Selfsufficientish.com

I am a real techno thickie but want to install a new heating/cooking system in my new home when I move in a couple of months.

I've read other people's posts and feel that what I want is a log burning range cooker with a back boiler and solar water heating for the summer. I also wouldn't mind a domestic wind turbine as the house is big and Torbay is right windy here on the coast.

However, I have absolutely no idea whether that is possible in my new home or what I would need to buy and how it could be installed.

The house currently has a gas fired back boiler thingie with 10 radiators of varying sizes coming off it and 3 fireplaces (one with the back boiler).

I appreciate that the ones among you with know how would probably explain it all to me but I am still unlikely to be able to translate the techno info into reality.

Does anyone know if there are companies that provide a home survey and estimate for this sort of thing.

I live in Torbay but maybe there's a national company?

no ideas... but my one bit of advice is GET THE FIRE AND BOILER CHECKED BY SOMEONE FROM CORGI WHEN YOU MOVE IN.

please, please do this; ours nearly killed us.

Thanks for the sound advice. I always have a gas safety check done every tear. I want to but I also HAVE to as I take foreign students and it's a legal requirement.

dunno maggie - but thats pretty much what we want to do too. if you find a good local company.. do let me know!

go to this forum http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/- register as a member, and make a post in the "installers wanted" thread - they're all small local companies who won't give you the hard sell
ps, you may recognise one of the Admin
If you're in an urban area, even a windy one, forget wind turbines - turbulence kills their performance stone dead unless you can swing consent for a 100' tower to get them up above it!

Check out your county or local council's website - I did an online questionnaire with Kennet and they had a list of local companies (and sent a list of all the things I should be doing )

With the advent of HIPs when you sell a house now, the home energy survey is part of the deal. A neighbour sold his Father's house recently, he was not there at the time of HIP survey. The house had cavity wall insulation and signs of this were apparent on the outside walls (regular spaced drill holes). Despite this the report did not show cavity wall insulation. The HIPs surveyor mentioned the coal fire,.. the coal fire was a gas fire with fake coals. If selling make sure you point out the relevant plus points to gain a good energy score.

John