Archived Entries - Environment
How to Fight Back when it comes to Household Fuel Bills
A sure way to end light-hearted conversation is to mention household fuel bills and their meteoric rise over the past seven years. According to the comparison website moneysupermarket.com household bills have doubled since 2003. Fuel poverty is a real issue amongst the vulnerable and occurs when more than 10% of household income is dedicated to paying fuel bills. However, with a degree of guile and imagination, we can do our best to reduce our energy consumption in the following ways:-
- Be savvy and search out competitive deals from other suppliers. There is nothing a service supplier likes more than a customer who is compliant and loyal to them. One thing I have begun to recognise in life is that there is little personal gain in being a loyal customer. Make your supplier be it your telephone provider or utility supplier work for their money and above all, take the time to search out more competitive deals. Also, avoid being caught in the trap of thinking that you have to stay with a supplier for a certain period of time. You can in some circumstances, change supplier after as little as 6 weeks for example but do check that the tariff you are on does not incur any penalties for doing this. I changed my dual fuel supplier last year and was rewarded with a more competitive tariff and Nectar bonus points which paid for my turkey!
- Be Proactive and submit your meter readings. Again, we are all too comfortable in paying estimated bills which falls right into the hands of the utility supplier. If your gas and electricity meters are not regularly read, estimated readings mean that you could be paying more for gas or electricity than you actually use. More importantly, if you do not submit your own meter readings, you will not be entitled to a refund should you find you have overpaid.
- Take the exercise and switch your appliance off at the plug. It is something we all do with unerring regularity and will ultimately cost us in the long run. Leaving appliance on standby is a real no no and can cost us up to £10 per month per appliance.
- Invest in Mastic and Foam. If you feel a draft, that will often indicate a potential heat loss source. In this case, try if possible to seal any gaps by either using mastic or expandable foam.
- Get those Curtains lined or shutters ordered. Sadly windows are one of the most efficient ways of losing heat from your property. This is a real issue if you live in a listed property with single pane windows and the potential to have them replaced not possible on historic building grounds.
- Last but not least, wrap up warm and turn that thermostatic control down by 1 or 2 degrees.
If you have imaginative ways of reducing your fuel bills, we look forward to hearing them.
Greening the Nation
With rising fuel prices and the world gripped by economic downturn, further gloomy news to hit homeowners is that our homes are not green enough. Latest statistics show that Britain's housing stock is responsible for nearly 27% of the entire country's emissions of carbon dioxide. This does not come as a real surprise. I am sure we have all sat round at Aunt Nellie's house and experienced cold ankle syndrome caused by draughty houses. These stamina-building experiences, which will remain with us for the rest of our lives, could soon be a thing of the past. In this world of targets, are you aware that by 2016 all new homes will have to meet zero-carbon standards? However, this is only the start. By 2050, the country will be required to have reduced carbon emissions by a staggering 80%. In order to realistically get anywhere near meeting this target, attention is beginning to turn to the existing housing stock and what can be done to reduce their contribution to carbon dioxide emissions.
Did you know that last month, the Prime Minister took the first step toward achieving this target by making cavity wall insulation ad loft insulation available half-price to every household and free to the poor and pensioners.
There is no doubt that we all feel a moral obligation to doing our bit for the environment. However, how many of us have wanted to make that life-changing move but have been stumped by the initial cost of installing solar panels or a wind turbine for example?
Here at least are a few ways we may attempt to green our houses:-
- Installing a biomass-burning boiler would cost between £5,000 and £10,000 to install but can produce up to £1,000 worth of energy and save up to 6 tons of carbon dioxide compared to a traditional boiler.
- Wind turbines can help meet your energy bills but are the subject of planning controls and can cost anything form £1,500 to £5,000 to install albeit grants may be available. Further information on where are available will follow suit.
- Did you know that it is now possible to purchase triple-glazed windows and are more efficient than the traditional double-glazed windows?
- If you have a river or indeed a stream running through your property, technology in the form of a hydro turbine can harness this natural energy. Whilst the capital outlay for such a system is between £4,000 and £10,000, hydro turbines are considered efficient in that approximately 90% of the water's energy can be converted into electricity.
- Extracting heat from the ground is not reserved purely for the realms of science fiction. Again, whilst the initial outlay is not cheap, for between £6,000 and £12,000, you can purchase a system which extracts heat from the ground and can generate up to £1,000 worth of electricity a year.
If the above are eye watering and are not financially within reach, there are measures we can all implement today:-
- We can begin by putting on another layer of clothing and turning the thermostat down a degree.
- Make sure the loft is well insulated and if it is not, seek out the subsidised offer that the Prime Minister is putting forward.
- Use energy efficient light bulbs and when changing your white goods, try and buy "A" rated goods.
- Avoid leaving gadgets on standby
- Keep a bucket by the sink and shower and use the water we would other wise waste whilst waiting for the tap to run hot for flushing the toilet with.
Rainwater Harvesting
It's all in the Water Butt - A money saving idea that will keep you and your garden happy.
As I sit here contemplating whether I should be turning the heating back on, I read with scepticism that we are predicted a “heat wave” this summer. The thought of wall-to-wall sunshine and lazy days enjoyed in the garden seems as distant as the “heat wave” of 1976. However, if the prediction is true, how am I going to keep the vegetables I have only this week planted sufficiently watered without racking up a water bill comparable to a MPs expense claim?
One sustainable solution to the problem is rainwater harvesting. By this I mean purchasing or imaginatively re-employing a dustbin or compost bin to use as a water butt. If money is no object and aesthetics are high on the wish list, I note in the press I can spend anything from £30 up to £300 on a designer receptacle in either polyvinyl chloride or timber. Moreover, if I wanted to go that extra mile, I could even get hold of a former whiskey barrel! How about that for the wow factor?
How will I fill it? Logic dictates that leave a receptacle outside for long enough and it will eventually fill up. That is all well and good if you live in the tropics with daily deluges. To certainly make the best use of your water butt, the simplest and most logical solution is to get a rainwater diverter kit. This will collect water from the roof but once full, this will then continue to divert water into the drain thus preventing the water butt from overflowing. Many "off the peg" water butts will come with diverters but if you are taking advantage of that bin, you can certainly buy one from your local garden centre for "as little as £20".
Whilst the idea of a water butt sits high on my to do list, my next problem is where can I place my 400 litre receptacle without obstructing pathways or upsetting the aesthetically driven wife and secondly, how will I fill it? The answer to the first part is either where I presently park my car or directly in front of my shed door. Hold on, I have a better location, why not place it by the green house and harvest the water from that roof? This will involve the fitting of guttering and a down pipe, but at least this way, it will be hidden and I can still park my car on the drive and open my shed. Yes, that is where I will site my water butt (the one I have yet to buy).
If you do no other improvement works this year, why not seriously think about this one. By doing so, you will be doing your bit for the environment and your water bill!
The Heat Is On - Will the Government's Aspirations of Zero Carbon Living become a Reality?
Did you realise that by 2016, the Government will expect that all new homes that are built will be zero carbon? In order for a house to be classed as being zero carbon, it will have to generate as much power as it uses over the course of a year. For most of us, the idea of having a home that generates enough power to meet its own requirements would appear as likely as the 50 pence litre of petrol. However, the zero carbon home is not a figment of imagination but became a step closer to mass reality with the first four-bedroom house being unveiled in Kent this week.
The question that begs to be asked is how can we really achieve this?
There is no doubt that meeting this objective will be expensive. In most cases, traditional building materials and construction techniques will not cut the metaphorical mustard and will have to be markedly improved. Where we site a house and how it is orientated will have to be considered. For example, there will be an expectation that new build properties will be orientated in such a way as to maximise space heating from the winter sun and shade from cold northerly winds. Following traditional street patterns may have to be jeopardised in favour of space heating orientation. Don't be surprised to find that those icy drafts synonymous with older properties will be consigned to history and instead, we can look forward to air tight rooms and entrance lobbies designed to reduce mass migration of heat. All very well but what do we do with the excessively flatulent dog in an airtight room?
The fun doesn't stop there. We can look forward to motion detection lighting, which means it will only come on when areas within the home are actively populated and intelligent software to prioritise the use of appliances and stagger their use.
Ways of physically generating renewable energy include the use of ground or air source heat pumps for hot water and space heating together with the use of biomass as a fuel. For the generation of electrical power, it is likely that in future, our roofscape will be populated by micro generating wind turbines and banks of gleaming photovoltaic cells adorned to roof planes. This will certainly have an impact upon the appearance of sensitive landscapes and conservation areas.
Our local environment will determine what our buildings will look like. Zero Carbon will mean that road miles will be reduced in favour of using locally sourced materials. Moreover, we can look forward to harvesting our rainwater and recycling it through the use of reed bed technology for example.
There is no doubt that the technology is there but in these times of economic belt tightening, can all those involved in the delivery of homes stomach the additional burden of meeting the zero carbon challenge?
Does the idea of living in a draft proof room do it for you?
We look forward to your comments.
Will Your House Last 1,000 Years? - Heating and Our Environmental Responsibilities
Did you realise that Britain has the oldest housing stock in the developed world with 8.5 million properties over 60 years old?
Given the current rate of demolition, this will mean that the average house could realistically have to last for 1,000 years before it is replaced. I look at my own home and at times, I struggle to believe it could comfortably last a further 100 years without major refurbishment let alone 1,000 years.
Whilst this statistic is faintly absurd, what it does do is make us realise that yes, our homes have a long term purpose and therefore, we need to make sure that we seek ways of improving their environmental performance for the benefit of our own finances and the environment at large.
Part L of the Building Regulations "Conservation of Fuel and Power" governs amongst other things, heating system controls and boilers.
Did you realise that since April 2005, all new and replacement gas and oil fired domestic boilers must be condensing boilers of Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the United Kingdom (SEDBUK) band A or B ensuring a high efficiency rating. If you do live in a property where the pipework isn't compatible with a condensing system, then you are exempt from installing a condensing boiler if this can be demonstrated.
What is a Condensing Boiler?
