Eco-Open Houses

Eco Open Houses offer a straightforward method to spread inspiration, best practices, and build community on a local level.

This practice helps individuals save money, live more sustainably, and encourages them to try new things. It is an enabling and empowering practice in various practical, hands-on ways.

Simply put, it involves people opening their houses and inviting others to see the sustainable practices they use in their everyday lives. This includes methods to save water, grow food, save energy, and manage waste. A common reaction people have is, 'Wow! That is so simple, I could do that!'

Some ideas to set up an Eco Open House

The first step to setting up an Eco Open House is finding people willing to open their homes and welcome visitors.

Advertising is crucial, especially to attract those who may not otherwise be exposed to such practices, ensuring it's not just a group of Transition friends that are already doing these things.

Feedback is a significant part of the process. At the end of the tour, participants are asked what inspired them and what changes they want to make, and they are encouraged to make a pledge.

We follow up with those who have pledged to change and have seen that many people have indeed made changes in their lives based on their tour experience.

I have learned so much from the tours I have attended and have made changes in my life. So, personally, I know that it works!

Bonus: What could happen if you host an Eco Open House?

• Transition Town Worthing Resources

You can find under "Documents" - case studies for all the properties in the 2020 brochure, including technical info, contacts etc and also useful info sheets and how to guides.
You can access the 2020 event brochure by clicking on the picture of the brochure or on "Event brochure". If you scroll down there's a direct link to our Retrofit event and also Transition Town Lewes' Eco Open Houses talks.

There is an event brochure under https://www.ttworthing.org/events/#eco-open-houses 
It also explains about the branding of "Eco Open Houses" in that section, which comes from: http://www.ecoopenhouses.org who originated this idea.  There is a link in that section to the Eco Open Houses videos which are in on our YouTube channel and the documents section in resources.

• Eco Open Houses Youtube playlist

This is our YouTube playlist for the Eco Open Houses events that ended up being put online due to Covid restrictions, as we were unable to run our 2020 event but wanted to honour our funding and also get the word out there somehow.

• GreenOpenHomes.net

This is another organisation that does these kinds of events in the UK and we have used their website in the past to house our case studies, before we had our own website.

• LowCarbon UK

The website for Mischa Hewitt's organisation. Mischa initiated the eco open houses events in Brighton and Hove and then mentored TTW and Greening Steyning for our first main event, and went on to support subsequent TTW events in various ways.

• If you Google "Green Open Homes", loads of references come up for events in the UK.

Join the Transition Movement Virtual Platform to ask questions, share ideas and experiences (the add-free self-hosted Facebook version of the Movement).

Join Vive (Transition UK Virtual Platform) to share ideas and best practices.