Alliance & Leicester has said that for a three-bedroom, semi-detached home, following the carbon neutral route can be expensive, but added that such a switch could lead to big savings on bills in the long-run. Cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, double glazing, an energy-efficient boiler, a wind turbine and solar electricity are all methods of heading towards carbon neutrality proposed by the financial services provider.
At an estimated 5,000 pounds, solar electricity is by far the largest expense when it comes to making a home carbon neutral, with homeowner loans a possible method of raising the funds to pay for the installation of solar panels as well as the panels themselves. According to the Energy Saving Trust (EST), the switch could save around 200 pounds annually on electricity bills.
Wind turbines were the second most expensive environmentally-friendly method proposed, coming at a cost of 1,500 pounds. This outlay is before installation, suggesting homeowners could be advised to compare loans when considering how to pay for the switch to power produced this way. Double glazing - a more familiar way of saving energy for many homeowners - comes at an estimated 1,400 pounds.
"Becoming carbon neutral will not happen overnight. Nowadays more and more people are giving environmental considerations and their carbon footprints a higher priority. This includes trying to make their homes as energy efficiency as possible. There are lots of diverse ways homeowners can try and make their homes greener but it all depends on how much people want to spend," said Richard Al-Dabbagh, senior personal loans manager at Alliance & Leicester.
Cavity wall insulation and loft insulation - costed at 500 pounds and 370 pounds respectively by the EST - are both less expensive measures, but with the former cutting heating bills by around 15 per cent annually and the latter saving a further 110 pounds a year, these cheaper methods could have a greater cost-saving impact for homeowners looking to spend low rate loans wisely. Ross Stokes, editor of self-builders tips and advice magazine SelfBuild & Design, suggests it is worth getting the best possible insulation with your money. "Insulation is something that you have to put in anyway - so it's a good decision to put in the best that you can afford at the start," he said.
According to Alliance & Leicester, the best way for homeowners to spend secured loans when it comes to improving the energy efficiency of their house is by replacing an old boiler. The financial services provider said that according to figures from the EST, replacing boilers more than 15 years old could save some 240 pounds a year. At an estimated cost of 500 pounds, by the third year of having a new, energy efficient boiler it will have paid for itself.
At the beginning of November, insurer More Than revealed that three in five new homeowners were finding funding work on their new properties difficult due to the high cost of housing in Britain.
The talk about climate change, global warming and green technology is peppered with many buzz words and injected with a lot of hype. When asked about the first thing that springs to mind in relation to clean technology, most people would say solar panels or wind turbines. Although these technologies are robust and credible, most people seem to forget or ignore a much simpler type of energy generation. Heat generation through wood burning is as ancient as it gets. However modern wood burning stoves are sophisticated, reliable and still help you save the environment.
It is essential to first understand biomass boilers. As the name suggests, biomass boilers burn organic fuel (bio-fuel), rather than fossil fuels that are extracted from the ground (such as oil, gas, coal). The boilers are designed to deal with several types of wood depending on the type of the boiler. There are two primary groups of wood that are used: untreated wood (such as logs) and treated wood (such as wood pallets).
Wood pallets are the most efficient of the wood fuel types. They are made from sawdust which is compressed at high pressure into small pallets (roughly the size of AAA batteries). They are made from by-products of local carpentries, joinery workshops and sawmills. The high pressure compression removes moisture and increases their output to weight ratio, meaning you need less fuel to get the same amount of heat. Another benefit is that they don't leave as much residue on the burner due to full burning reaction.
When we burn fossil fuels, we release a high volume of carbon that was previously captured underground for millions of years. During the burning process, the resulting carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere and contributes to the climate change phenomenon. Boilers that burn wood, however, are much less harmful as they only release carbon that was captured by the plant during the years. They do not bring any more carbon into the delicate balance of our plant and are generally considered to be carbon neutral.
Before installing a biomass boiler it important to consider a few aspects of this technology:
* Wood supplier - it is much easier to run a biomass boiler if you have a local sawmill or carpentry workshop that can provide you with a reliable source of sawdust, wood chips or even wood pallets.
* Space and location - biomass boilers have larger footprint than a typical boiler and require further space to store the wood. It is essential to calculate the amount of space that would be available for wood storage next to the boiler
* Chimney consideration - it is essential to have a chimney in the property. In addition, the chimney needs to be lined for wood-fuel burning. However, even if it is not properly lined, there are solutions to overcome this problem (e.g. inserting an inner flue).
* Zone specific considerations - if your home is located in a smoke-free zone, you may need to focus on getting a unit that is 'exempted' under the 'Clean Air Act'. In any case, it is recommended to check with your local authority.
* Other considerations - It is wise to check with your local authority's planning department regarding fitting a flue in the property. This is very important in cases where the property is a listed building, or within a conservation area.
Both Mark Dawson & Tal Potishman are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mark Dawson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Insurance, Personal Finance and Finances. Mark Dawson writes for the the Loan Arrangers where you can and apply online for. Mark Dawson's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.
Tal Potishman has sinced written about articles on various topics from Environment, Home Management and Home Management. Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles on ,. Tal Potishman's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.