A condensing boiler is quite literally a high efficiency boiler which works by recovering more heat from fuel burnt than a conventional boiler. By recovering and using heat that would otherwise be lost up the flue, the most efficient condensing boilers can operate at efficiency rates of greater than 90%.
How does a 90% efficiency rate compare to a conventional boiler?
Typically, a conventional boiler which is more than 15 years old for example, may only operate at an efficiency of 55% meaning that in some cases, they are 35% less efficient when compared to a modern condensing boiler. In real terms, quite substantial savings can be made by investing in a new boiler. You could be saving in the region of 35 pence in every £1 of fuel you use for heating and hot water or as much as £240 per annum.
The improvement to your heating system doesn't necessarily stop there. Part L of the Building Regulations also states that the controls operating the boiler should be improved (where necessary) by including a timer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves. Please remember that the installation of a new boiler will require building regulation approval - Please Refer to the Building Regulations section for More Information about this matter.
Is it time you thought about investing in a new boiler?
The House of Straw - No longer the preserve of Fables and Fairly Tales
In a bold step, it appears that North Kesteven District Council (Lincolnshire) is about to announce plans for the first social houses to be built in Britain using straw bales. As we set out in our recent article entitled "the true cost of buildings" (31st January 2009), North Kesteven District Council recognises the benefits that can be gained from green construction.
What does Straw Offer?
- Offers construction cost savings
- Is a good insulating material
- Can be locally sourced (thus reducing freight costs)
- Is sustainable
Costing in the region of £120,000 each, the four properties will be made out of 480 tightly packed bales and finished with lime-washed walls. The cost saving does not stop there with up to 80% a year saved on heating bills.
Whilst this is the first time that a local authority has commissioned this, the practice is not new with a number of private homes and commercial buildings having already been constructed in the UK using straw.
What about Planning and Building Control Regulations?
Although the material may be different, the same building and planning control process will have to be addressed regardless. Unless the proposal is to be sited within an area of special control where the external finish of the building is paramount, the planning department will only be interested in its appropriateness when it comes to its size, siting and design.
With challenging carbon emission targets to meet, who knows, a straw bale house may be coming to a place near you soon.
The True Cost of Buildings - How the Construction Industry must face up to its environmental responsibility
Did you realise that 47% of the UK's carbon emissions are from buildings?
The construction industry faces a massive challenge in helping the Government meet its target of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.
According to the Federation of Master Builders:-
- Construction uses approximately 6 tonnes of materials for every year man, woman and child in the UK
- Construction and demolition produce more than 80 million tonnes of waste each year -10% of which is unused in building materials
- 50% of the UK's energy consumption results from construction (10%) or during the life of the building (over 40%)
- 47% of UK carbon emissions are from servicing buildings
The facts speak for themselves and the construction industry must face up to its responsibilities of reducing both waste and carbon emissions.
In its defence, change is beginning to take with many bold initiatives being rolled out including small hydro electricity generators or straw bale technology for example.
Who knows, one day, the straw bale house may no longer be the preserve of fairy tales.
Green Energy - Hurry! Get Your Renewable Energy Grant Before Government Funding Stops
It is no coincidence that more and more of us are turning to renewable energy sources as a means of heating and lighting our homes. In less than 7 years, energy prices have literally gone through the roof having increased by more than 130%. Whilst we all recognise the potential benefits that a wind turbine or indeed solar panels can offer, there remains one stumbling block, the capital outlay for such a system. For example, a wind turbine may set you back between £3,000 and £5,000 to install while solar panels to heat your hot water may cost in the region of £5,000. We can all agree that in these economic belt-tightening times, these figures are not insignificant. However, help is at hand. In its drive to encourage us all to "do our bit", the Government offers its Low Carbon Buildings Programme www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk which can provide funding for part of your installation costs if you can demonstrate that your home is eligible. In order to be able to demonstrate this, you will have to show that:-
- The loft meets the current Building Regulations on insulation
- Your cavity walls have been insulated
- You have fitted low energy light bulbs throughout the property
- Your heating system features a room thermostat and a timer
Before you must also demonstrate that:-
- That any necessary planning permissions have been sought and are in place.
- If you are wishing to apply on-line for a grant, you will then be required to obtain a quote from a certified installer.
Remember that household grants are allocated on a first come first serve basis and the scheme will continue until the funding has run out. Whilst you can apply for a grant for more than one renewable energy generator, the maximum grant available per household is £2,500.
| Renewable Technology | Potential Grant (whichever is lower) |
| Ground Source heat pump | Maximum £1,200 or 30% of eligible cost |
| Solar Panels (hot water) | Overall maximum of £400 or 30% of the relevant eligible costs |
| Wind Turbine | Maximum £2,500 or 30% of eligible costs |
| Photovoltaics | Maximum £2,500 or 50% of eligible costs |
| Small Hydro | Maximum £2,500 or 30% of eligible costs |
| Wood-fuelled boiler systems | Maximum £1,500 or 30% of eligible costs |
| Automated wood pellet-fed room-heaters/stoves | Maximum £600 or 20% of eligible costs |
Where do I go from here?
If you are keen to pursue this, why not contact the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012 for further guidance.
