Transforming your home into a sustainable and energy efficient environment is easier than you think and offers significant benefits to both the future of our planet and your bank account. By making a few simple changes to how you use electricity, gas and water around your home, you will see impressive reductions in your monthly utility bills.
It’s time to make a change
Of the 27.6 million homes in the UK, 89% have a D energy rating or lower*, meaning we are using unnecessary energy and contributing to the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
On average, we are paying around £530 a year on energy bills* – that’s a whole month’s mortgage or rent payment! Around 9% to 16% of this cost is due to appliances left on ‘standby mode’*.
It may surprise you to know that, on average, every year we’re spending:
- £50 – £86 per household on appliances left in standby mode.
- £205 million more in energy bills due to our increased time in front of the television.
- £80 per household for using a washing machine and dryer.
We need to start thinking differently about how we use energy in and around the home. Through smart thinking and switching to sustainable energy technologies you can reduce the energy consumption of your home, save money and help the planet.
What do we mean by ‘sustainable energy’?
Sustainable energy is made up of three key parts:
- The energy you use is generated through renewable energy sources such as wind, solar or biomass
- The generation of this energy has a low impact on our environment
- You make the conscientious decision to take actions to reduce your energy consumption.
Put simply, sustainable energy is about ensuring our energy consumption does not have negative effects on the planet, securing the longevity of the earth for generations to come.
Green energy
The earth can provide us with some of the most powerful and sustainable energy supplies available. We can harness energy from naturally occurring and self-replenishing phenomena such as the wind, sun, tides, waves, rain and ground heat.
Where you source your energy is only half of the equation – how you use it is just as important. Technological advancements in energy efficient products have boomed in recent years and there are now many ways in which you can make simple changes around your home to help you reduce your energy consumption, lower your bills and, in turn, protect the environment.
Energy efficient technologies
Whether you’re renting an apartment or own your own home, there are a range of technologies you can use that will have a significant impact on your energy use. If you’re a homeowner, there are long term solutions such as installing solar PV or thermal panels to generate your own energy to power or heat your home.
For those renting and looking for short term options, replacing your existing light bulbs with LED bulbs or installing a water hippo in your toilet cistern can result in instant reductions in your energy and water bills.
Want some more ideas? Let’s take a walk around a sustainable home…
Lighting
On average, a UK household spends £77 a year on lighting bills, using over 530kWh to light a home. Replacing your existing halogen or fluorescent light bulbs with LED lamps is one of the quickest and smartest ways to save energy and money. LED bulbs come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, brightness levels, and light colours and offer the same quality of light as traditional bulbs. There is a LED bulb to fit every light fitting in your home.
LED lamps significantly outlast conventional bulbs, with many delivering up to 40,000 hours of use. This can result in a reduction of up to 90% in energy consumption, and a single LED bulb can save you up to £168 over its lifetime.
Insulation
Keeping your home warm in winter and cool in summer is key to a sustainable home. Whether you’re building from scratch or have an old home that needs draught proofing, there are some simple and cost effective insulation solutions available.
In the UK, 24 million homes have a loft, however only 17 million have loft insulation of 125mm or above. This means natural heat is escaping and more energy is required to warm the home. Wall and ceiling insulation can be installed to both new builds and existing houses and will dramatically reduce your heating costs.
A quick solution is checking the seals around your windows and door frames. This is a simple way to keep cold winter draughts out of your home. You can easily seal up any gaps with sealing tape and install a letterbox guard on your front door.
Water
Water is a precious natural resource and it is important that we implement changes to reduce our usage. There are many simple things we can do around the home that can make a big difference. Did you know the average toilet uses nine litres of water with every flush? Installing a hippo water bag in the cistern can save up to three litres of water each time the toilet is flushed.
Your home can also benefit from the high rainfall we get in the UK by installing a rainwater tank in your garden. By connecting it to the run-off from your house’s guttering system, you can collect free water that you can use on your garden or to clean your car.
Heating your home’s hot water system and central heating can incur a large cost and use a lot of energy. Energy efficient solar thermal systems or underground heat pumps can be used to replace existing electric heating systems. These green systems use renewable energy to generate hot water for your bathroom, kitchen and to heat your home.
Monitor your energy use
Learn how energy is being used and produced in your home by installing an energy monitor. You may discover some surprising results! A monitor will reveal which appliances are using excess energy (particularly televisions and computers left in standby mode) and you can learn clever ways of how you can reduce the amount of energy you are using.
An energy monitor provides you with real-time data about your energy consumption and costs, as well as allowing you to turn appliances on and off remotely using you mobile phone. These monitors provide you with complete control of how and when you use energy within your home.
Let’s get sustainable
Transforming your home into a sustainable energy environment can be much easier than you think – the first step can be as simple as changing a light bulb!
At Evergreen Energy we want to help you to make smart decisions about your energy products and supply. Our range of energy efficient products can transform your home as well as help you save on your energy bills.
*Powering the Nation – Energy Saving Trust.
