Heating and powering our homes, on average, makes up around 25% of the carbon emissions for the households in our Parish. Therefore it is a key area of focus in reducing our footprint. If you want some bedtime reading, you can take a look at a 2022 UK government report at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5802/cmselect/cmbeis/1038/report.html which outlines their plans for decarbonising heat in homes. Some of the statistics are eye watering.
However, what most people are asking is “what do I do now”? Due to the energy and cost of living crisis, we have all been looking at how we can reduce our heating bills so if you have found any useful solutions that you would like to share with your community, then please share them on our Facebook page. You will find below a few case study examples and tips that we have already come across :
Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)
If you purchased your current home in the last 10 years, then you can view your EPC report by searching on this government web page – https://find-energy-certificate.service.gov.uk/find-a-certificate/search-by-postcode?lang=en&property_type=domestic. The EPC system is not perfect but the report may give you areas where you can focus to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
Home Energy Advice and Grants
Keep Herefordshire Warm is a local project that offers free energy advice to residents in the county. They also administer energy efficiency grants on behalf of Herefordshire Council, which can be used to make a range of home energy improvements. You can call Keep Herefordshire Warm free on 0800 677 1432 to speak to one of their advisors.
Home Upgrade Grant – energy improvements for off-gas homes
Starting in 2023, a £7 million government scheme will pay for efficiency improvements to hundreds of off-grid homes in Herefordshire that are hard to heat. The Home Upgrade Grant scheme is provided exclusively by Herefordshire Council, in partnership with Yes Energy Solutions. Are you eligible?
You can apply for free energy efficiency improvements through the scheme if:
- You live in Herefordshire
- You don’t have mains gas heating to your home
- Your total household income is under £31,000 per year
- You live in an inefficient property, with an Energy Performance Certificate of D, E, F or G
Solar Panel Systems
The cost of Solar Panels has reduced considerably in recent years and this, together with increasing energy costs, means that the payback period are coming down compared to recent years. On the downside, government support for feed-in tariffs has also reduced – but even without being paid for any excess power that you export to the grid, a solar power system can pay for itself sooner than you may think. Whether it is right for you will depend on the orientation of your home, the pitch of your roof and your available budget.
With the reduction in what you will be paid for any electricity that you export, the focus now is on maximising your own use of the power that you generate. Therefore systems with battery storage are becoming more popular as, in winter for example, you will generate most power between mid-morning and mid-afternoon whereas you main consumption may be after 4pm. Having a battery allows you to store your electricity until it is needed.
If you do have a battery system, then you can also sign up to a tariff such as Octopus Energy’s Flux Tariff. This allows you to sell any surplus energy you have in your battery during peak periods as the highest price and then replenish your battery between 2am and 5am at a lower cost. You can see the rates by putting in your postcode on this web page – https://octopus.energy/smart/flux/. The added advantage of switching to Octopus for electricity is that they claim that all of their electricity comes from renewables – so minimising your carbon footprint even if you have to purchase electricity from them. They are also the energy supplier recommended by Which? (as of July 2023).
We aim to provide more case studies on solar installations – together with suppliers that our residents have recommended. If you have a solar installation, we would love to hear about your experience so that we can share with the rest of our community – so please get in touch.
Alternatives to Natural Gas and Domestic Fuel Oil
Many local residents have to heat their homes using domestic fuel oil as there is no natural gas supply available in their area. Unfortunately, this type of heating is the worst polluting method of heating and contributes significantly to the area’s carbon emissions. The relative CO2e emissions for each fuel type are shown below based on data from carbonindependent.org :
Dometic Fuel Oil 0.245 kg per kWh
Natural Gas 0.185 kg / kWh
The figure for electricity depends on what assumptions you make about the percentage of renewables are used in its production, but if you choose a tariff based upon 100% renewables, then the CO2 is very low. However, the cost of electricity means that this would be a very costly option for general home heating without it being combined with other options such as additional insulation, Solar Panels and/or a Heat Pump.
The UK Government has stated that there will be a ban on installing Gas boilers in new homes from 2025. Therefore there is currently a huge focus on finding alternatives – and these may also be suitable for anyone wanting to switch away from current Gas or Oil boilers. As many of the properties in our area are not suited to solar panels or heat pumps what other options will be available for those homes ?
You can see an overview of a new type of heating oil called HVO on this Worcester-Bosch website (https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/professional/hvo#:~:text=HVO%20fuel%20is%20synthetically%20made,alternative%20to%20traditional%20heating%20oils.) We would advise taking a little care when looking at manufacturer’s sites as they obviously have an incentive to promote solutions that they prefer but this article provides useful background information. However, HVO is certainly an option to look into and if any resident in our area is thinking of looking into this, please get in touch with us as we would welcome the opportunity of working with you on this project.
If you take a look at the Worcester-Bosch link above, you may also notice a reference to Hydrogen Boilers. This is another area of research and it is explained here : https://heatable.co.uk/boiler-advice/hydrogen-boilers. In practice, it is unlikely that we will see 100% hydrogen boilers in the near term – but changing the gas supply to 20% hydrogen and 80% natural gas is being considered for the nearer term and will reduce CO2.
Another option for replacing Domestic Fuel Oil is a Biomass Boiler. You can find out more about this option via this link https://www.yesenergysolutions.co.uk/advice/what-is-a-biomass-boiler (Yes Energy Solutions provide the “Keep Herefordshire Warm” service for Herefordshire Council). There is a debate over how “green” these are but for many people, this is one of the only options for replacing Domestic Fuel Oil systems right now. The Energy Savings Trust states that “The carbon dioxide emitted when wood is burned is the same amount that was absorbed over the months and years that the plant was growing. The process is sustainable as long as new plants continue to grow in place of those used for fuel. There are some carbon emissions caused by the cultivation, manufacture and transportation of the fuel, but as long as the fuel is sourced locally, these are much lower than the emissions from fossil fuels. Although the price of wood fuel varies considerably, it is often cheaper than other heating options.”
Regardless of your choice of heating solution, the key for any home is to have good insulation. This is a key focus for WCCCG and we will be posting more details on this shortly.