Essay Example on Becoming more energy efficient is the only Way

Becoming more energy efficient is the only way that energy consumption can be reduced within the home The UK Government is looking to reduce the countries greenhouse emissions by 80 before the year 2050 EnergyUK n d I have presented a number of options to help Carl become more energy efficient However there are other steps he can take to increase this even further Leaving appliances such as Televisions on standby and mobile charges plugged in are little things that we are all guilty of But physically switching these devices off when not in use can save up to 50 00 a year Carl's house is mid terrace so is therefore well insulated on either side by his neighbour s properties He could look to have cavity wall insulation installed to the front wall and back wall of his house This was certainly help to insulate the property and could save him up to 100 per year Approximately 30 of a properties heat loss is through uninsulated walls Loft insulation is another area where savings could be made Many homes loft spaces are under insulated Experts state that a thickness of 270mm should be installed Many homes don't even have half of that Homes with insufficiently insulated loft spaces can lose up to 25 of heat through this 

The energy saving trust website calculates that a mid terrace property could save 120 per year and reduce carbon footprint by 530kg of CO2 per year by properly insulating the loft space EnergySavingTrust n d The average cost for this works being 285 00 EnergySavingTrust n d Draft creating windows and doors are one of the biggest causes of heat loss within a property This will mean that the boiler will have to work harder to maintain a given temperature in the house increasing the energy bill in the process Fitting the property with new double glazing is obviously the best solution to this form of heat loss But it is also a very expensive practice On average you are looking at between 200 400 per window giving an average cost of about 4000 for a whole house My advice to Carl on this would be to install thick curtains over the windows and only change the windows for aesthetic reasons Industry statistics indicate that only 10 of heat in a house escapes from windows EnergySavingTrust n d Carl's property has a 3 year old boiler that heats both his central heating and hot water system The system is extremely efficient and was therefore not considered for a replacement comparison An insulated jacket can be purchased from B Q Homebase or Wickes for about 10 00 These can seamlessly slip over the hot water cylinder and will help to keep the hot water warmer for much longer The savings for this will not be great but will still save approximately 50 60 per year against a one of payment of 10 00 All of these measures would help to reduce the heat loss within his property Micro generation In addition to these savings Carl has expressed a keen interest in the possibility of installing Micro generation for his property and to export back onto the UK Power Networks distribution Network Micro generation means that you physically produce all or some of the properties through a renewable source like the wind or the sun Carl has a three bedroom house Carl has had a request for Photovoltaic panel installation rejected by the local council and therefore this is not an option 

The only viable source would be micro wind turbines Carl may find that this will also be rejected by neighbours and the council but for the sake of this task I will present the figures for his consideration A wind turbine can cost up to about 3000 which is usually roof mounted This is the cost of one that is rated at 1kW 1000W EnergySavingTrust n d A 2 5kW 2500W can cost up to 19 000 The upper end Turbines which generate up to 6kW can cost upwards of 30 000 EnergySavingTrust n d Carl's average energy consumption is approximately 2 5 3kW per day Carl pays an average of 40 per month or 480 annually To power Carl's house completely a 2 5kW and 1kW turbine would need to be installed This would cost a total of 12 000 Break even point 12 000 480 25 years This is a very large sum of money for Carl to pay out and an incredibly long period of time to break even I have spoken with Carl and we have both come to the conclusion that installing wind turbines are not viable at this time Carl would have to take out a loan to cover the initial 12 000 outlay and does not expect to still be living in the property 25 years from now to see the benefit of the wind turbines This case is closed The other thing that I brought to Carl's attention was the noise that the turbines create Many people describe the noise from the outside being like that of a whirring sound which is commonly referred to as bearable What is more worrying is that many people have described the noise internally as a loud growling sound that changed frequency dependent on the wind strength It is understood that this has resulted in scaring children and a few adults I'm sure during the night All things considered this is not something that Carl will look to proceed with The other thing I brought gy e