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Funds
are available for making your home energy consumption cheaper and
greener include links to the following websites that provide further
information on various schemes:
Magic Shower, Boiler and Wall – Energy efficient Showers, Boilers
and Wall Insulation are available at discounted prices for all
residents. Contact the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800
512012.
Warm Front Grants – Warm Front Grants of up to £4000 are
available for free home insulation and heating improvements to those
in receipt of benefits. If you own your own home or rent it from a
private landlord, you may be eligible for a grant under the Warm
Front Scheme.
www.warmfront.co.uk
The DTI Low Carbon Buildings Programme – This initiative provides
support to install solar hot water systems in residential
properties, including Solar photovoltaics, Wind turbines, Small
hydro, Solar thermal hot water Ground source heat pumps and more.
For further information see:
DTI
Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Switch to a Green Electricity Tariff that provides electricity from
renewable sources such as wind or hydro. Many companies even offer
green electricity at no extra cost. See
UK Power.
Measure your C02 emissions - See
Carbon
Calculator.
How green is your lifestyle ? - See
Greenscore.
More Energy saving tips: Energy
Saving Trust - energy efficiency & conservation.
Energy
Saving Tips - Other Home Improvements To Save Energy
The
following advice may cost the homeowner money, however, the payback
offered over time will outweigh the small investment required.
Consider the following improvements which will increase your
performance rating and energy saving, in some cases, significantly:
-
Fit
a new condensing gas boiler as part of your central heating and
hot water system. A domestic condensing gas boiler is much more
efficient than conventional boilers (Average 90% efficiency)
using this type of boiler can improve your SAP rating by up to
15 points! A conventional gas boiler's efficiency can be as low
as 70%, an older back boiler system is the least efficient.
-
Fit
thermostatic radiator valves (TRV's) to all central heating
radiators. These improve heating efficiency and prevents the
main gas boiler "cycling" when there is no demand for
heat.
-
Fit
a room thermostat if you do not have one, and a programmer for
hot water/room heating. This will also improve your energy
rating.
-
Fit
energy saving light bulbs (cfl's) in your light fittings around
the house. These light fittings are more efficient and they last
longer than conventional light bulbs.
Consider
fitting double glazed windows to your property, single glazed
windows suffer from higher heat loss than UPVC double glazed units.
Fit
draught excluders to external doors of the house, they reduce
draughts and subsequent heat loss.
Loft
Insulation - If no loft insulation is fitted consider installing at
least 150mm of insulation in the loftspace. If existing loft
insulation is less than this consider "topping up" to this
level. Again, these measures will reduce heat loss.
Hot
water cylinder, make sure there is an insulated jacket around the
hot water cylinder, in addition a cylinder thermostat should be
fitted to regulate the hot water temperature, fitting a thermostat
will also save money on your utility bills.
If your
home was built as cavity wall construction, check that the cavity
has been filled with insulation, if not seek advice from contractors
who specialise in cavity wall insulation. Houses with cavity wall
insulation have better energy ratings than houses built of solid
brick or stone.
By
adopting some, or all of the above energy saving tips, homeowners
can save on gas and electric bills, and reduce carbon emissions,
therefore lowering the environmental impact, and thus the rating for
environmental rating on the epc (energy performance certificate)
will be increased.
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Renewable
Energy Options and Ratings
Renewable
sources of energy for domestic use are more expensive to install,
and have a longer "payback" time before the purchaser sees
a realistic return in investment.
Any form of sustainable energy management will bring a significant
increase in the "SAP" or energy efficiency rating for your
home or business.
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For domestic applications there
are 2 main options:
Each of
these types of renewable energy sources have
advantages/disadvantages, the one common disadvantage is the cost.
Neither of these options are cheap to install, although the running
costs are minimal. There is further information available on this
subject on the following pages:
Alternative
energy can bring significant savings, but some methods have a longer
payback period, consider the costs and consult a professional
advisor before making your decision. It
is almost certain that in the future the price of energy to heat
& cool our homes will increase, installation of
"green" energy sources can save you money and local
authorities can provide a grant to assist the homeowner for some
types of installation. Refer
to your local authority website to find out what funding is
available to finance renewable energy schemes. The
renewable energy centre provides a wealth of information for
sustainable energy projects with advice and guidance on the
following: Home Energy Saving, Solar Heating, Power from the Sun (Photovoltaics), Cavity Wall Insulation Suppliers,
Loft and Roof Insulation Suppliers, Floor Insulation Companies, Draught Proofing,
Low Energy Lighting, Double Glazing, Thermal Glass and Glass Coatings and Sunpipes,
Underfloor Heating Contractors, Environmental Building Design and Products,
Solar Heating, Introduction to Solar Water Heating, Solar Heating Contractors,
Solar Heating Panel Suppliers, Solar Compatible Boilers and Heating Systems,
Solar Heating Contractors Commercial, Power from the Sun (Photovoltaics),
PV Panel Manufacturers and Suppliers, Mobile and Off Grid PV Applications,
PV Powered Transport, Ground and Air Source Heating, Ground and Air Source Heating System Suppliers,
Wind Power, Small Scale Wind Turbine Suppliers, Large Scale Wind Turbine Suppliers,
Wind Farm Owners and Operators
Wind Farm Designers and Consultants, Offshore Wind Farm Operators, Wind Power Organisations and Publications,
Hydroelectric Power, Small Scale Hydroelectric System Suppliers, Large Scale Hydroelectric System Suppliers,
Large Scale Hydroelectric Scheme Operators, Rainwater Harvesting, Rainwater Harvesting Equipment Suppliers,
Waste Water Recycling and Sewage Treatment, Waste Water Recycling System Suppliers,
Composting Toilet Suppliers, Reed Bed Sewage Treatment System Suppliers,
Biomass and Biofuel, Wood Burning Stoves and Boilers, Woodchip Log and Pellet Suppliers,
Biodiesel and Bioethanol Fuel Producers, Biodiesel and Bioethanol Fuel Suppliers,
Biogas Producers and Energy from Waste, Biomass and Biofuels Organisations,
Wave and Tidal Power, Combined Heat and Power (CHP), CHP Equipment Suppliers
Trade Associations, Government Departments and Initiatives, Energy Efficiency Advice Centres EEACs
, Grants, Grant Information & Funding Sources, Ecological Organisations,
Self Help and Community Groups, Lobbyists and Pressure Groups, Educational Resources,
School & University Information, Events, Conferences & Exhibitions UK/Worldwide
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