Power to the People

If you’re not already on a green tariff, this is one of the most important and easiest things you can do – check out this site to find out about the best renewable energy option for where you live: https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/green-energy/green-accreditation/

Lots has already happened in the way that we produce energy in this country over the past couple of decades. This fascinating dashboard by the National Grid https://www.nationalgrideso.com/future-energy/our-progress-towards-net-zero/carbon-intensity-dashboard shows how the carbon intensity of our energy generation has changed over time. It also provides a half-hourly breakdown showing in near real time what sources are being used to generate our energy in the UK.

The Carbon Intensity App has been built in partnership with the WWF, Environmental Defense Fund Europe and the University of Oxford department of Computer Science.

This app shows you when the peaks are each day in green energy production – meaning you can get a rough guide of when is best to charge your phone, put your washing on or run the hoover round.

It can also be linked to smart devices so you can automate your energy use to coincide with the peaks in green energy production.

Download the app and find out when the greenest hours each day, available on Google Play Store and The App Store.

https://www.nationalgrideso.com/future-energy/our-progress-towards-net-zero/carbon-intensity-app

Smart meters can help you to identify ways to save energy via their in-home display, which will show what energy you're using and you how much it costs, in near real time.

As you see how you use energy day-to-day, you should be able to find ways to cut down on usage and expense.

The government wants all meters ultimately to be swapped for smart meters, although they still don’t work in some places in Cornwall with poor mobile signal.

There’s lots more information about smart meters here

Renewable energy generation technologies like solar PV help reduce CO2 emissions, protect your household from the rising costs of energy and can also generate an income for you.

Use the Trustmark site https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowner to find a trusted local trader to carry out your retrofitting or installation work, and contact Community Energy Plus’ Sustainable Homes Advice Service to find out more about everything from installing solar PV/ thermal and heat pumps to insulation and battery storage.

You can also find masses of useful tips and factsheets on the charity’s website at www.cep.org.uk

Change your heating system

The average UK gas boiler emits around 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per year, which is about the same as three flights between London and New York – meaning your gas boiler is probably the most environmentally damaging thing you own.

However, few people are aware of this. A survey by Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good, found only 12% of people saw heating their home with a gas boiler as a high source of emissions.

Calculate your boiler’s impact here - https://www.nesta.org.uk/project-updates/how-much-your-gas-boiler-costing-earth/

From 2025, all new homes built (around 200,000 per year) will be banned from having gas and oil boilers installed, with greener heating systems required instead.

Meanwhile, new gas boilers for pre-existing housing will not be available for sale after 2035 (although poorer homes will be exempt). This represents a rowing-back on the government’s climate targets, as the ban on new gas and oil boilers was originally set for 2030.

However, new government grants to help people make the switch to a heat pump could make this a cheaper option than going for a new gas boiler (depending on how much additional retrofitting work would be required for your property) – find out more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/heat-pump-grants-increased-by-50-per-cent

There are various types of heat pumps available – use the government’s heat pump checker service here - https://www.heat-pump-check.service.gov.uk/ to find out if you home is suitable and which alternative heating system would be the best fit.

One key issue with switching to heat pumps is that electricity costs significantly more than gas in the UK – in fact our electricity is among the most expensive in Europe.

Heat pumps therefore can cost more to run than gas boilers, even though they use far less energy to generate the same amount of heat.

The government has been promising for years to resolve this by removing or rebalancing the levies disproportionately added to electricity bills, but this has not yet happened.

How does a heat pump work?

Heat pumps are based on the same technology found in your fridge freezer – but in reverse. A refrigerant gas is pumped around a system, collecting heat from the air outside. The gas is then compressed, which increases its temperature. It then transfers all this heat to your home before it is pumped back out again to continue the process.

Find out everything you could ever hope to know (and more!) about heat pump technology here: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/in-depth-guide-to-heat-pumps/

This mythbuster also has lots of great info to clear up some of the confusion about this greener way of heating your home https://www.theguardian.com/business/series/heat-pump-mythbusters

Hydrogen heating?

