"I am not surprised to learn people want to know how their home would rate on the energy efficiency scale. This reinforces what we already know from our Green Barometer report: 60% of people want tailored advice on energy saving. What does surprise me is how many householders admit to being unaware about the Energy Performance Certificate. Clearly we need to inform people about energy efficiency, because once they are on-board they’re interested and will change their behaviour."

Philip Sellwood, chief executive of The Energy Saving Trust

Homes in the UK account for almost one third of all greenhouse gas emissions, this can be reduced by insulating our homes better or fitting more efficient heating systems, but it could be cut even further by using renewable forms of energy production.

Solar water heating
The average UK household uses about 70% of it’s energy for space and water heating.  A solar water heating system can produce between 40% & 60% of your domestic hot water needs throughout the year, and therefore produce significant financial savings.  CO₂ emissions can be reduced by about 350-400kg a year with a typical system.

Solar electricity
Photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into electricity. A 1kilowatt system, which will produce about 750kWh of electricity per year, would require around 10m² of panels fitting on your roof. Any excess electricity produced can be exported back to the national grid. No CO₂ produced.

Wind power
The UK is the windiest country in Europe yet we only produce about 0.5% of our electricity through wind turbines.  Small scale wind turbines are available to provide electricity to domestic dwellings; these can be roof or mast mounted.   Turbines designed for domestic use range from about 1-6 kilowatts.  Excess or unused electricity may be able to be sold to the local electricity supplier.  No CO₂ produced.

Ground source heat pumps
A ground source heat pump is basically a coiled tube filled with water and anti-freeze which is buried in the ground.  As the liquid is pumped through the tube it absorbs latent heat from the ground.  The heat can be used to heat your home, and to pre-heat domestic hot water.    Depending on the type of boiler and fuel being replaced, a ground source heat pump can save as much as 8 tonnes of CO₂ a year.

Biomass
Biomass fuels are organic matter;  plants or fast growing timber, produced specifically to produce heat and power. They can be used either in freestanding heaters or for central heating boilers.  Biomass boilers can achieve significant financial savings, and may reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 8 tonnes a year.

Hydro power
For a property to be suitable to have a micro hydro power system installed it would need to be close to a source of running water; but due to technological advances, even a stream can produce electricity efficiently and reliably.  Both costs and savings produced are site specific. Excess electric can be sold on to the local electricity supplier.

Grants are available for some renewable energy improvements, for more information visit the Energy Saving Trust website.

No cost and low cost energy saving tips

• Don’t set your heating thermostat any higher than 21°C (this is the temperature suggested for your main living room), and turning the thermostat down by 1°C could save 10% from your heating bills
  
  
• If you have a hot water cylinder that is not already insulated, fit a new cylinder jacket (around £15 from DIY stores), and if it has a thermostat fitted set it to 60°C
  
  
• Turn off lights when they are not in use, and when they need replacing do so with low energy light bulbs - they use around 70% less electricity and last 10-15 times longer than ordinary light bulbs
  
  
• Don’t leave electrical appliances (TV’s, videos etc) on standby
  
  
• Don’t overfill the kettle, only put in the amount of water that you need (but make sure that the element is completely immersed)
  
  
• Putting lids on pans can give a 25% energy saving, and using a pressure cooker can save 30%
  
  
• Washing at 40°C can use up to 33% less electricity, and if you are unable to do a full wash use an economy cycle
  
  
• Close curtains to cut down heat losses through windows and around doors