RISING fuel bills, increased daily living expenses and water shortages can all contribute to soaring costs in running a home – resulting in more and more people looking for ways to make their houses more energy efficient.

But it's not just the installation of more expensive methods such as solar panels and wind turbines that can help to make a difference.

Kate Barfield and Greg Stephens, pictured, took the decision to build their own eco-friendly home in Croft Crescent, Penkhull, 10 years ago, and have since reaped the rewards.

The most significant energy efficient aspect of their home is its extensive wall insulation, which is 1ft thick and consists of shredded newsprint.

Greg says: "The insulation is from the end of rolls of newspapers, so not only is it an effective way to insulate the house, it also uses up unwanted material – a great way of recycling.

"And with it being 1ft thick, it reduces energy bills enormously.

"I appreciate it's not easy to insulate existing houses in this way, but that's the key feature of our energy efficiency in the home."

The house is one of two semi-detached properties built by Newcastle firm Greenbuilt, run by Peter Wilshaw.

They both have a turf roof, which provides a home for wildlife and is also covered in many types of plants and flowers – probably as a result of seeds and pollen carried by birds.

Kate and Greg, who work as community musicians and artists, only need to mow the roof once a year, and they also use it to collect rainwater, which is then used for things like flushing the toilet.

Greg adds: "The water off the roof is filtered in tanks below the house, and then it's pumped back up to flush the toilets or to do the laundry.

"And we also recycle our bath and shower water. It gets stored, and then we use it on the garden in times of drought.

"This is all so useful, as we really do save a lot of water in this way."

The ethos behind Greg and Kate's eco-friendly house derives from the Segal Method, which uses simplified construction methods suitable for self-builders, minimal foundations and avoids waste. Locally available material is used whenever possible.

A turf roof is another aspect of the Segal Method of house-building and it is not just its ability to collect rainwater which makes it so appealing.

"When you destroy the footprint of the area where the house occupies," says Greg, "you also destroy the eco system. So by putting turf back onto the roof you can replace what you've destroyed."