Trials of hydrogen heating are also ongoing in the country. However, there are significant challenges to producing enough hydrogen, particularly ‘green hydrogen’, produced using renewables, for widespread home heating.

If it does go ahead, the first phase would be to introduce a 20% hydrogen blend into the UK’s mains gas supply. This won’t happen until 2028 at the earliest – but this should work with existing boilers.

Hydro-treated vegetable fuel oil

The HVO fuel replacement shown being used as a kerosene replacement in our film Power to the People is still only in a trial phase.

If you’re on an oil boiler and would be interested in making the low-cost switch to this non-toxic waste oil, which produces 90% fewer emissions than regular kerosene, please get in touch to register for updates here: fossilfreefuel@mitweb.co.uk

There are still some regulatory steps required before the industry and government will back the use of HVO to move away from fossil fuels in domestic boilers.

Please also visit the Future Ready Fuel website and register here as well – www.futurereadyfuel.info

The more consumers that visit this new national site to express their interest in making the switch, the more momentum can be gained to boost this move away from fossil fuels.

HVO could be a great option in some circumstances – but it is not free from controversy. Mitchell and Webber’s HVO comes from certified waste cooking oil. However, HVO can also be made from any plant oil – and if it leads to an increase in the farming of palm oil, which devastates rainforests, or if it involves growing crops on land that could otherwise be growing food to feed people, then it becomes a problem rather than a solution.

Only HVO from fully certified supply chains should ever be used. Read more here: https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/bursting-the-hvo-bubble

Done properly, HVO could be a real win-win for the environment‍

The UK and Ireland are the only countries in Europe to use kerosene for heating – and HVO is a direct replacement for it.

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There are 1.2 million kerosene boilers in the UK, and given the huge constraints currently on our national grid, HVO could ease a major headache by providing an alternative form of heating that doesn’t involve ripping out existing heating systems (with all their embodied carbon) and requiring huge amounts of extra electricity generation to power heat pumps.

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As of now there are barriers to its adoption – HVO still has fuel duty added, whereas other forms of heating don’t.

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The HVO currently used is being imported from the United States, as there are no refineries to produce it here yet. It is shipped over on tankers that make the other leg of the journey shipping North Sea petrol to the States, and would otherwise be coming back bringing diesel. Even with this transport the overall emissions of HVO are still over 90% lower than kerosene. However, if a refinery was built here HVO could do even better – and we could make use of all the waste cooking oil from homes, businesses and factories that is not necessarily being used right now. In a dream world home owners could one day be paid to have their used cooking oil collected. Much of this is currently tipped down sinks and drains, causing fatbergs that are a major cause of sewage spills in our rivers. What a great win-win that could be for the environment!

A nice log fire…?

Burning wood, if it comes from sustainable sources, is better for the climate than coal and gas, as it only emits the carbon back into the atmosphere that the tree absorbed as it grew over recent decades – as opposed to releasing concentrated amounts of carbon stored millions of years ago.

However, not all firewood is the same. A large amount of what is used in this country is bought in from Eastern Europe and beyond. This has a heavy carbon footprint due to the transportation, plus can bring tree diseases into the country.

In addition, the smoke from unseasoned (wet) wood, as well as coal, is now known to be a major source of small particles of domestic air pollution, which can cause respiratory problems and other health issues.

Firewood for sale now is therefore supposed to be properly seasoned (with a moisture content of under 20%). Unfortunately, this seasoning often involves drying the wood in kilns, which may often be powered by diesel. Working Woodlands Cornwall, featured in our film, dry all their wood in a poly tunnel, using no energy at all.

Working Woodlands Cornwall also sell locally-produced oak charcoal at various places throughout Cornwall. Find out more or buy it online here - https://workingwoodlandscornwall.com/

If you have a wood-burning stove or fire, make sure you buy your wood from a reputable local supplier, if possible one that practises coppicing, and store it in a well-ventilated space.

