About In2Air

We want to find out how making homes more energy efficient affects the indoor air quality and the health and wellbeing of the people in these homes. 

Aim:

Why This Matters

Poor air quality is a major health risk. Indoor pollution from cooking, heating, cleaning products, and smoking can cause respiratory problems, heart issues, and other health concerns. While energy-efficient homes help fight climate change and reduce bills, they need proper ventilation to stay healthy.

Energy efficiency of homes can be improved by insulation and better sealing of windows and doors. This type of building work (called retrofitting) is set to increase. These measures can also reduce the amount of fresh air in our homes so extractor fans and window air vents may be needed.

Our Study

Newcastle City Council is improving home energy efficiency through retrofitting (updating existing homes). We're studying how these changes affect indoor air quality and resident health. We've already studied 30 homes and plan to add 60 more pre-1919 terraced houses and flats.

Participation involves:

1) Completing a household questionnaire.

2) Having air quality monitors inside and outside your home for 3 weeks, before and after retrofitting.

3) Sharing your energy bills from 12 months before and after improvements

Community Involvement

Local research champions will help organise events where residents can:

  • Learn about the study

  • Volunteer to participate

  • Share experiences

  • Discuss results 

Impact

The results will be shared with those who take part. Our findings will be used to shape advice on making homes more energy efficient so that we also improve indoor air quality. The advice will be shared with local councils and others through talks, articles and research papers. We want to make sure that improving the energy efficiency of homes doesn't unintentionally lead to health and other problems for the people living in these homes.

Results will help develop guidelines for making homes energy-efficient while maintaining healthy air quality. Findings will be shared with participants, local councils, and researchers to ensure home improvements benefit both the environment and residents’ health.