Ecohome created to light the way

A council house has been converted to an ecohome to encourage residents to do the same, it has emerged.

The property in Barnet has been kitted out with a solar water heating system as well as loft and ground floor insulation and a rainwater butt, to show how people can make their homes greener and reduce utility bills, according to 24dash.com

Councillor Lynne Hillan said that the alterations to the home have increased it energy efficiency rating "dramatically" with the changes paying for themselves over time.

"I hope the open house is popular and gives all visitors some ideas of how they can adapt their homes to 'go green'," she added.

According to the website, the improvements will result in a 64 per cent reduction in the home's running costs and it will be open to the public between October 18th and 26th.

Around £6.8 billion a year is spent in the UK on energy that is wasted, according to statistics from the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes.