Global leaders have set targets for us to reach net-zero emissions by the second half of this century. That means putting the same amount of greenhouse gases into the air as we take out. In our series of blogs we focus on how to reduce the carbon foot-print of your home in several easy steps.
In the home
Energy use is the long-term source of carbon emissions in housing – it accounts for 18% of the UK’s total emissions and the UK has some of the leakiest, draughtiest housing stock in the world. Lots more of us have been working from home recently, which means we’ve brought business-related carbon emissions home with us.
Fitting draught excluder strips around windows and doors are a quick-win low-cost solution, to block any unwanted gaps which let cold air into your home and warm air out. There are two main types of draught-proofing being self-adhesive foam, or metal or plastic strips with brushes or wipers.
For doors you could fit a letter box flap or brush and a keyhole cover. However remember not to block up any intentional ventilation such as extractor fans, airbricks, wall vents or trickle vents in windows, as some vents are needed to allow some fresh air to flow in and around your home to prevent mould and damp.
Draughty door or chimneys? Why not use a fabric draught excluder which simply sits along the bottom of the door whilst chimney balloons are perfect to stop drafts from open fireplaces, and can be easily removed if you ever do want to use your fireplace.
Reflector foil panels fitted behind your radiators will reflect heat back into your room, preventing it escaping to the outside. Installing secondary glazing will quickly add insulation by adding a second piece of glass or transparent material on the inside of the window. This could be window glazing film or DIY secondary glazing kits using polycarbonate or acrylic sheets with magnetic or clip fit mounts. They can make a big difference to how much heat escapes through your window and can be removed and replaced whenever required, allowing you to open the window and clean it more easily.
Don’t forget that using heavy, lined curtains will also cut down heat loss from your windows in the evening. And lastly lighting – make sure your lighting is all LED lightbulbs. You can find LED bulbs suitable for most light fittings and low energy LED lights use about 90% less electricity than traditional incandescent lightbulbs, saving you money too.
Saving energy
It’s very simple and quick to do – switch it off. Turn off lights and use natural light as much as possible. Make sure devices like laptops and TVs are off rather than left on standby or sleep mode as even the smallest items can have an energy drawer. There are plugs that power down all your devices in one go. Big Clean Switch have some great tips on how to reduce your energy use whilst working from home.
Switch your energy supplier
Switching your energy supply is one of the easiest and most impactful things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. Green energy is electricity which is generated by natural, renewable sources such as the wind, the sun or the power of the tides – as opposed to using fossil fuels like coal or oil.
And you can also save money by switching to suppliers annually as new tariffs and deals come out every week. The Big Clean Switch is the UK’s leading green energy comparison site providing a free and impartial switching service. You simply choose whether you need gas and/or electricity and provide a few details about your current provider before the Big Clean Switch sources the latest deals from the UK’s best green energy suppliers for you to compare.
At present 85 per cent of homes are still heated by carbon-heavy natural gas with heating representing up 40 per cent of the UK’s energy consumption. The government’s hydrogen heating pledge could represent a turning point for the way we heat our homes with natural gas boilers to hydrogen boilers along with heat pumps, which run on electricity and draw warmth from the environment.
Be an Eco Home
You can also retrofit and make your home generate, store and sell energy as part of a local energy network, by installing solar panels to ground source heat pumps. Some finance providers, such as the Ecology Building Society, offer low interest mortgages for energy efficient work in homes. This could make your home a mini renewable power station, combining solar panels, a home battery and an electric vehicle (EV), enabling consumers to generate and store energy throughout the year. More energy storage providers – such as Ovo Energy, Powervault and Moixa are entering the market making householders an integral part of national electricity networks.
For inspiration why not look at the Green Open Home Network.
Community Energy Coops
Join a Community Energy Coop to help deliver community-led renewable energy, energy demand reduction and energy supply projects. There are more than 200 energy coops in the UK, devoted to community-owned renewable energy. Locally you can invest and collectively help build large scale renewable energy systems. The money raised from selling electricity is then distributed into a community fund, paying interest to members and repaying capital. At present, UK community schemes sell their electricity directly into the national grid, collecting a fee set by the government’s energy regulator Ofgem. People then buy the electricity at wholesale rates from power utilities.
Smart meters
With new government regulations aimed at making sure everyone has a smart meter in their homes by 2024, many apps now offer the ability to see exactly how much you are spending, when you are spending it and even get tips on how to save money, right in the palm of your hand.
Systems such as the Google Nest are becoming more common as the tech learns your day-to-day schedule, meaning that you can control the temperature of your house more efficiently — even when you aren’t at home. They can also detect when windows are open or when you leave the house, and automatically adjust settings to make sure that you aren’t unknowingly wasting energy.
The power to save money on our bills would literally be in our own hands as you can even use apps on your smartphone. JouleBug rewards you with points and badges when you do something eco-friendly, such as using a reusable coffee cup or taking a shorter shower. There is a competitive element too: you can connect with friends on the app and set challenges with one another.
Check your Energy Performance Certificate
All domestic properties in the UK available to buy or rent are required by law to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This tells you how energy-efficient your home is and how costly it will be to run, as well as the estimated carbon emissions.
Each certificate provides an efficiency rating on a scale of A (very efficient) to G (very inefficient), but also offers recommendations for improvements that could be made to the rating. So if you have one it is worth checking your EPC for these suggestions, or having an energy performance survey to help identify new ways to slash your bills and reduce your carbon footprint.
Once you have taken all the measure you can to reduce your energy footprint you can calculate your remaining emissions. WWF has a good calculator or Bulb have a really good calculator and integrated offset scheme. Alternatively you could try the new CoGo App which analyses your bank transactions using Open Banking Data and has a carbon footprint tracker developed with in partnership with climate expert Mike Berners Lee.
Do you have any other good ideas on how to save money and reduce your carbon footprint the home? Do let us know.