Charged up for eco-style living

If you're bracing yourself for winter heating bills, the chances are you're dreaming of an energy-efficient home with the potential for easy future-proofing updates in years to come.

- Edited by DEBORAH STONE

There's no avoiding the fact that it’s more difficult to improve insulation in older homes, although experts say there’s no such thing as too much roof insulation.

Retrofitting wall and floor insulation, on the other hand, can be very expensive - especially in homes built with solid walls or solid floors - which is why new-build homes are increasingly popular, despite the premium you pay for being the first owner.

But there’s nothing quite like the thrill of brand new and there are a number of developers that specialise in building sustainably, which is even more rewarding.

Among them is Stonebond, which focuses on promoting local skills and workers as well as recycling 100% of its building waste.