In order to reduce the impact humans have on our planet, many governments around the world are actively seeking to reduce Co2 emissions. With tonnes of harmful gasses entering our atmosphere every year, great saving must be met in order to slow down Global Warming.

Energy targets have been set to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels with many schemes and projects being focused on worldwide.

Getting right back to basics

Though an obvious key to this is to reduce our consumption in the first place, domestic consumption of power for heating, cooling and lighting is responsible for in excess of 40% of all the CO2 emissions by power stations.

By each of us doing our best to cut down on the energy we use we all benefit. You save on costs and contribute to the environment and reduce global warming. It may seem a small amount but the cumulative effect of millions of households all doing a bit is massive.

Electricity, gas and oil bills account for a high proportion of household budgets and are constantly increasing. More and more households find themselves within the criteria for fuel poverty so it is important that steps are taken to ensure your demands for fuel are as low as possible.

A well insulated property is without question a huge benefit when it comes to this with average savings in energy bills of around £150 per annum easily achievable.

There are lots of ways to reduce energy consumption in the home such as installing energy efficient light bulbs, double glazing and energy efficient appliances etc. However the two most effective methods of reducing energy consumption within the home are

  • Cavity wall insulation
  • Loft insulation.
These types of insulation will dramatically reduce the amount of energy consumed by homeowners which in turn will lead to reductions in the levels of Co2 produced.

Begin with the outer walls of your home and roof. Cavity wall insulation is high on the requirements of modern building regulations for new build properties. Specialist cavity wall companies can install good levels of insulation into most existing homes and government grants can be available in some cases. These schemes have been in existence for many years and use tried and proven methods.

Keeping lofts insulated has been well recognised for decades but modern statistics show that many of the old levels of insulation are not adequate.

At little extra cost it is possible to double or even treble those levels very cost effectively and simply. A 270mm thickness should be aimed at for maximum energy savings and this is way above the existing levels of mineral wool installed in most lofts.

Modern building codes stipulate under floor insulation which eliminates cold rising from below foundation level.

It may be possible for you to have these fitted at the same time as any extensions or alterations but it will be more disruptive than dealing with cavity walls and lofts.

One other often neglected area is the garage. In many cases this might be single skin of block work with no cavity to provide insulation. By installing energy efficient insulated sectional garage doors or insulated roller garage doors this will undoubtedly help keep the space warmer therefore benefiting any rooms above the garage as the cold will not penetrate up through the floor.

In warm countries the energy used in air conditioning units can give rise to high fuel bills. Good insulation here keeps heat out and installing insulated roller shutters and sun awnings help to reduce solar gain.

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