Chris Ferreira hasn’t had a power bill in four years. File 2011

COCKBURN sustainability guru Chris Ferreira says he’s made it through summer without an air-conditioner and has cash in his pocket after slashing his water bills by 40 per cent.

The director of The Forever Project has adapted his 1950s asbestos cottage in Hamilton Hill to the point he hasn’t had a power bill in four years.

“Fifty per cent of power bills are used to keep a house cool or warm,” he says.

“So I wanted to show people it wasn’t hard to slash power bills and still have a comfortable home.”
As well as triple-insulating his walls he installed double glazing, insulated the roof and the floors, put in a greywater recycling system and gutted the kitchen. Outside, he beefed up his soils to prevent water loss and dug up most of the lawn.

Mr Ferreira is opening his house today, Saturday March 7 from 10am–4pm to show how he achieved its turnaround. Gold coin donations will go to Winterfold primary’s P&C. The house is at 11 Mortlock Street, in the midst of Bakers Square’s creative hub.