Learn about improving the energy efficiency of your property
Home insulation
Improving your home insulation can help reduce your carbon footprint.
Better insulation means that less heat escapes from your home, so less energy is needed to heat your home. Improved insulation will help reduce your annual heating costs. If you're heating your home through a source that gives off greenhouse gases - such as oil, gas, or solid fuel - then this is a good first step, to reduce the amount of fuel needed to heat your home.
Types of insulation such as loft and cavity wall insulation can reduce your heating related emissions by up to 20%. Insulation also has a relatively small payback period (often up to five years). Other insulation methods include:
- installing double or triple glazing
- draught proofing your home
Further information can also be found on the GOV.UK website.
Simple tips to reduce your energy consumption
- Install LED light bulbs (LEDs use 75% less energy than incandescent lighting and lasts much longer).
- Turn off lights when leaving a room.
- Unplug devices when not in use.
- Keep the thermostat at a slightly lower temperature.
- Consider glazing options.
- Use a smart meter to track your energy usage.
- Consider purchasing more energy efficient appliances, when yours need replacing.
- Wash clothes at a lower temperature.
Simple tips to tackle home emissions
Switch to renewable energy
Green electricity tariffs are available from the majority of the UK's major energy companies and switching to renewables will not only help save the planet, but depending on where you live, it may also help you save money.
Individual consumption
Whether you own your own home or live as a tenant, you can reduce your carbon footprint by practising the 5 R’s of sustainability and waste management: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle.
Home location and public transport
The location of the house you're renting is another way to reduce your carbon footprint. If you're still looking for a place to live or will be moving soon, consider how close your apartment or house is to public transportation. Another factor to consider is the proximity of your home to local businesses such as grocery stores and services that you use frequently, so that you can avoid driving and instead walk or cycle there.
Furthermore, public transportation is not only convenient for those of us who do not own cars, but it is less expensive than parking and is a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation.
Home technology
What we put in our homes has an impact on the environment, from televisions to light bulbs to showerheads. For example, even if TVs aren't turned on, they can consume energy if they're left plugged into a standard outlet, or if a thermostat is used without being monitored.
Having indoor plants or growing your own windowsill food plants, installing reflectors behind your radiators, and repainting the walls with an insulating paint additive (if permitted) to keep rooms warmer may help you save even more money and energy.