Green Economy

Kingston's Efficient Homes Show will be returning to Hollyfield School (Surbiton Hill Road, Surbiton, KT64TU, 10 am to 3 pm) for a second year!

Book your FREE tickets on Eventbrite.

Join us for this FREE event to meet experts and organisations who'll be on hand to talk to you about:

• Reducing your energy bills
• Technology like solar panels and heat pumps, as well as insulating roofs, walls and floors
• Staying healthy by managing ventilation, mould and damp
• Electric vehicles and electric charging points
• Sustainable travel options, like bikes, cargo bikes and electric bikes
• Skills and job opportunities in the ‘green’ sectors
• Grants and funding.

Over 400 people signed up to attend the first show last year and we expect the 2024 show to be even more popular.

Meet the exhibitors

• A Greener London Ltd: Specialising in Green Infrastructure, such as living walls (internal & external) as well as green roofs
• Climate Action Team - Kingston Council: Showcasing the council's work to tackle climate change across the borough.
• CREW Energy: Showcasing their retrofit service, including two innovative solutions: 1) IR heating solution 2) a heat transfer solution. Business energy savings consulting.
• Crystalisr Co-operative Society Limited with Eco Workforce Partnership: Financial enablers to retrofit and information about green careers for people without construction skills.
• Economic Energy: Heat pump installation specialists
• Ecowelle Limited: Offering smart construction and retrofit services for resident and commercial buildings.
• Energy Saving Trust: Promoting the Energy Advice London service with leaflets, factsheets and offering personalised energy advice.
• Joltify LTD: Showcasing solar panels, battery story and electric vehicle chargers.
• Just Clear: A sustainable, carbon efficient clearance service for homes.
• Kingston Cycling Campaign: Information about their efforts to to improve cycling infrastructure, and help and signposting on all cycling issues.
• Kingston University: Showcasing their response to sustainability in relation to teaching, learning, knowledge exchange and research, as well as the University’s Future Skills campaign
• Kingston University - Department of Architecture and Landscape: Undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Architecture, Historic Building Conservation and postgraduate courses in Landscape and Urban Design.
• Lanka Property Services Limited: Renewable products, energy efficiency, renewable technology integration into properties and knowledge sharing of best practices.
• LSBU Energy Advice Centre: Offering free advice, helping communities improve the energy efficiency of their homes or businesses and lower their energy bills.
• Marguerite Murdoch Architects: How to design and retrofit your home.
• Metropolitan Police Service: The Safer Neighbourhoods team will be on hand to offer free bike security marking & registering with BIKE REGISTER.
• Parity Projects Ltd (Ecofurb): Try out the free Ecofurb Options online tool and talk to experts about the next steps to a warmer, cheaper and less wasteful home.
• Radiant Teck UK: Showcasing ESG, circular economy & sustainable products & services.
• RBK / Green Economy / KGBC: Vision and key objectives aiming to transition Kingston's economy to a green economy; Actions and good practice case studies; information about KGBC.
• Save The World Club: Promoting positive environmental action and self-empowerment locally.
• Sustainable Transport Team - Kingston Council: Free Dr BIKE + Police Bike Security Marking. Ten minute cycle check by Independent Experienced Mechanics.
• SogoSolar Ltd: A long established go to installer for high quality solar and battery systems.
• South Thames College Group: On hand to talk about green skills and short courses
• Stay Nimble: Showcasing a programme to help people learn more about jobs in the green economy and to explore options with a career coach
• Surbiton Windows Ltd: Showcasing the highest performing thermal and sound proofing glazing
• The Cave Co-operative Ltd: Exhibiting their architectural practice that specialises in sustainable architecture, retrofit and the use of natural materials.
• Torque Electric: Showcasing electric Bikes
• Velocity: A specialist transport planning consultancy, serving both public and private sector property development clients.
• Your Energy Your Way: Bespoke Renewable Energy Solutions. Designing and installing whole house renewable energy solutions in the local area.
• Your Green Energy Queen: Offering Greener options for essential services & reducing costs - green energy, electric vehicle charging units, solar panels and the FNZ IT Platform for reaching Net Zero.
•  Keiba Solutions Ltd: Offering Solar PV, Battery Storage and EV charging installation, and energy management solutions for domestic and commercial spaces.

