Top Tips for Making a Green Start to 2010 with Boiler Scrappage & Home Insulation

Climate change is a real and present danger, with current predictions estimating potentially irreversible climate change may occur within a matter of decades. As such, green or eco-friendly measures are constantly being developed, assessed and implemented to create a world in which man no longer acts as the catalyst of his own demise. In terms of altering the effects of global warming, such measures must be adopted by entire populations if any real benefit is to be derived from them.

Therefore, taking steps to address the eco-friendliness of homes is important when viewed in the wider context of the war against global warming. Although cars, aeroplanes and even cattle emit significant quantities of so-called greenhouse gases each year, the typical UK home also chips away at the Earth’s protective ozone layer; in fact, British homes make up 25% of the nation’s emissions. One of the most effective ways in which homes can be made greener is to invest in adequate insulation, which includes loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and double glazing or even triple glazing – doors can also be more effectively sealed in order to combat draughts.

Smart Meters will be common installations throughout homes in the UK by 2020 but, for those who do not wish to wait that long, energy monitors and readers can be purchased that show the usage of electricity in the house, which will help guide consumers on where and how best to conserve energy. Free monitoring tools such as the British Gas EnergySmart meter are useful for providing more detailed analysis. Homeowners are also advised to cash in their older boilers for brand new shiny models under the Government’s new boiler scrappage scheme, whilst other measures that can be employed include purchasing water butts for the garden to store non-potable water, installing dual flush lavatory systems and replacing old shower heads with water-saving alternatives.