With iconic 70’s BBC series, The Good Life (pictured) as my inspiration, I am progressing slowly but surely with my ambitious plans to become the first carbon-neutral dwelling in Sloane Square writes Julia Stephenson.

The wood-burning stove is eating up the neighbourhood's left-over wood (skips are full of the stuff), the solar panels are producing about 30% of our energy needs on cloudy days and a stonking 80% on sunny days. The walls are now super-insulated with a warm fleecy substance made from recycled plastic bottles. So. Now it’s time to think about installing a couple of chickens on the roof and growing some fruit and veg - perhaps even making our own honey. But is this trend towards self-sufficiency more trouble than it’s worth, or will the satisfaction and savings make it worth the effort?

Read more