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green homes |
How
eco-friendly is your home? 27% of the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions comes
from the home so this is a sector that clearly needs to be addressed and instead
of relying on the government to take the lead we as homeowners need to take some
initiative and make a few small changes ourselves to ensure that the UK reaches
its emissions reduction target and sets a good example for the rest of the world
to follow. At the moment we are greatly lagging behind the Scandinavian and
Germanic countries so we need to act now.
Within our
homes there are several key sectors that contribute most to our carbon
footprints. These are heating, electronic appliances and waste. Heating accounts
for around 60% of the carbon emissions from the home. This is due to inefficient
boilers and poor insulation. If everyone in the UK switched to an
energy-efficient condensing boiler with a full set of heating controls, we would
save enough energy to heat almost two million homes for a year and save almost
seven million tonnes of CO2.
If you are
still using an old boiler it is about time you upgraded, but make sure you
choose an energy provider that is doing its bit to help the environment too, so
your good measures are complimented by its green initiatives. British Gas for
example is offering money off new energy-efficient boilers and it will invest
£750 million in sustainable energy and £1.5 billion in wind farms over the next
five years and under their recent energy efficiency commitment, it invested over
£96 million on subsidising products such as cavity and loft insulation for
around 2.5 million homes. Take a look at the British Gas website for more
information on the greenest
gas supplier in the country.
Electrical
products are very wasteful, particularly when left on standby – over £910
million is wasted in the UK just because we leave things on standby. By
switching to energy efficient versions you will not only save money as they
require less power but less greenhouse gases will be emitted when they are
turned on. For example, if everyone in the UK upgraded their fridges and
freezers to energy efficient products we would cut our energy usage, saving over
£700 million and the equivalent CO2 emissions of nearly half a million homes.
Up to 60% of
the rubbish that ends up in the dustbin could be recycled. Recycling can make a
big difference. Not only does it reduce the amount of waste put into landfill
giving off harmful gases such as methane, if recycled correctly, it can be
turned back into energy. One recycling tin can will save enough energy to power
a TV for three hours! By making small changes to your lifestyle and appliances
you can have a bit impact on climate change.
TIPS for a GREEN HOME
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