Six years ago, Paul Thompson took a risk. Like anyone setting up a new business, he had no way of knowing whether it would be a soaraway success or fail miserably.

He had a hunch though and, to his delight, the firm went from strength to strength. Paul has not looked back.

Paul set up a house-building company, Eco Homes, constructing houses that are energy-efficient.

And he has seen demand for his properties soar.

Homes built by the Liversedge-based company are timber framed, constructed using farmed timber from managed, sustainable forests across Europe.

Insulation is incorporated into the frame, giving a higher density than that of traditional construction methods.

The insulation makes such homes economic to run by heating up the living space quickly and retaining the heat.

"Houses are warm and people's bills are considerably cheaper than those they have been used to," says Paul.

A correctly-constructed timber frame building - whose lifespan easily exceeds 100 years - is extremely durable. They are also a great choice for self-builders as a huge range of designs can be achieved.

All Eco Homes' properties come with under-floor heating as standard, and buyers can opt for a number of additional features to improve the property's green credentials. These include solar panels which heat hot water and a rainwater harvesting tank which stores rain that can be used to flush the toilet.

"It stores surface water collected from the roof or driveway and stores it underground for re-use," explains Paul, "You cannot drink it, but it is purified so can be used for hand washing."

In a typical domestic system, the water is cleaned and processed through a filter, with about 90 per cent diverted into the storage tank, with debris and the remaining water being left to soak away or run into the storm drain in the normal manner.

One of the main advantages of a timber-framed build is the time it takes to construct. The structural shell can be delivered, erected and roofed with battens within a matter of days which allows internal and external trades to proceed with their work, saving considerable time. Windows and doors can be fitted immediately to protect the building.

"It takes half the time of a conventional build," says Paul. He expects to finish a 21-home site in Sowerby Bridge in a year.

All the sites are in the north of England, mainly in Yorkshire, including Brighouse, Norwood Green, Wrenthorpe, Huddersfield, Rochdale and High Bentham between the Yorkshire Dales and Bowland.

In believing that more sustainable, energy efficient construction was the thing of the future, Paul had foresight. But he did not forsee how fast the move towards it would be.

He said: "When I first set up the company eco' was not the buzz word that it is now. We didn't know that it would take off like it has done. I could foresee it going forward, but not like this."

The number of enquiries to the firm have increased by between around 70 per cent in the past year.

Adds Sales and marketing manager at the company Sara Walker: "The market has gone mad - we are getting calls all the time, and more hits on the website. People want to be more eco-friendly. They are looking for homes that are less costly to run and with these properties it is possible to save around 60 per cent."

Houses are built to take maximum advantage of so-called solar gain,' - making sure that solar panels, or large expanses of glass are positioned to absorb maximum amounts of sunlight during the day.

"We look at whether features will work for the property," says Paul. "In one house we built in Huddersfield, because of the size of the property and due to the fact that we were not storing water, it worked out more economical to install a condensing boiler. With solar panels you still need a back-up.

"In some circumstances you might as well have just an energy-efficient, boiler."

The calculation of a building's energy efficiency is carried out through a method known as SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure), which results in a SAP rating. Based on energy costs for space and water heating, these are scored on a scale of 1 to100, and subsequently translated into A to G, with A being 92 or more and G being 1-20.

One is the worst, indicating a very energy inefficient home, and 100is the opposite.

"When we build a house we know what it is going to achieve. All new houses have a SAP rating. Traditional builders are struggling to get a D. We can achieve A+ rating with everything we do," says Paul.

None of the homes are zero-carbon rated, which would be a tall order for a developer building clusters of homes, as opposed to one-offs, where every necessary appliance - mini wind turbines, solar panels and wood pellet burners, fro example - could be installed. "When you are building a number of homes you have to be practical," he adds.

Energy-efficient homes are attracting buyers of all ages, but Paul has noticed in particular, increased interest from older people. "We get a lot of enquiries from people coming up to retirement who want to live in a house that isn't going to cost a lot to run."

Paul plans to build his own home on a plot of land in Morley, when he gets around to it. "We are so busy building for everyone else."

*Eco Homes 01274 869666

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