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Making sure that your loft insulation is at the recommended level of 270mm (10 inches), and cavity walls are insulated (where possible), can reduce your home's heat loss by up to 55 per cent.
As this helps to reduce the heating needs of the property, the size of any renewable energy system needed to heat your home is in turn reduced. Having a good level of domestic energy efficiency is also an essential part of the application for a grant from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme and therefore installing energy efficiency measures is an important part of the Renewable interest-free loan scheme.
There are many grants and discounts available for the installation of cavity wall and loft insulation. Many of these grants are available to all members of the public, (they are not means-tested or age restricted) and offer a substantial discount on energy efficiency measures. Households in receipt of a benefit or allowance may qualify for a 100 per cent grant.
We aim to promote and encourage the uptake of energy efficiency grants and we have included a energy efficiency grant enquiry form on this website. Having a well-insulated property is important to maximizing the benefits of your renewable energy system. We would advise completing and returning the grant enquiry form. This information will then be used to find details of any grants for which you are eligible, and the Energy Officer will be able to assist with your application if necessary.
There are many other low cost and no cost measures that will help you to save energy in your home. For example:
- Installing draught proofing strips or using a draught excluder under doors and behind letterboxes
- Drawing your curtains at dusk (curtains are excellent insulators and drawing them early in the evening can prevent heat loss through windows)
- Reducing the temperature your thermostat by 1 degree centigrade (this can save you up to £30 per year!)
- Replacing ordinary light bulbs with energy saving bulbs (which last up to 12 years and use 20 per cent of the electricity of an ordinary bulb)
- Keeping lids on saucepans when cooking
- Fitting a tank jacket around your hot water tank
Switching to a green electricity supplier or tariff
As your renewable energy system may only supply part of the electricity, heating or hot water that your property needs, it is a good idea to make sure that your additional energy supply is as ‘green’ as possible.
Many of the traditional energy suppliers operate green tariffs, which use a proportion of the cost of your supply to fund renewable energy developments. This may mean that you receive your energy from a renewable source, or may mean that you contribute directly to a fund for the construction of new wind or hydroelectric turbines. For more details either contact your energy supplier directly
Another option is choosing one of the three renewable electricity suppliers currently operating in the UK (see below). These companies only produce electricity via renewable technologies meaning that your home’s carbon dioxide emissions are reduced further. T
he energy suppliers currently operating are Good Energy, Ecotricity and Green Energy. It may also be possible to sell any ‘extra’ electricity that your renewable system generates back to a renewable energy supplier (you will need to contact the suppliers directly for details of their current buy-back schemes).
Good Energy
Good Energy
Freepost (NAT4921)
Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN15 1BR
Tel: 0845 456 1640
Fax: 01249 766091
email: enquiries@good-energy.co.uk
Online: http://www.good-energy.co.uk/
Ecotricity
Axiom House
Station Road
Stroud
Gloucestershire
GL5 3AP
Tel: 08000 326 100
Fax: 01453 756222
email: info@ecotricity.co.uk
Online: www.ecotricity.co.uk
Green Energy
For billing correspondence:
Green Energy (UK) plc
Unit 3A Mercury Drive
Northampton
NN4 7PN
For general correspondence:
Green Energy (UK) plc
9 Church Street
Ware
Herts
SG12 9EG
Tel: 0800 783 8851
email: customerservice@greenenergy.uk.com
Online:www.greenenergy.uk.com
Contact details
South Derbyshire District Council
Energy Officer
Civic Offices
Civic Way
Swadlincote
DE11 0AH
Tel: 01283 595974
Online: contact form
email: energy@south-derbys.gov.uk
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