A Sustainable Lifestyle with a Side of Hard Work
Helena Tilley and her husband Simon, both 61, have been living at the Hockerton Housing Project (HHP) for the past 30 years. This off-grid community, located on the outskirts of Southwell in Nottinghamshire, has allowed them to save £2,000 a year on their household expenses. However, this lifestyle comes with its own set of challenges, including 600 hours of extra work each year to maintain the land and the project’s not-for-profit business.
Their four-bedroom property is entirely self-sufficient, requiring no heating and featuring a 11-acre setting that includes a wind turbine, solar power, and a water system. The couple generates income from surplus renewable energy that they sell back to the grid, which contributes to an annual profit of £144. This means their monthly household bill is just £288, compared to the average UK household. They estimate their annual savings at £1,884.
A Community Focused on Sustainability
The HHP community consists of 16 residents who grow their own food to reduce their carbon footprint. During the summer, they harvest 90% of their fruit and vegetables, while in winter, this number drops to about 30%. The community aims to achieve a plant-based diet, but for now, residents still raise a small flock of sheep for meat and enjoy honey from beehives.
The couple occasionally goes to Waitrose for personal essentials, such as gluten-free products. Another family within the HHP community claims they spend next to nothing at the supermarket during the summer and as little as £50 on monthly shops during the winter.
Ms Tilley, a paediatrician, described the lifestyle as low carbon and healthy. She emphasized the importance of being close to nature and the safety of raising children in such an environment. “These houses are wonderfully designed. For us, it ticks all our boxes,” she said.
Eco-Homes Designed for Efficiency
The eco-homes at HHP are built using materials like concrete blockwork, concrete beams, and clay tiles, which help regulate indoor temperatures. Energy to heat the homes comes mainly from the sun, body heat, and appliances. The internal temperature remains between 18 to 24 degrees all year round.
Most of the community’s energy is generated through on-site turbines, solar panels, or water systems. Mr Tilley helps maintain these systems, ensuring the community remains self-sufficient.
The two-bed eco-homes at HHP cost £325,000, while the five-bedroom homes are priced at £600,000. Residents say these prices align with the rest of the area.
Balancing Work and Life
Despite the benefits of their lifestyle, the couple admits the work required to maintain the community is significant. Many of the jobs on the HHP rota fit around the working day, such as spending 15 minutes collecting eggs from the chickens. Larger tasks that require group effort are usually done on Sundays, but the schedule is flexible.
Ms Tilley, who is semi-retired, continues to work as a paediatrician and as the lead on climate change for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. She focuses on integrating environmental studies, air pollution, and nutrition into preventative healthcare practices.
She also spends her spare time growing cabbages and making juice from orchard apples. Her passion for preserving food for the winter months highlights the community’s commitment to sustainability.
A Call for More Sustainable Housing
The couple believes the UK should build more homes like theirs. Mr Tilley criticized the country’s approach to housing, stating it has spent decades building poor-quality homes with no consideration for climate resilience or local communities. He expressed frustration with big building companies that prioritize profit over quality.
Their hope is that their lifestyle can serve as a source of education and inspiration for others. “If we create a demand for low energy homes—people saying this is what they want—then maybe the house builders will start to work on that,” Ms Tilley said.
She added, “I couldn’t have asked for a better place to spend the past thirty years.”