Book your FREE tickets on Eventbrite.

Key times for the day

• 10am: Doors open
• 10.15am - 10.20am: Welcoming Remarks from Councillor Ian Manders, Portfolio Holder for Climate Action & Sustainable Transport
• 10.20am - 10.30am: Keynote speaker: Sarah Olney, MP for Richmond Park
• 10.30am - 2.00pm: Short talks led by Transition Town Kingston (TTK) Energy Group (EG). Covering solar energy, batteries at home, heat-waves, ventilation and insulation. One to one discussions will take place in parallel to the other sessions. Speakers and facilitators include; Damon Hart-Davis, Deputy Chair, Transition Town Kingston; Marilyn Mason, Chair, Transition Town Kingston (2022 - 24); Peter Mason, Convener, Transition Town Kingston Energy Group
• 11.00am - 11.45am: Panel Discussion - How can I heat and cool my home and/or business without fossil fuel? Informing residents and businesses about the choices available for heating and cooling homes and properties, and how to find out which is the best option for them. We also want to keep people up to date about this growing industry and the skills and job opportunities available. Panellists include; Rob Falcon, Heat Networks Project Director, Kingston Council; Lucy Haden, Energy Assessor & Retrofit Assessor; Leah Robson, Director, Your Energy Your Way; Margaret Moore, Business Partnership Coordinator, South Thames Colleges Group; Facilitator: Councillor Ian Manders, Portfolio Holder for Climate Action & Sustainable Transport Kingston Council
• 11am - 1pm: School Journey Lab - A unique opportunity for younger people to craft their dream school community experience, hosted by Urban World Matters and aimed at students in years 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13. This will be of particular interest to students keen on the sciences, geography and planning, although all students are welcome to book a space.
• 12.10pm - 12.30pm: A Short Talk about my Low-Carbon Home by Michael de Podesta, the author of ‘Protons for Breakfast’.
• 13.30pm - 14.15pm: Panel discussion - Future mobility: how will we move around in a greener, healthier and happier city and benefit from new career opportunities? Over the last few years we have witnessed changes in how we travel, and particularly in urban areas, where transport is busiest and space most restricted. These kinds of changes can lead to environmental and public realm improvements, as well as major economic benefits, such as  business opportunities and creation of new jobs. Equally important are the benefits to people’s health and wellbeing. We have brought together a very high calibre of panellists with local and international experience to talk about future mobility, from active travel to cycling, to Electric vehicles and to delivery of goods by drones. What kind of business and job opportunities are these changes bringing about? How are our mental and physical health benefiting? What should our businesses and residents do to capitalise on these opportunities? These are some of the key topics our panellists will discuss. Panellists include; Alex Andrews, Technical Director, Strategic Growth Lead London and East, WSP; Hilary Gander, Kingston Cycling Campaign; Caelan Knight, Climate Change Project Officer, London Councils; Andrew Crudington, Climate Change Associate for the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT); Sue Webster, Kingston Council, Health Protection Policy Lead; Ricardo Mendes, Senior Work Placement Officer, Croydon College.
• 3.00pm - 3.30pm: The event will come to an end.

Refreshments will be available to purchase from Argonaught Coffee and The Cheeky Pea - both are based locally.

Additional information

In January 2024 we ran a mini version of the Efficient Homes Show, watch the video below to get a flavour of what to expect on the day.

During the evening author Michael De Podesta gave a presentation about the steps he's taken to improve the energy efficiency of his home. You can watch it below.

You can also read about the 2023 show in a blog piece written for London Councils.