Making your property eco-friendly

Since global warming is becoming a more pressing issue, many of us are looking at how we can minimise our carbon footprint on a day-to-day basis. Most of us spend a large proportion of our time at home, so it makes sense to convert our daily home routine into a more environmentally-friendly one.

There are several alterations which can be made in our homes to save energy . As well as being kinder to the planet, you’ll be saving money in the long run by implementing these changes, especially considering the extreme rise in household bills in the recent months.

Renewable Energy

Solar Panels

Solar power is possibly the most popular forms of renewable energy. Solar photovoltaic panels can be installed onto your roof, which convert the sun’s energy into electricity - this is then used to power your home. During daylight hours, the power generated is stored in batteries, therefore electricity use isn’t limited to when the sun is shining.

In the winter, you will typically be using more energy to heat and illuminate your dwelling, but your solar panels will be generating less energy due to fewer daylight hours hours and higher chances of cloudy days. However, contrary to common opinion, solar panels can work just fine during winter and will still save you a significant amount of money. This is due to the fact that during the summer, you will be generating far more energy than you are using, which as mentioned, is stored in batteries. This stored energy can then be used in conjunction with the smaller amount of energy generated over winter, to power your home during these cold months.

In terms of aesthetic appeal, solar panels are often described as ‘eye sores’. However nowadays solar panels can be disguised to match more traditional and other modern materials, such as natural slate.

Discrete solar panels appearing like natural slate tile, whilst generating renewable energy. Example from GB-Sol :: PV Slate

air source heat pumps

This renewable energy system uses energy from the air outside to provide heating and hot water for your home - it basically works in a similar fashion to a fridge, but in reverse. Heat pumps can function even in colder temperatures, capable of heating your home even in freezing winters as low as -15 degrees Celsius.

There are two types of air source heat pumps:

  1. Air-to-water - this feeds heat from the outside air into your wet central heating system. They’re most suitable for large radiators or water underfloor heating because the heat they produce is cooler than conventional gas boilers. Therefore they are most effective when a large surface area is available to release the heat.

  2. Air-to-air - this transfers heat from outside air into your home through fans. A warm air circulation system is required to distribute the heat through your house. Unlike air-to-water heat pumps, this type does not produce hot water, therefore a separate water heater will need to be installed. During the summer, air-to-air heat pumps can also function as air conditioning, cooling down your home.

A simple diagram illustrating how air source heat pumps work to heat you household and provide hot water. Image from Air Source Heat Pumps Explained - Which?

This efficient, clean and environmentally-friendly method of heating your home is virtually silent when operating, and can save you up to £1,330-£1,410 per year compared to electric heaters or gas boilers.

Another incentive to jump on board with this method is that the UK Government are offering grants of £5,000 towards the installation costs! Heating homes with air source heat pumps looks to be the way forward.

wind energy

Many people believe that wind turbines are only used to produce energy on an industrial scale. However, it is possible to have them installed either close to your property as a free-standing pole, or be placed on to your house directly. Electricity is generated by the wind turning the blades, which in turn creates power.

Installing a wind turbine to help power your property is a great way to save on energy bills. For example, it is estimated that a 6kW pole-mounted turbine could save you more than £340 a year on electricity bills, as well as earning you roughly £235 yearly in Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments - learn more about this here: Smart Export Guarantee (SEG): earn money for exporting the renewable electricity you have generated - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The renewable energy generated from a domestic wind turbine could save around 2.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year - hugely reducing your personal carbon footprint.

However, the typical cost of a turbine as described above is between £23,000-£34,000, and this source of renewable energy won’t be cost-effective for every home. It is recommended that the area of installation regularly reaches a wind speed of us to 6 metres per second - which isn’t common in most areas of the UK. If present nearby, obstructions such as other buildings, trees, hills and roof-mounted turbines will reduce the amount of wind passing by your property, thereby reducing cost-efficiency of opting to use wind power as renewable energy. Generally, only properties in remote, windy settings with few surrounding obstructions find that the benefits of installing a residential wind turbine outweighs the costs.

Getting a Smart Meter

If you aren’t in the financial position to invest in renewable energy options for your property, simply obtaining a smart meter can help you reduce your carbon footprint, whilst saving a considerable amount of money on bills. Smart meters track your home energy usage, meaning you won’t need to take manual meter readings anymore, and you’ll receive accurate energy bills. They allow you to track exactly how much energy you are using, which appliances are using the most energy, and which are more energy efficient. Therefore, you will be encouraged to alter your habits according to these insights, decreasing any unnecessary energy usage which you may have been completely unaware of. Furthermore, energy providers often offer deals and discounts for homes with a smart metre - so it’s a win-win really!