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Home is where the heart is. So sang Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, in 1962.
And that will be true of Canterbury’s famous Elvis House after Canterbury City Council completed a stunning transformation to make it its first net zero council social home – and officially applied to Royal Mail to formally have it renamed ‘The Elvis House’.
While not on the scale of Graceland, the property, 31a St Peter’s Place, was famously known for displaying a picture of the crooner in one of its windows for more than 40 years, but is now a leading example of what a high quality, whole-house retrofit can achieve.
It will now be used as part of the council’s housing stock, with the first tenant due to move in soon.
The year-long project has been a trial to show what decarbonisation of the council’s stock through retrofitting could look like into the future.
The house now benefits from outstanding comfort, air quality and energy efficiency all year round through a design process using Passivhaus principles.
The retrofit dramatically improves insulation and air-tightness, meaning the home stays warm with remarkably little energy.
Even on freezing winter days, every internal surface stays at a comfortable temperature, eliminating cold spots and draughts.
A cutting-edge ventilation system supplies fresh, filtered air throughout the day. It captures over 90 per cent of heat that would normally be lost through ventilation, keeping the home warm while ensuring the air stays clean and healthy.
Before the retrofit, the house would have needed nearly 25,000 kWh of heat each year to stay warm. Now it needs just 2,216 kWh – a reduction of 91 per cent. And with an efficient heat pump added, the energy needed for heating drops even further.
This places the home among the very best-performing retrofits in the UK.
From heating to hot water to appliances, the entire home is predicted to use just 2,820 kWh of energy per year.
Smart design, excellent insulation and high-performance glazing mean the home stays cool in summer too. The risk of overheating is now effectively eliminated.
Among the specific design features are:
- thick, fire-safe external wall insulation keeps heat in and bills down
- a fully-insulated warm loft and floor create a consistent blanket of warmth
- high-performance triple glazing dramatically improves comfort and energy efficiency
- thermal-bridge reduction removes cold spots that typically plague older homes
- Eight solar panels producing around 2,000 kWh a year – the home now generates enough clean electricity to cover all its annual heating requirements
Cabinet member for climate change, Cllr Mel Dawkins, said: “This home is now packed with the most environmentally sustainable technology on the market, and together, these measures give the building a modern, robust and future-proof thermal envelope.
“And the results will speak for themselves, through lower bills, a healthier indoor environment, ultra-stable temperatures and drastically reduced carbon emissions.
“This is a more resilient home that is ready for future energy challenges and we are delighted with the outcome of all the work that has taken place over the last 12 months.”
Cabinet member for housing, Cllr Pip Hazelton, said: “This has been an absolutely brilliant project and I congratulate all involved for the stunning results that have been achieved.
“This house was an iconic part of the city’s streetscape thanks to the Elvis picture, and now it reaches a whole new level of fame through this initiative.
“31a St Peters Place is now not just a home – it is a model for how older buildings can be transformed into modern, low-energy, high-comfort living spaces.
“We can’t wait to see the first new tenant move in and make the house their home.”
The last tenant of the Elvis House was Dorothy Mills, who has sadly now passed away. Her granddaughter, Zara Cassidy, has been watching the development of the house since her death and was given a special viewing as work drew to an end.
Zara said: “The Elvis House was so much more to me than just a house, it was a home that had so many feelings attached to it.
“The memories I have there with my nan are so precious to me, the kitchen particularly, with the bathroom under the stairs and the old fashion twin tub being pulled out.
“Seeing it now with a beautiful kitchen and room for a family to fill with their own memories feels incredibly magical.
“It feels right now that the house is ready for the next generations and a new family to make memories with. It is a beautiful home now with lots of promise.
“I know my Nan would be very proud of what it is today and the NetZero status it holds. I am beyond grateful that it will always be The Elvis House and hold that tribute to my Nan and the landmark that many Canterbury residents recognise.”
The retrofit project has cost a total of £338,000, with £141,000 of the funding coming from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Published: 6 March 2026
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