Home Efficiency
One of the largest sources of green house gases (or the 'carbon footprint) is the home. Around 10% of the total energy used in the UK is in our homes, and so even a small reduction will have a big impact on our overall production of pollution.
There are ambitious targets to reduce our home energy cunsumption by 40% by 2020 and 75% by 2050. These sound like pretty hard environmental targets to meet, however with energy efficiency and improved renewable source technology it may well be possible.
The biggest source of energy use in the home is 'space heating' i.e your central heating. This accounts for over 50% of all energy used. Switching to more efficient boilers or even new technologies such as Solar Heating will greatly assist in improving the overall home energy efficiency.
| category1 | category2 | Average Price | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insulation | £823 | item/job |
Please feel free to browse some of our most recent articles on improving your home efficiency.
| Maintitle | About the article | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Identifying Asbestos Material | How do you know if you have asbestos in your property?... | 2008-04-19 |
| LED Technology | LED light bulbs generate only trace amounts of heat, resulting in nearly all of the electrical energy consumed being used toward creating the light itself.... | 2008-04-07 |
| Energy Efficiency | Ways of reducing what you have to pay for electricity usage in your home, including changing to energy-saving light bulbs and using electrical appliances in a more energy efficient manner.... | 2008-03-12 |
| Saving Energy | Ideas are listed as to how you can save money and energy when heating/cooling your home and using electrical equipment.... | 2008-03-12 |
| Woodstoves | How to save money on your gas or electrical bill by installing a wood-burning stove. Includes information on how long it takes to install and how easy it is to look after your wood-burning kitchen app... | 2008-03-12 |
| Energy Efficient Products | Energy saving ideas for your home, including advice about saving electricity by using light bulbs and purchasing the most energy efficient products.... | 2008-03-12 |
| Utilization of Solar Power | Advice on how to increase your home's energy efficiency by using solar power. As well as helping the global problem of dwindling fuel levels, solar power can help increase the value of your home.... | 2008-02-01 |
| LED Lighting | A description of how light emitting diodes (LEDs) work and how they help you become more energy efficient as well as save on your electricity bills.... | 2008-01-30 |
| Insulating Your Loft | How to lay down loft insulation in your attic and do so in a safe manner with minimal loss of storage space. With advice on building new joists as well as filling in existing joists with insulation ma... | 2008-01-27 |
| Loft Insulation Materials | Advice on the best materials to use to insulate your loft. Materials considered are mineral wool and glass wool (non-renewable resources) and organically derived materials such as sheep's wool.... | 2008-01-27 |
| Cavity Wall Insulation | Describes the advantages of getting wall insulation in your home as well as how it is carried out. Advice is also given on how you can get the job done cheaper with the end results of providing you wi... | 2008-01-27 |
| Buying Energy Efficient Light Bulbs | Advice is provided on the best way to select LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs and how to use them efficiently in your home.... | 2008-01-24 |
| Energy Efficient Windows | Provides advice on changing your windows to help you save money on your energy bills as well as help the environment by being more energy efficient. The article discusses two main types of windows tha... | 2008-01-23 |
| Carbon Savings | Steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint, and save yourself a whole heap of money. All the ideas are very simple, which ones will you start doing?... | 2007-09-10 |
| Washing at 30 Degrees | We are being encouraged to wash our clothes at ever lower temperatures, first it was 40 celsius then 30. It saves energy and money, but are there any disadvantages?... | 2007-07-27 |
| Sunlight and Your Home | When building or remodelling a home it is crucial to deal with sunlight effectively, whether you want to protect the house from it or enhance its effects.... | 2007-07-23 |
| Making Your Fridge More Efficient | Unlike most household appliances, a refrigerator is working hard all the time. So, if you want to save money on your utility bills, you should make sure that your refrigerator is running at top effici... | 2007-07-23 |
| Energy Performance Certificates | Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are a crucial component of the new Home Information Packs (HIPs) being introduced in 2007 across the UK. What information will you be able to get from an EPC?... | 2007-07-16 |
| Old Refrigerators | If you know that a 20-year-old refrigerator uses 40% more electricity than a current model, will you quickly replace it? I guess if you have one, you will be running straight to the nearest store for ... | 2007-05-28 |
| Solar Heating | Hot water straight from the sun may sound too good to be true, but even in the UK a solar hot water system can supply you with over 50% of your hot water needs over the year (the other 50% coming from... | 2007-05-28 |
| Eco-friendly Appliances | For a lot of people, when buying domestic appliances online or in any other kind of shop the price is one or the most important consideration. However the buying price and the running price which is f... | 2007-05-28 |
