Politicians are increasingly aware of the importance of their green credentials and are doing what they can to boost them by embracing the eco-home movement and practising what they are preaching.
Labour MP Bob Marshall-Andrews has a futuristic green home in the Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park in South Wales, and although the millionaire QC’s £250,000 dome dwelling has been likened to that of the Teletubbies, the Jan Kaplicky designed building is undeniably striking, and environmentally sensitive.
Nicknamed the Tellytubby house by locals, the MP’s property is built into an 80ft cliff with stunning views over St Bride's Bay, but the ‘Future Systems’ building is barely visible beneath its grass covered mound and blends perfectly with the surrounding landscape.
These types of earth-sheltered homes often appear as little more than a grassy knoll with no more than a glass dome to interrupt the greenery.
Check out the Future Systems website at www.future-systems.com for more information about their designs, which include the prominent Selfridges aluminium disc building in Birmingham’s Bullring.
Alan Simpson, the Labour MP for Nottingham South, has been parading his eco credentials ever since his modern, environmentally friendly, Nottingham factory conversion.
The conversion transformed the factory into a family home complete with solar panels, water recycling system and rock-wool insulation.
Mr Simpson sees the three-storey, £200,000 renovation as a great model for future brown-field sites across the country, as well as a good opportunity to boost his green credentials.
David Cameron's west London home epitomises the new earth-friendly image conveyed by the Conservatives. The Tory leader has a rain-water harvesting tank, cavity wall insulation, solar panels and numerous recycling bins for all to see.
Gordon Brown is also doing his bit at his constituency home which is complete with solar panels and a compost heap as well as energy-saving light bulbs throughout.
Despite the 30-year payback figures that have been estimated by the critics of solar panel systems, the Prime Minister is one of at least four MPs, including Peter Hain, the former Work and Pensions secretary, to have recently had solar panels installed on their homes.
If you would like to follow in the Prime Minister’s footsteps with your very own compost heap, check out our guides section for WelcomeHome’s Guide to Composting.
You may also want to take a look at our Guide to Switching to Solar Energy as well as our Guide to Saving Energy.