We got £5,000 off to go all-electric

IT HAS taken a while, but Jools Cardozo and partner Steve Fletcher are close to moving into their new dream self-build home in Long Lawford, Warwickshire.

It has been a labour of love, with Steve camping out while completing the project, which will have its own gym and cinema room.

The home is also green-friendly, with solar panels on the roof and a large heat pump situated outside in a narrow walkway.

The heat pump cost £ 13,000, although via the Boiler Upgrade Scheme they received a £5,000 grant to mitigate the cost.

‘ For me, a heat pump was a no-brainer,’ says Jools, who like Steve is in her 50s. ‘We wanted to make the house all-electric and environmentally friendly.

‘But it’s an expensive bit of kit which I am sure many people would baulk at on cost grounds.’

To ensure the pump heats the house adequately, they have installed large radiators — two in some rooms. They have also insulated the house thoroughly and put in underfloor heating.

‘ Time will tell whether we’ve made the right decision,’ says Jools. ‘But we’ve done everything by the book.’

The couple’s self-build journey will be the focus of Channel 5 programme Build Your Dream Home In The Country, showing tomorrow night at 7pm (also available on My5). It will be presented by DIY expert Mark Millar.