Take a tour of our energy saving house and the discover how you can save
energy in your home.
Presenter
Increasing climate change is leading to every more changes in our weather patterns, with severe flooding a looming threat over much of the UK. Sea levels have risen by ten centimetres over the last century and the floods experienced in the summer of 2007 were the result of the heaviest rainfall since records began.
Astonishingly, 27% of the UK’s manmade carbon dioxide emissions, the main cause of climate change, stem from the use of energy around the home. By implementing some simple changes, we can cut back on much of this waste.
Sarah
So this is my gas condensing boiler and they work at about 90% efficiency which, compared to the 60% efficiency of an old boiler, is a huge improvement.
Tamara
So this is your hot water cylinder?
Sarah
Yes. It’s larger than most hot water cylinders and that’s because it takes heat both from the solar panels on the roof and from the gas boiler. It’s a super-insulated tank so as to minimise heat loss from the hot water.
Tamara
And if someone had a standard hot water tank in their home, they could actually fit a hot water jacket to it which would save an amazing £40 a year. At a cost of £10 it pays for itself in months.
Sarah
It’s a very simple technology which is basically like lying a radiator on its side and painting it black to absorb the maximum amount of heat. It can save you 70% of the cost of water heating.
Tamara
So these are your aerated taps?
Sarah
Yes, they work by mixing air with the water so they maintain the same pressure so you get the same effect but you save significant amounts of water. And we’ve also fitted high efficiency lavatories which very significantly reduce the amount of water used in each flush.
Presenter
We all have the power to make a difference. Just a few small changes to the way we consume energy around our home can save money, cut carbon dioxide emissions and help fight climate change.