| Eco-friendly Housing | With huge demand for housing in the UK, the Government has been accused of ignoring the potential environmental damage of extensive home building. So what are the Government$s plans for the future of ... | 2007-05-25 |
| Home Ventilation | The purpose of a home ventilation system is to maintain a healthy living environment by supplying fresh air to your home while at the same time removing stale and polluted air. Home ventilation also h... | 2007-05-20 |
| Utility Money Savings | You would be surprised just how much you can lower your utility bills by taking a few of these simple steps. Here are 20 quick and easy tips: ... | 2007-05-20 |
| Home Solar Power | The beauty of solar power is it is a free source of energy.Going solar is also more attractive now because of laws passed by numerous states.... | 2007-05-20 |
| Cut Utility Bill | Geothermal heating is a fairly old concept that has gained a new life through advances in modern technology and materials. The concept is best explained using a basic example.... | 2007-05-20 |
| Solar Power | You've made the decision to go with solar energy for your energy needs. In going solar, you need to know who is who. Let's take a closer look.... | 2007-05-20 |
| Water Heaters | While money isn't everything, the idea of cutting down the 20% of your monthly energy bills is still quite appealing to most families and homeowners.... | 2007-03-27 |
| Renewable Energy | Of all the energy consumed in the United Kingdom each year, around 34% is used by cars, buses and lorries. Factories, offices and shops use 24%, while 28% is used in people's homes. By far the most en... | 2007-02-04 |
| Environmentally Friendly Guide | You don't have to be a conservationist "freak" to be eco-friendly, and it doesn't have to be complicated to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle. In fact, there are so many different, simple and... | 2007-02-04 |
| Attic Heat Loss | But just what does energy conservation have to do with mould in the attic? Well if you take a step back and consider how the house behaves as system, they are often directly related. ... | 2007-01-23 |
| Environmental Shopping | There is an incredible amount of environmental waste in the consumer market from simple excessive packaging right up to environmental pollutants. ... | 2007-01-23 |
| Energy Saving Tips | This new section is designed to provide a comprehensive list of energy saving tips around the house and home. This list contains many ideas that the public have submitted. ... | 2007-01-20 |
| Solar Energy | Without a doubt, solar energy is the way of the future. Solar energy production is an extremely simple process to understand.... | 2007-01-16 |
| Energy Saving Windows | Windows are one of the great energy-wasters of any house. About 25% of the total heat loss is from traditional double glazed sealed windows.... | 2007-01-16 |
| Energy Efficient Kitchen | Is your kitchen energy efficient? This article is a guide on how to make your kitchen as energy efficient as you can to save you money.... | 2007-01-16 |
| Energy Conservation | In the past week there has been an increasing interest in landscape design for energy conservation. Rising fuel costs can be offset by landscaping.... | 2007-01-16 |
| Energy Efficiency | Rising energy costs affect every homeowner. If you are planning a home improvement project, it's important to look at ways to incorporate energy efficient changes as well as merely cosmetic ones. The ... | 2007-01-16 |
| Energy Saving | If your walls and loft aren't properly insulated you could be paying far to much to heat your home. Likewise if you dont have double glazing your heating bill could be paying to heat the outside. This... | 2007-01-16 |
| Energy Saving Advice | alifornia's current energy crisis has made conserving electricity a hot topic nationwide. No wonder. The energy emergency is not just a California phenomenon. The North American Electric Reliability C... | 2007-01-13 |
| Green Energy | Energy used in the home accounts for 31% of all energy used in the UK. In the average UK home it splits roughly as follows: 60% for space heating, 25% for hot water for washing, and 13% for lighting a... | 2007-01-13 |
| Heating Bills | Imagine leaving a window open all winter long - the heat loss, cold drafts, and wasted energy! Well if your home has a folding attic stair, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, that may be just what i... | 2007-01-10 |
| Alternative Heating | Even if you owned a million dollar townhouse in Boston's Back Bay, there just isn't enough room on a 25' x 100' lot for a townhouse, small deck, a couple of parking spaces AND a closed loop geothermal... | 2006-11-13 |
| Pole Barns | Building a pole barn has become a much easier task today. With tons of available ready-to-use plans and blueprints, a handy homeowner can build not only a pole barn of two or even six horse stalls, bu... | 2006-04-19 |
| Evaporative Air Cooler | If you ask an older relative if they have heard of an evaporative cooler, they may say no. But chances are they would recognize the idea behind the technology.... | 2006-03-29 |
| Insulate your Crawl Space | Crawl space insulation keeps your house warmer in the winter time. Insulating under the kitchen floor helps prevent cold feet in the morning.... | 2006-03-29 |
| Dishwashers and Energy | Dishwashers sometimes come in for some bad press, particularly because it is assumed they waste energy and water. However this is rarely the case ... | 2006-02-17 |
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