Essex Eco-DIY bungalow open to public

Owners of an Essex bungalow who are working towards urban self sufficiency and have installed microgeneration, rainwater harvesting and biomass central heating have put it on display today.

As part of the Heritage Open Days, the Eco-DIY house in Clacton-on-Sea will be open to visitors who are curious about reducing their environmental impact.

The home is being adapted with energy saving and generation mechanisms by the family living in it.

So far, the measures have achieved a 76 per cent reduction of the home’s carbon footprint, according to the Sustainable Energy Academy.

The home has rainwater recycling, greywater recycling through a reed bed system, solar water heating and solar photovoltaic microgeneration.

As part of the English Heritage-organised event, the Eco-DIY home will remain open until September 14th.

The project sees buildings which are not usually open to the public invite them in.

Philip Kolvin, Chairman of the Civic Trust, told 24hourmuseum: "Visitors are invited into places that are otherwise private, to meet people who live or work there, or who know the history of the place better than anyone else."