We’re all being encouraged to lead greener lifestyles, but it isn’t always that easy to do. Domestically, most of our energy use and consequent carbon emissions comes from heating. Turning up the thermostat by just one degree can emit more than 300 kilogrammes of extra CO2 into the atmosphere. Whether you are living in the same property as you have for a long time or recently moved to a new property after using an Estate Agents Gloucester such as the one you can find at www.tgres.co.uk there is always a way to become greener in your day to day living.
But what can you do to reduce this and heat your home in a cleaner and greener way?
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New for old
Part of the cost of your heating is dependent on your boiler. Older models
tend to be less efficient and therefore use a lot more fuel than newer ones.
Updating your system with a modern condensing boiler that reclaims heat that would otherwise be
wasted therefore can make a big difference.
Even if you have a modern boiler, you can still improve things with better
controls. The latest smart thermostats, for example, allow you to control the
heating remotely and can also ‘learn’ your preferences and habits in order to
keep the house comfortable in an economical way.
Switching your radiators can also make a difference as they transmit heat more
effectively than older iron or steel models. Making sure that your home is
properly insulated ensures that it retains heat more effectively and thus you
spend less on heating.
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Alternative technologies
If you want to make serious investment in going green, there are lots of
alternatives you can look at. Things like ground source heat pumps, for
example, are expensive to install but can drastically cut the cost of heating
your home.
Using solar power to pre-heat water can also cut the amount of gas or oil you
burn to provide hot water to your taps. This is not to be confused with solar
electricity generation although there are systems available that will do both.
There are also some alternative fuel sources you can look at. Eco coals are
now available that are smokeless and use up to 50 percent recyclable material.
Wood burners were popular a few years ago but there were always doubts over
their eco credentials. However, the newest models produce only a fraction of
the emissions of older units. The latest wood pellet boilers are very
efficient and you may also be able to get a cash return via government
renewable heat schemes.
