How Heine Tolsma made his home sustainable

30-12-2024, 09:51

In Nij Beets, Heine Tolsma (82) enjoys living in his home. A few years ago he decided to make his home more sustainable. "I bought six solar panels, and that turned out to be a good choice, because not much later energy and gas prices rose dramatically," Heine says. "So I turned down my thermostat and used an electric heater to provide extra heating. As a result, I used much less gas, about 1,200 m³ per year."

A 1976 home

Although Heine is already saving a lot, his house still has some sustainability challenges. "The house was built in 1976 and is not well insulated," he explains. "The walls and floor have almost no insulation, and the roof has a thin layer of 4 to 5 inches. I still insulated the ceilings above the bedrooms myself."

A push from the congregation

Heine was open to further preservation, but only wanted to do so if it would also increase the value of his home. Through the municipality, he came across the insulation campaign. "A report was made of my house. It said it was best to insulate my floor and walls, and that I could also replace a few windows with old double-glazing with HR++ glass," he says.

With these recommendations, Heine went to work. "I requested quotes from a local construction company that cooperates with a nature-friendly insulation company. Insulating the floor with PUR cost € 1851,- and insulating the walls cost € 1919,-. Replacing the glass cost € 3550,- I then had these measures done first."

Grants make a difference

Heine managed to cover the costs well with subsidies. "From the municipality I received € 2177,- subsidy. On top of that I got an additional subsidy of € 2500,- from the province and through the ISDE subsidy € 800,- back. All in all, I was able to pay for the investment almost entirely with subsidies," he says enthusiastically. "I am very happy about that."

Help from energy explorer and energy coach

The support Heine received during this process was very valuable to him. "Energy explorer Bas Tromp and a volunteer energy coach visited me several times. They really helped me a lot. Thanks to their advice and support, I can make my house more sustainable and at the same time increase the value of my home."

Getting started yourself

Heine hopes his story inspires others to take steps as well. "I am happy to take this step and hope that others will also take advantage of these opportunities." There are many ways to make your home more sustainable, often with more subsidies than you think. Are you considering making your home more sustainable yourself? Then check out energyinopsterland.nl/insulationaction for more information and find out what opportunities are available to you. As Heine Tolsma proves: taking sustainable steps is not only good for the environment, but also for your wallet.