About Green Open Homes

The Green Open Homes network aims to support low-carbon open homes events across the country with free resources and advice. 

A Green Open Homes event is an opportunity to ask a neighbour about an energy saving improvment that they’ve made, and see if it might work for you. On an event day, people who have made energy saving improvements open up their homes to share their experiences. Visiting a home is a great way to find out about the reality of getting solar panels, insulation, triple glazing, or new heating options without talking to a salesman. You can have a good look at the technology, ask the residents whether the installation was a hassle, and find out much they’re really saving on their energy bills as a result. 

Some events feature half a dozen homes, others up to 40 or more. They are characterised by a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, candid discussions about home improvements and a sharing of experiences and advice. The best of them come with a generous helping of community spirit and – on occasions – tea and cake.

This site is aimed at existing and potential organisers of green open homes events and at people who want to visit a green open home.

There is currently no funding to update the Green Open Homes website but the resources available onsite are still free to use, and if you're an event organiser you can still set up your own micro site to promote your own event. Please contact us via e-mail with any questions. We're still monitoring the inbox and are happy to deal with any queries.

Stories from the Frome Open Homes event

The video above was made by the organisers of Frome Open Homes, one of the events supported by a Green Open Homes grant a couple of years ago. It gives you a glimpse of why green open homes events are such a good way to spread the word about the benefits of low-carbon renovations and home improvements.

• More about home energy improvements

Find a home to visit ...

Using this site you can find and visit homes in your area and get inspired to improve your own home! (If there are currently no events in your area, you might even want to consider starting your own event).

Green Open Homes was set up in 2013 by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) in partnership with Bristol Green Doors. It was originally funded by the Department for Energy and Climate Change and is now maintained and managed by CSE.

During 2013-14, we awarded grants and expert support to the organisers of new green open homes events. Forty-five grants of £500–£20,000 were made in two rounds of grant-giving. In July 2014, we published this short report highlighting the main achievements of the Green Open Homes network. 

And although this Bristol Green Doors video is a few years old now, it's still well worth watching