How to make your home more eco-friendly by switching to renewable energy.
In 2020, over 42% of the UK's grid electricity came from renewable energy, overtaking fossil fuels for the first time. At home, you can install electricity generating technologies to get even more of your electricity from renewable sources.
As well as helping the environment, making the switch to renewable energy can save you money on your energy bills. For example, by installing solar panels and switching to solar energy you can save up to £270 on your electricity bills annually.
There are many different technologies available now so we have laid out some of the best options along with their benefits:
Air Source Heat Pumps
A heat pump extracts heat energy from the outside air to an indoor space, even when it is cold outside. It works via the wet central heating system to heat radiators and provide hot water in your home. They can also work as a cooling system in the summer months.
A well-designed heat pump system transfers around three to four times more energy into a property as heat than uses to extract it. As a result, heat pumps are incredicbly efficient and have the potential to significantly lower fuel bills, particularly in properties without access to mains gas.
Benefits
It could lower your fuel bills
It could provide you with income through the UK Government's Renewable Heat Incentive
It could lower home carbon emissions
It can heat your home as well as your water
It can be easier to install than a ground source heat pump
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Ground source heat pumps use pipes that are buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground into your home. This heat can then be used to heat radiators, underfloor heating or warm air heating systems and hot water in your home.
Benefits
It could lower your fuel bills
It could provide you with income through the UK Government's Renewable Heat Incentive
It could lower home carbon emissions
It can heat your home as well as your water
There is minimal maintenance required
Unlike gas and oil boilers, heat pumps deliver heat at lower temperatures over much longer periods
Often they are more difficult to install than air source heat pumps, but ground source heat pumps are often more energy efficient
Solar Water Heating
Solar water heating systems, use free heat from the sun to warm water. A conventional boiler or immersion heater can be used to make the water hotter, or to provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable.
Benefits
Hot water throughout the year
Reduced energy bills
Lower carbon footprint
Biomass Heating
Biomass is a renewable energy source, generated from burning wood, plants and other organic matter, such as manure or household waste. It releases carbon dioxide when burned, but considerably less than fossil fuels.
Biomass heating systems burn wood pellets, chips or logs to provide warmth in a single room or to power central heating and hot water boilers.
A stove burns logs or pellets to heat a single room – and may be fitted with a back boiler to provide water heating as well. A boiler burns logs, pellets or chips, and is connected to a central heating and hot water system. A wood-fuelled biomass boiler could save you more than £800 a year compared to an old electric heating system.
Benefits
Affordable heating fuel
It could provide you income through the UK Government's Renewable Heat Incentive
Low carbon option when you source locally
Other ways to make your home more eco-friendly:
1. Invest in energy efficient light bulbs
2. Insulate your home properly
3. Install underfloor heating
4. Keep your house repairs local
5. Double glaze your windows
6. Service your boiler regularly
It is not unknown that global warming is on the rise so anything we can do to help reduce our carbon footprint and help save the environment will help sustain our planet for future generations.
If you would like with anything mentioned above please don't hesitate to contact us.
