Dorset Greener Homes

We all want to reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact, and also save money on our bills. But there is so much confusing information out there, it is difficult to know where to start and it can feel like everyone is trying to sell you something.

DGH asks private householders to open their homes for a day. They have all made steps to make their homes more energy-efficient. Some are new-builds designed to passive house standard, but others have had low cost eco-retrofits, with better insulation or low-carbon heating systems, or with wildlife friendly gardens, or with solar panels and batteries. Visitors can come and talk to the householder about the decisions they made, what worked, how much they spent and how much was saved. The advice is entirely impartial and tells it as it is.

Are heat pumps noisy? Do they only work if the house is super-insulated? Can I put PV panels on a west facing roof? Is an electric car more trouble than it is worth? Should I get a home battery to protect me from power outages? How long will it take to pay the cost through savings? Won’t insulating my house make it feel stuffy and damp? Can I build using low-impact materials?

You will get answers to all these questions from our enthusiastic and knowledgeable hosts.

Dorset CAN coordinates the Dorset Greener Homes Event as part of our Low Carbon Neighbourhoods initiative across Dorset to showcase ideas for greener living.

Many Homes are ‘Open by Appointment’ all year round

Some of our homes are open all year round by appointment – use the map on the listings page to filter and find homes that you can arrange to visit at your convenience outside of the main event dates.

We have also created a few short films of a selection of houses with varying features, so if you can’t make any of the open days you can view some of the houses and their associated features here.

Get an inside peek at the systems and processes involved as the homeowners walk you through what features they have installed and how they work.

Click here for a list of greener homes