Domestic heating (including hot water and cooking) accounts for around 13-14% of UK carbon emissions, with UK homes being some of the least energy efficient in Europe. The current energy crisis is exposing this issue and many of the measures below will help you save money as well as carbon.
What can you do?
The best solution(s) for you will depend on your circumstances, but generally full into two buckets:
There are a number of low cost measures that can make a significant difference:
What can you do?
The best solution(s) for you will depend on your circumstances, but generally full into two buckets:
- Reduce energy demand: helping to lower overall energy demand makes getting to Net Zero easier as less supply is needed (meaning fewer fossil fuels have to be burnt)
- Switch to low carbon options
There are a number of low cost measures that can make a significant difference:
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Draught proofing: one of the cheapest and most effective ways to save energy and money in any type of building.
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Low energy lighting: energy efficient lighting helps lower electricity bills and emissions, without reducing the quality of light in your home.
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Heating controls: help manage when the heating should be on and what temperature your rooms should be (e.g. room thermostats, thermostatic radiator valves and smart meters)
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There are a number of other low carbon measures available to improve the efficiency of your home and reduce your footprint. These will generally incur some upfront cost, however should reduce your monthly energy bills and often pay for themselves in the long run.
Insulation
The diagram below shows how heat is typically lost in UK homes:
Insulation
The diagram below shows how heat is typically lost in UK homes:
Which type of insulation is most cost-effective will depend on your home:
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Doors/Window Insulation: upgrading to double/triple glazing, installing secondary glazing or ensuring external doors are properly insulated.
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Wall Insulation: whether you have solid walls (internal/external) or cavity.
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Other Insulation: (e.g.) hot water cylinder and pipe insulation
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Microgeneration
Microgeneration is small-scale generation of heat and electric power by individuals, small businesses and communities to meet their own needs, as alternatives or supplements to traditional centralised grid-connected power. Using microgeneration reduces energy demand from the grid and therefore the amount of fossil fuels that need to be burnt.
Electric power
The most common technologies are:
Microgeneration is small-scale generation of heat and electric power by individuals, small businesses and communities to meet their own needs, as alternatives or supplements to traditional centralised grid-connected power. Using microgeneration reduces energy demand from the grid and therefore the amount of fossil fuels that need to be burnt.
Electric power
The most common technologies are:
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Solar photo-voltaic (PV): generates electricity using energy from the sun. These can be expensive to install, but a properly installed PV system generally requires very little maintenance.
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Hydro-electric: these turn the energy of moving water into electricity, using a turbine (even a fairly small stream can generate a useful amount of power).
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Wind turbines: the wind turns a generator unit, which produces electricity.
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You may also come across more efficient fossil fuel based systems like micro combined heat and power (“Micro CHP”). Given the limited carbon budget for 1.5 degrees (the target all countries have agreed on to limit warming) we are generally not in support of “halfway house” measures (i.e. measures that still rely on fossil fuels), particularly when viable “zero carbon” alternatives exist.
Low carbon heating
This refers to sources of heat in our home, the best low carbon options are:
Low carbon heating
This refers to sources of heat in our home, the best low carbon options are:
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Heat pumps: Ground and air source heat pumps are incredibly energy efficient and will always reduce carbon emissions compared to gas or electric heaters. However, they are more expensive currently.
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Solar Water Heating: similar to solar panels but used to heat water rather than generate electricity.
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Biomass Boilers: generated from burning wood, plants and other organic matter, such as manure or household waste. The carbon emitted from burning is negated by the carbon absorbed over the months and years that the plant was growing. The process is sustainable as long as new plants continue to grow in place of those used for fuel. There are some carbon emissions caused by the cultivation, manufacture and transportation of the fuel, but as long as the fuel is sourced locally, these are much lower than the emissions from fossil fuels. More info on how this works can be found here.
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More efficient boilers: gas boilers are never going to be the long term solution as we will need to move away from fossil fuels. However, if there are no other viable options a more efficient boiler system may be the best option for you.
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The Energy Saving Trust provides a useful summary here to help explore your options.
If these seem unaffordable then grants and financial support could be available. You can use the Simple Energy Advice or Ofgem websites to discover if any of the schemes apply to you.
More efficient appliances
Due to the carbon footprint of creating new products it may not be worth replacing something purely to get a more efficient device (this it will depend on the emissions created in making the product relative to emission savings over time). However, if you are looking to replace household goods (washing machines, ovens, fridges, kettles etc) getting a more efficient model will save carbon (and often money) in the long run.
Behavioural change
Small lifestyle changes and sustainable habits can make a significant difference when done by enough of us (whilst often saving you money at the same time).
If these seem unaffordable then grants and financial support could be available. You can use the Simple Energy Advice or Ofgem websites to discover if any of the schemes apply to you.
More efficient appliances
Due to the carbon footprint of creating new products it may not be worth replacing something purely to get a more efficient device (this it will depend on the emissions created in making the product relative to emission savings over time). However, if you are looking to replace household goods (washing machines, ovens, fridges, kettles etc) getting a more efficient model will save carbon (and often money) in the long run.
Behavioural change
Small lifestyle changes and sustainable habits can make a significant difference when done by enough of us (whilst often saving you money at the same time).
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Lowering thermostats: even a degree can save around 10% on your energy bill. If everyone in the UK turned their thermostat down by 1 degree, we would reduce energy bills by around £670 million, while saving 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.
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Turn off unused/unnecessary lighting
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Reduce washing machine temperature: reducing from 40 to 30°C saves energy/money whilst still doing the job.
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Reduce standby consumption: devices that are not in use and on standby use up a surprising amount of energy. Switching these off or using a standby saver or smart plug can make a significant difference.
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Get savvy in the kitchen: tips for reducing energy consumption while cooking.
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The Energy Saving Trust lists more here.
Switching energy provider
Switching to a green provider or tariff sends an important signal to the market that there is greater demand for green energy. The right supplier/tariff can also contribute to greater investment in renewables.
Switching energy provider
Switching to a green provider or tariff sends an important signal to the market that there is greater demand for green energy. The right supplier/tariff can also contribute to greater investment in renewables.
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Impact depends on:
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Cost depends on:
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Effort depends on:
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Further resources:
Which - provides a useful summary with further detail on how to insulate your home.
Energy Saving Trust - advice on heating your home, reducing home heat loss, Generating renewable electricity, buying energy efficient products as well as tips to reduce your emissions.
MoneySuperMarket: has a useful guide on home insulation
Money Saving Expert: a useful guide on switching energy providers.
Which - provides a useful summary with further detail on how to insulate your home.
Energy Saving Trust - advice on heating your home, reducing home heat loss, Generating renewable electricity, buying energy efficient products as well as tips to reduce your emissions.
MoneySuperMarket: has a useful guide on home insulation
Money Saving Expert: a useful guide on switching energy providers.