Four years ago we bought a small 100-year old terraced house in an Essex village and turned it from a cold, dark and poky dwelling into a light open-plan home with a very low carbon footprint. After being assessed by the Ashden Award-winning Sustainable Energy Academy we achieved ‘superhome’ status, becoming a member of the Old Home Superhome network: low-carbon home owners who open their houses to the public to inspire others to make green home improvements. There are now 116 superhomes across the UK that have attracted over 40,000 visitors so far.

The green refurbishment has paid off in many ways. The south-facing rear aspect and extensive glazing enable us to use solar gain, filling the house with natural sunlight and warming it at the same time. The solar thermal panels on the kitchen roof extension heat our hot water for seven months of the year for almost zero cost (just a few units of electricity to run the pump). It still surprises us - and everyone who visits - how warm the house gets when penetrated by the low sun during winter months, even when there’s no heating on at all. Unusually for a house of this age, the brickwork has a cavity wall which we had insulated and this made a big difference in comfort and energy costs. In winter months we heat the house mainly with our cosy 10 kW wood burning stove, just topping up with the oil-fired central heating when we need to. Careful monitoring and energy-efficient lighting and appliances, combined with these changes, have led to a serious drop in our electricity and fuel bills. Our annual heating bills are over 75 per cent less than an average equivalent house.

Now it’s time for the next step in our eco-refurbishment, which is currently in full swing.  This week we’re having double-glazed sliding sash windows installed to cut down draughts. There were many issues to research and weigh up before deciding which ones to go for...

It could save you up to £390 a year and cost less than £100 (according to E.ON). So what are the reasons households don’t insulate their cavity walls and lofts?

New research from E.ON says that one in 10 UK households claim they simply ‘can't be bothered', 9% say they have too much clutter in the loft, 3% say they don’t have a ladder and 15% don’t know how to go about it.

The Aga Khan Planning and Building Service (AKPBS) generated huge media excitement when it was announced as an award winner for this year’s Ashden Awards. They were recognised for their work to develop and stimulate the uptake of a range of energy efficient items that make the lives of families living in the harsh regions of Northern Pakistan more comfortable.

Three companies - British Gas, ScottishPower and Scottish & Southern – have announced price rises in recent weeks. At the same time, freezing weather and snow across Britain has boosted energy demand.

Jim Dale, senior risk meteorologist at British Weather Services told Bloomberg News that December may be the coldest in more than 30 years. “We are expecting a return to Arctic weather including blizzards and deep frosts from around Dec. 17.”

The Arctic weather has pushed up demand for both electricity and gas. Between 35-40% of the UK’s electricity is generated by burning gas, so the prices are linked. Since the price of gas has risen in recent days, it has also become more attractive for generators to switch to coal or oil, causing a rise in carbon emissions. (Carbon emission permits have also gone up in price.) The most expensive form of power generation is oil, so this too will have an impact on electricity prices.

The UK’s natural gas storage facilities are currently about 70% full, compared to 95% this time last year. If temperatures continue below average, we can expect to see prices go even higher, as we'll be forced to import more gas when storage runs low.

If that's not bad enough, today's Independent reports that energy prices may rise by 25% over 10 years.