E.ON, one of Britain's big six energy suppliers, is teaming up with the University of Nottingham to build a replica 1930s house that will be used to test technologies aimed at improving the energy performance of Britain's ageing housing stock. The three-bedroomed semi-detached house on the university's "Green Close" will replicate what the partners describe as "many of the ageing and energy-inefficient domestic properties" in Britain.

The government has set a target for new houses to be zero-carbon by 2016 but industry experts acknowledge big efforts will be needed to improve the energy performance of the existing housing stock.