Zero Carbon New Homes Just Won’t Be Carbon Neutral

There was some sad news from The Independent recently about major setbacks to an important green initiative. The Government may not fulfil promises that all new homes will be built to carbon neutral specifications by 2016 after all. The newspaper claims some new homes may be allowed to produce just 50% of the carbon emissions originally planned. Perhaps the worst part is that they would apparently still be somehow classified as ‘carbon neutral’! It was estimated that a new three bedroom semidetached house could have a carbon footprint of 2.3 tons. Currently, the average for the same property type is estimated at a whopping 7 tonnes.

In spite of this gloomy news, there is still every reason to be positive. There are now more ways than ever to easily cut your carbon footprint at home; at work; when you’re travelling; and much more. I’ve published an online guide to Sources of Carbon where you can quickly discover just where those emissions come from. The biggest problem is our heating at home - and this is one of the most tried and tested areas for ways to cut carbon and seriously reduce your energy bills. Proper insulation goes a long way and I’ve also written an easy online loft insulation guide. It really is a must - it can save you an average £200 every year and reduce carbon emissions by around one whole tonne. A lot of heat is also lost through single glazing. You can remedy this for a tiny fraction of the cost of installing double glazing using DIY Secondary Glazing film kits. You can also prevent heat loss through letterboxes, door and window frames and any fireplaces using a variety of modern draught stoppers.

Then there’s the fantastic Househeat range and the new eTRV. These are sophisticated heating control devices which automatically cut your energy use and therefore your bills. They allow you to ‘zone’ your home, controlling the exact temperature in each individual room. They can even monitor when your doors or windows are open and reduce the temperature accordingly. Finally, radiator panels are another stroke of genius - pop them behind each radiator to reflect ordinarily lost heat straight back into your room.

Photo Credit: Home of the Candle by László Bácsi