2025 Winter Special

4 weeks of inspiring free tours and talks in-person and online.

25 Oct - 30 Nov

Open Eco Homes

Open Eco Homes is a free home energy advice and information hub inspiring thousands of Cambridgeshire residents to improve their home energy efficiency for the last 16 years. Read our OEH 2025-26 report.

Our Open Eco Home tours for Sept-Oct 2026 are listed below, along with a number of expert-led talks online to help to lower your bills, to improve your home and reduce your carbon footprint. Previous years’ online tours are available on demand.

With detailed case studies of almost 100 new build and retrofitted eco-homes on record, it is possible to find examples of many building types and energy efficient solutions.

We showcase innovative and energy efficient homes so people can see real-life examples, get impartial information and knowledge from experienced homeowners. Watch this short video to find out more about visiting Open Eco Homes in and around Cambridge this autumn.

Book your place on events now, below.

Events

Upcoming Events

Our Open Eco Homes 2026 is now planned for 22nd September through to 18th October in Cambridge city and South Cambridgeshire.

Home Tours

We have ten new in-person and on-line tours. Highlights include external and internal wall insulation, solar panels, batteries, Home Assistant controls, EV chargers, heat pumps, rainwater harvesting and MVHR systems.

  • Mikhail, a visitor on a previous OEH tour, has now retrofitted his home and is opening it to show his air-to-air heat pump, solar and battery system.
  • Cambridge Retrofit will show progress on their deep retrofit in Greville Road.
  • Joe will show how he got a heat pump installed on a budget — just £1,000 cost after the £7,500 grant.
  • The Mayor of Cambridge is showing her eco home

Talks

We have four talks on some of the hot topics for improving your home:

  • Funding your home retrofit — grants and loans
  • Retrofit & Next Steps — a retrofit for every budget, and no budget
  • Air Tightness — fabric first principles
  • Home Batteries — new cheaper technology and opportunities for bill reduction

Past Events

    • Everything but a heatpump, Fen Ditton
    • Everything but a heatpump, Fen Ditton
    • On-line tour of a large, detached timber house in Fen Ditton with insulation, new glazing, solar PV & batteries, MVHR system. Find out what the journey was like.
    • Thu 15 Oct 2026, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
    • Why Airtightness Matters
    • Why Airtightness Matters
    • Practical advice from Intelligent Membranes and Cambridge Retrofit Hub about what you can do to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home, and reduce your energy bills with airtightness.
    • Tue 13 Oct 2026, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
    • Home Batteries
    • Home Batteries
    • Home batteries are improving fast and getting cheaper. They can cut electricity bills and carbon footprints by importing cheaper, low-carbon electricity, often at night, for use later or for trading.
    • Tue 6 Oct 2026, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
    • Removing gas on a budget, Mortlock Avenue
    • Removing gas on a budget, Mortlock Avenue
    • Home tour of a low carbon footprint, low budget home with no gas, but solar PV, batteries, heat pump and electric stove instead. All for £1000 (plus BUS grant).
    • Sat 3 Oct 2026, - Sun 4 Oct 2026, 11:00am - 4:00pm
    • Cambridge
    • Retrofit for Every Budget & None
    • Retrofit for Every Budget & None
    • Practical advice from Cambridge Retrofit Hub about what you can do to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home, and reduce your energy bills.
    • Tue 29 Sep 2026, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
    • Mundane Victorian semi to designer deep retrofit eco home, Sedgwick St
    • Mundane Victorian semi to designer deep retrofit eco home, Sedgwick St
    • Deep retrofit applied while effectively rebuilding and extending the house. Underfloor insulation, new vacuum glazing, internal wall insulation, solar PV, MVHR, ASHP, water saving measures all wrapped in a quirky designer home.
    • Sat 26 Sep 2026, - Sun 4 Oct 2026, 11:00am - 4:00pm
    • Cambridge
    • Get Ready for Heatwaves
    • Get Ready for Heatwaves
    • Learn how to stay cooler in heatwaves with shading, ventilation, personal cooling, thermal mass, insulation, etc
    • Tue 30 Jun 2026, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
    • Water Sensitive Cambridge Presents: Water Night!
    • Water Sensitive Cambridge Presents: Water Night!
    • Water Sensitive Cambridge present an evening of speakers who bring a breadth of experience and knowledge in how we can save more water in our homes and protect our precious water resources in the region.
    • Wed 19 Nov 2025, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
    • Transformed and Efficient Victorian Terrace, Cambridge City
    • Transformed and Efficient Victorian Terrace, Cambridge City
    • Victorian mid-terrace transformed into energy efficient family home fit for the 21st century. Featuring underfloor and internal wall insulation using breathable materials suitable for a historic property, air source heat pump, triple glazing and plans for further improvements.
    • Sat 15 Nov 2025, - Sat 22 Nov 2025, Various
    • 1970s Home Updated for Modern Living, Market Lane, Linton
    • 1970s Home Updated for Modern Living, Market Lane, Linton
    • The ‘eco’ measures in this home renovation seemed the right thing to do whilst homeowners Tim and Janice were undertaking a full renovation and remodelling of this 1970’s home. Now EPC A rated, this home is well suited to modern living and ready to keep the family comfortable for many...
    • Sat 15 Nov 2025, - Sat 29 Nov 2025, Various

Take Action

Find out more about what you can do to reduce the carbon footprint of your home by browsing our information pages.

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