficient
- whether by installing more insulation, buying a more efficient boiler or
simply changing the light bulbs.
If you're a homeowner, the starting point is to carry out a Home Energy Check
- you can do this online at www.saveenergy.co.uk
or order a form from your local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800 512 012.
If you're a landlord, call your local council's housing team. Local
authorities have information and grant funding available to help.
Landlords in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea should contact Environmental
Health Customer Services or env.hlth@rbkc.gov.uk.
Landlords in the City of Westminster should contact Jeremy Hopkins on 020
7641 6000 or jhopkins@westminster.gov.uk.
Landlords elsewhere in the UK can contact Mary Wasson at the Energy Saving
Trust on 020 7222 0101 or maryw@est.co.uk.
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