Energy Efficient Home Improvement Scheme Completed in Runcorn

A multi-million pound project, designed to help homes to be more energy efficient, has been completed in houses around Runcorn and Widnes. The scheme means that households have now had energy saving boilers fitted, alongside double glazed windows.

The scheme was worth a total of £85 million, and double glazing means that the former council homes in Runcorn and Widnes will benefit from naturally warmer properties and cheaper energy bills. Double glazing works by trapping heat in with its double layer of glass, and keeping the cold air and draughts out.

Chief executive of the Halton Housing Trust, Nick Atkin, said that the scheme was designed to ‘improve the quality of neighbourhoods in Widnes and Runcorn’ – and that double glazing was the first step.

In total, 30,000 double glazed windows were installed, alongside 729 central heating systems, 2,667 energy efficient boilers and over 5,000 electric upgrades. Just under 4,500 property owners also received insulation.

All of these measures are designed to improve the quality of the homes, keep energy costs down, and reduce the carbon footprint of the properties. The measures will also help work towards energy reduction targets set by the British government.

The work started almost four years ago and has now finished over a year ahead of schedule.

All Council Homes in Gateshead to Have Double Glazing

Councillors in Gateshead have recently made a promise to their residents of ‘draught-free windows for all’ by installing new windows in all council homes.

The programme means that all homes owned by Gateshead council will eventually include double glazing.

Improvements have already been made to over 10,000 properties in the area to help bring them up to the ‘Decent Homes’ standard. This means that 80% of all properties are already enjoying double glazing. For the remaining 20% of properties, double glazing is still planned.

The new windows have proved popular with tenants who have stated that their homes are less draughty. Double glazing also means that the properties will be more secure and naturally warmer. This also means that future maintenance costs will be lowered.

Councillor Angela Armstrong said that ‘this is great news for Gateshead’s tenants’. Armstrong added: ‘this is not just about a window’s appearance. Everyone knows about the substantial energy savings that can be derived by fitting double glazed windows’. It is thought that the plans will help to tackle fuel poverty and the carbon footprint of Gateshead as a whole.

Chief Executive of the Gateshead Housing Company, Bill Fullen, said ‘this additional work to replace windows is excellent news for our 21,000 customers’.

Those homes that do not yet have double glazed windows will see their windows replaced during the new financial year from 2010-11 and 2011-12. Annual revenue saved on maintenance as a result of this scheme will mean annual savings of £400,000.

Heating, Insulation and Our Carbon Footprint

When it comes to the ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprint in the UK, it helps to understand just what the biggest contributors are and where we should make efforts to cut back.

In the UK, around 40 percent of all emissions are down to the general public, due to the energy we use in our homes (mainly for heating), how we choose to drive, and when we choose to travel by plane.

Compare this to the 4 percent of emissions that come from industrial processes, and the 7 percent of emissions that come from agriculture, and you’ll see that a massive 40% under our control is more than enough for us to make a difference as individuals!

The Energy We Use In Our Homes

Eighty percent of the energy we use in our homes is simply to keep it warm. Simple measures such as turning down the thermostat can make a huge difference to fuel bills and emissions.

However, it’s also important to realise that as much as a quarter of the heat in our homes is lost through our windows. If your windows are old and draughty, the chances are that you are quite literally throwing money out the window.

By taking measures such as installing double glazing, you can reduce this needless waste of heat and make savings on your monthly heating bill. Your home will not only be naturally warmer, it’ll also be more secure and will look great!

Award Given to Bristol Office

An office building that has recently been transformed to become more eco friendly has been awarded as the best green housing scheme in the South West.

The building, located on Mina Road, is made up of three workplaces, six flats and a community room used for activities. A number of energy saving measures were installed including double glazing, a wood pellet boiler and solar panels, meaning that much of the heating and hot water used in the building comes from renewable sources.

The South West Green Energy Awards recognised the work being done to help make the building more sustainable and to reduce carbon emissions. Insulation and double glazing in the windows means that all the heat generated by renewable sources will stay inside the building.

It was decided that the building would be refurbished rather than demolished, which also allowed it to save energy on construction.

One of the residents of the building, Rhian Sherrington, said that ‘the energy efficient materials such as the new double glazing have made a big difference’.

The idea came from volunteers of the Ashley Vale Action Group (AVAG), whose director, Jackson Moulding, said that they were delighted to have won the award.

The awards ceremony took place in Bath, where the award was presented by David Dimbleby. Moulding stated that ‘we have managed to bring this building back to life… all buildings in the future should be like this’.

New Energy Campaign In Village

The village of Hethersett is ramping up its campaign to become a more energy efficient area by taking part in a green communities programme.

A meeting was held between the Energy Saving Trust and the Hethersett Environmental Action Team (HEAT) to set rules and action plans for saving energy in the local area.

HEAT successfully managed to gain support from the Energy Savings Trust and is now the third area in Norfolk to sign up to the green communities programme, with Upcher (Sheringham) and Bunwell also signed up.

Chair of the meeting, Gary Wyatt, stated that they will ‘develop a programme to help Hethersett become more energy efficient’.

HEAT has been active in the village for more than 10 years so far, undertaking activities such as planting bulbs, picking up litter and other environmental work. Wyatt added that they are now looking to expand their activities towards recycling and working on energy efficiency.

There have also been a number of suggestions to save energy in the area, including by turning off streets lights in the night, and educating the locals on using cars less for short trips into the village.

Norfolk County manager of the Energy Saving Trust has added that they will be developing action plans to help locals reduce their carbon emissions. This will include making changes to the home, such as installing double glazing, replacing inefficient boilers, insulating walls and more.

