ECO L I V ING
Five tips for a Greener Home
LOCAL EXPERTS SHARE KEY ADVICE TO MAKE YOUR HOME MORE ECO-FRIENDLY
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EASY DOES IT There are many simple ways to a greener home – from switching off lights and appliances at the wall, to
‘Heat the human, not the home’. It encourages cutting back on heating, wrapping up in warm clothes and cosying up with a hot-water bottle or electric blanket. “My wife gave me a Beurer heated back rest for Christmas, which is brilliant,” says Tom. “It dramatically improves my snugness and only consumes 20W of electricity – much less than would be needed to heat the room.”
investing in thermally lined curtains to block out the cold. Local energy expert and Cambridge Carbon Footprint trustee, Tom Bragg, reiterates the advice of Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis, who recently released a guide called
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THROUGH THE ROOF Another green tip to cap bills and wasteful energy consumption is to get your loft insulation topped up. “For a normal loft with insulation on the floor, you need at least 300mm thickness of fibreglass or rock wool, with a vapour barrier underneath,” advises Tom. “Make sure that the space above the insulation is ventilated, and avoid blocking this where the roof meets the walls. If you need more storage, consider loft stilts, which fit on the joists and hold a raised floor above the insulation.”
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DRAUGHTPROOF It’s also important that you seal any draughts around the house, to avoid the potential loss
of around 25% of your home’s heating. Open, unused chimneys are a principal culprit, so it’s worth blocking them loosely with a bin bag full of scrunched up paper. Gaps between skirting boards and the floor can be closed with a sealant such as Draughtex, while draughts around door and window frames can be easily sealed using adhesive or screw-on strips from your local DIY store – just be careful not to cover any vents, unless you’re sure they’re not needed for ventilation. to maintain. They do not produce toxic flue gases and are usually 100% efficient, meaning that no heat is lost to the surroundings through waste products. Local home services provider Gas-elec offers a range of eco-friendly electric boilers in partnership with the Electric Heating Company, which integrate seamlessly into existing wet radiator systems, helping you reduce your home’s carbon footprint.
SOLAR POWER Generating your own energy is a direct solution. electricity prices,” says Ben Robinson, director of Cambridge Solar. “With the Ukraine war encouraging energy independence, there’s been an increase in interest for solar power and battery storage.” 3 “We’ve seen increased awareness of climate change due to COP26 and the ‘Greta effect’, combined with escalating
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ELECTRIC IMPACT Finally, with over 30% of all carbon emissions coming from home heating, another high-impact improvement
you can make is to switch your gas boiler for an electric one. Electric boilers are safer than gas alternatives, removing the risk of gas leaks or carbon monoxide poisoning; they’re also cheaper to instal and easier
DODGING THE DRAUGHT Thermal imaging cameras can demonstrate where you are losing precious heat
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK MAY 2022 65
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