A RENEWABLE energy company from Denbighshire has played a key role in a TV eco-challenge.

Tremeirchion-based Hafod Renewables worked with DIY newcomer Nia Jones, a PhD student studying plastic pollution, who paired up with roofer Mark Hughes for Channel 4 property show The Great House Giveaway.

They ended up successfully boosting the energy efficiency value of a three-bedroom bungalow in Rhosybol on Anglesey from E to A – the best possible.

It is the first time since the show launched in 2020 that a pair of renovators have gone all out for the eco-approach, swapping traditional heating systems for greener technology in the wake of spiraling energy costs.

Hosted by Simon O’Brien, a presenter and successful property developer, who played Damon Grant in TV soap Brookside in the 1980s, the show challenges two strangers who are not homeowners to renovate a property bought at auction within a set budget and in just six months.

If the project is successful, they both get to share the profits – if not, the house goes back to auction.

Nia and Mark forked out a sizeable chunk of their budget on a raft of new green features including an air source heat pump, underfloor heating, thermal cladding, solar panels and an electric car charging port.

As a result of their investment, the property is now virtually self-sufficient and valued at around £300,0000.

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Hafod Renewables' managing director David Jones said: “People want to know how much a property will cost to run in the long term and with what’s going on with the price of gas, people will look at the home and realise they could live virtually off-grid.

“You can retro-fit pretty much any home with eco-friendly technology. This project was quite straight forward for us being a bungalow and only one storey as we could put underfloor heating across the whole house.

“The air source heat pump basically acts like a reverse fridge with a fan outside that transfers heat from the atmosphere and turns it into water to provide heat in the home or hot water.

"This provides all the heating and hot water they need for the property. There are no fossil fuels connected to the property at all, no gas boiler, so it’s more environmental.

“We fitted eight solar panels on the roof and a battery storage system which stores electricity.

"Everything works together to provide everything for their needs from running a fridge or a washing machine to providing heat.”

Nia and roofing firm owner Mark, from Bodedern, Anglesey, appear in the third series of the show, which is made by independent TV production firm Chwarel, based in Criccieth - co-producers of Gogglebocs, the Welsh language version of hit reality series Gogglebox.

Sioned Wyn, Chwarel’s managing director and executive producer of The Great House Giveaway who hails from the Ruthin area, said the renovation marked a bold step for the show.

“We are the first to have done this and I really thank both Nia and Mark for buying into this vision because even now, we’re still not sure if it’s going to work or whether they would have got more money the old way,” she said.

“However, conscience-wise, this is absolutely the way we should be renovating every house in the future."