Will Gas Use Be Taxed in the Future?

The government has recently announced proposals that could mean households will pay tax depending on how much gas they use.

The government, supported by the Green Fiscal Commission, stated that this would provide an important boost for low-carbon jobs in the UK, creating almost half a million of them, and could help to reduce emissions by as much as 30 percent in the next decade.

It is also believed that a tax shift could help the UK to meet its carbon emission reductions targets as a whole.

The announcement comes after the Green Fiscal Commission carried out a poll stating that the people are generally behind these plans.

Director of the Green Fiscal Commission, Paul Ekins, stated that ‘it is possible to substantially reduce emissions and create jobs’.

However, this would also mean that those struggling to pay bills as it is would be forced to take on extra measures to reduce consumption of gas. This part of the proposals has attracted some controversy, including Rebecca Atkinson, the news editor at Moneywise, saying it was ‘a bit steep to expect the public to bear the financial burden of climate change in this way’.

Many household bills rose last year, and there have only been very small drops in price since. To help with costs, Atkinson stated that there should be more education into how people can reduce the energy they use.

Double glazing is one way of ensuring that your home loses less energy in the long-term, making it naturally warmer by dramatically cutting the heat lost through the windows.

Home Improvements Planned to Make Chester Estate More Energy Efficient

As many as 800 homes owned by the Chester and District Housing Trust (CDHT) in Blacon are to be made more energy efficient through a number of measures.

Work will include external cladding, double glazing in the windows, loft and wall insulation and new boilers.

Potential properties will be surveyed by energy experts, and these are to include a number of terraced properties, high-rise flats, semi-detached properties and more.

During this time, residents of the properties will also be provided with advice on reducing energy consumption in their homes, through Green Home Assessments.

British Gas has partnered with the CDHT to provide the £70 million required for these energy efficient improvements.

The Chester project is part of the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) which is putting £350 million into adding energy efficient measures to properties over the next three years. In total, British Gas will be spending £70 million on 10 projects around the UK. All of these will include the fitting of double glazing, which can dramatically reduce heat lost through windows.

Assistant director for CHT asset management and development, Dave Soothill, stated that this is ‘brilliant news’ for their customers – and ‘will make a real difference to many residents who live in fuel poverty’.

MP for Chester, Christine Russel, said that she is ‘delighted that Blacon has been chosen’, due to the large problem of fuel poverty in the area.

Green Properties Could Save on Home Insurance Bills

It has been suggested that homeowners who choose to make positive eco-friendly changes to their properties could end up not only saving money on their energy bills, but also on home insurance costs.

Climate change committee chairman Lord Adair Turner has recently been urging people to look at their whole homes to make all the necessary changes to make the biggest savings and make their homes more energy efficient.

However, founder of whatgreenhome.com, Gordon Miller, reminded us that ‘Most people in the UK haven’t even done the basics yet’.

The good news is that, by installing measures such as double glazing, your home insurance premiums could also become a lot cheaper. This is because double glazed windows and doors use technology making them notoriously difficult to break into. As a result, your home will be more secure than it has been in the past.

As well as saving on bills, it’s also important to choose energy efficient windows to ensure that your home will be ready to make government targets to help make homes more energy efficient in the coming years.

By making changes to the structure of your home, the amount of heat lost can be dropped dramatically, and you will find your home naturally warmer. This is especially helpful as energy bills are set to continue rising.

West Midlands Affordable Housing Campaign Receives a Blow

The campaign in the West Midlands to build affordable council-run homes has suffered a huge blow in the form of £20 million.

Allocation has been cut from a total of £74 million to just £54 million next year. The Regional Housing Executive (RHE) is responsible for the upgrade of homes in the area, and was told that the government is reducing its allocation.

Birmingham is losing around £14 million. This cash had been planned to be spent on modernizing private sector and council properties, by installing double glazing and central heating to help homes be more energy efficient and to save residents on running costs.

The chairman of the Regional Housing Executive, John Lines, is writing to the government to try and secure a much better deal for the housing authorities in the region.

Lines is also the housing chief of Birmingham City Council, and stated that ‘this is a serious matter’ for the people living in the area, as well as many local authorities around the region, who will all suffer due to the cuts.

Lines is working on gathering local authorities together to demand action from the government, to help them in their plans to deliver affordable homes to local people.

The Top Five Ways to Slash Your Energy Bills

Recent research has shown that around a third of all the money we spend on heating our homes is wasted as heat is lost through a lack of energy efficiency in our homes, windows, walls and more. This is why it’s so crucial to follow these steps if you want to save money:

1. Insulate: Insulating your home is the best way to cut down on both energy costs and the carbon footprint of your home. The Energy Saving Trust has stated that cavity wall insulation could save you £120 per year, if your home was built before 1983, that loft insulation could save around £155 a year, and double glazing could save around £135 a year.

2. Boiler: Checking your boiler to make sure it’s as energy efficient as possible is extremely important if it’s older than 10 years old. You could save around £250 a year by upgrading.

3. Thermostat: You’ve probably heard that turning your thermostat down by just one degree can make a huge difference, and it’s true. You can save around 10% of your current heating bill and won’t really notice any difference in heat.

4. Energy Usage: Make sure you don’t leave appliances on standby, try to wash your clothes at lower temperatures, use A rated appliances and more – all help save money and really add up.

5. Light bulbs: Lastly, changing all of the light bulbs in your home won’t cost much, but can save around £7 each year per light bulb – the savings will really add up over time!