With winter looming large and energy bills going through the roof, how much value would you place on a home that should cost you just £80 a year to heat?

No, it isn’t a printing error. Russell Smith’s three bedroom Victorian home in Carshalton Grove, Sutton, should cost you just £80 to keep your family warm. And it could be yours as it is now on sale with Paul Graham Estate Agents in Sutton for £349,000.

Russell, a civil engineer, bought the property five years ago with the aim of creating a home that is both energy efficient and ecologically sound.

Along with dad Barry, he undertook a complete eco-renovation of the 1870s semi to realise his dream. Since then, Russell has shown 3,000 people around the house, set up a company to eco-renovate other people’s homes, and is now an adviser to the Government on eco-technology.

“The thing that really interests people who visit the house, is how comfortable it is,” said Russell. “Because of the level of insulation, there are no drafts and it’s also extremely peaceful and quiet.”

“It cost £13,000 for the energy saving works and we calculate that it will pay you back within ten years. Given that the average person in the UK moves home every 12 years, you can see it’s quite viable.”

The key to the estimated £1,400-a-year power savings generated by Russell’s eco-renovation, is the high level of insulation in the walls, floors and roof, along with the energy-saving windows. The heating system is hardly required as sufficient heat is generated by the “secondary heat losses” from appliances like the fridge and television, while the windows absorb and retain heat from the sun.

With homes accounting for an astonishing third of energy used in the UK, 36-year-old Russell is passionate about eco-renovation, which proves older properties are just as capable of being energy and ecologically efficient as new- build. His company, Parity Projects, is currently working with individual home owners, local authorities and social housing organisations. Although the Carshalton Grove home incorporates a variety of eco technologies, Russell wanted it to remain a normal home. So aside from the energy savings, the 60 per cent reduction in water consumption and 70 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions, Russell has also modernised and extended into the loft and the garden to create a beautiful, modern house.

If you are interested in viewing the house, you can contact estate agents Paul Graham on 020 8773 7200 or visit www.paulgraham.co.uk or view the build process at www.parityprojects.com/demonstration-house.html