Watch this great little film by the Stoke Climsland Net Zero Homes Project – looking at how you can make upgrades to your home to make it more comfortable to live in, while reducing fuel bills and greenhouse gas emissions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ucf0-L8y9Q0

Community Energy Plus provides householders in Cornwall with:

• A free telephone energy advice service.

• Home energy audits to identify improvements to make a home warmer, more energy efficient and cheaper to run as well as its suitability for renewable energy technologies.

• Help to understand and reduce energy bills. This includes home visits and follow-up support where needed.

• A collective energy tariff switching service.

• Access to grants for heating and to free and heavily subsidised insulation.

You can also find masses of useful tips and factsheets on how to save money, draught proofing, secondary glazing, installing different types of renewables, insulation etc. on the charity’s website at www.cep.org.uk.

Freephone advice line: 0800 954 1956. Email: advice@cep.org.uk.

Insulation

• Homes built from the 1990s onwards will probably have cavity walls - two walls with a gap in between - and are also likely to have insulation already to keep the heat in.
• Homes built after the 1920s but before the 1990s are also likely to have cavity walls, but they may not have insulation. In these cases, cavity wall insulation can be added.
• Older homes from pre-1920 are likely to have solid walls - a single layer of brick or stone. Solid walls can be insulated either from the inside or the outside, but it is a more complicated and expensive process.

Costs and savings vary considerably, but a typical installation of cavity wall insulation in a mid-terrace house would cost about £1,500, with annual energy savings of £155.

Check out the Great British Insulation Scheme here https://www.gov.uk/apply-great-british-insulation-scheme to see if you are eligible for support to get free or cheaper insulation to help lower your energy bills.

ECO4 grants for homes

The ECO4 scheme provides government grants for energy assessments, insulation and other measures to increase energy efficiency and reduce fuel poverty. They are primarily aimed at people in receipt of income-related benefits who own or rent a property that is heated by electricity.

Find out whether you are eligible here - https://eco4.org.uk/

Energy grant assistance for small businesses

Click here

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Home Upgrade Grant

The Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) Scheme is a grant-funded energy efficiency scheme from the Government.  The scheme is for homes that do not use mains (natural) gas as their primary heat source.  It aims to improve the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of your home with a range of energy-saving measures.

Find out more here - https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health/public-health-campaigns/winter-wellbeing/grants-loans-and-subsidies-for-energy-use/home-upgrade-grant-hug/

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Lendology

Home improvement loans for homeowners, funded by the Council - more information here: https://www.lendology.org.uk/

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• Nobody should expect to be wearing a T-shirt at home in winter! In the spirit of ‘Heat the Human, not the Home’, check out this page https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/heat-the-human-not-the-home-save-energy/, which is absolutely chock full of brilliant tips about how to stay toasty – from rechargeable heated clothing to foot warmers and heat pads. You’ll be saving £££ and avoiding lots of carbon emissions too.
• Check out the brilliant Energy Saving Trust website at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk  for more tips on how to reduce your energy consumption and carbon emissions
• Turning your heating down by just 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10%. Try setting your thermostat to 18°C.
• Turn down your combi boiler ‘flow’ temperature (this is not the same thing as your thermostat). You could reduce your gas use by 9%. Find out more here - https://www.theheatinghub.co.uk/articles/turn-down-the-boiler-flow-temperature
• Radiator reflectors – about half the heat from your radiator is aimed at the wall rather than the room, and about 25% of that will be lost through the wall (especially bad for radiators on external walls). Make an easy reflector by placing silver foil between the radiator and the wall (sticking the foil to cardboard makes this easier).
• Air tightness is one of the easiest and cheapest way to make a difference to your home. It can be as simple as adding strips of rubber/foam around windows and doors, most of which can be done as a DIY job. Draught excluders and brushes in letterboxes can also make a surprising difference.
• If you can’t afford double glazing, a set of thick, lined curtains or shutters can also be a huge help. Even net curtains at your windows will noticeably increase the temperature in a room.
• Take shorter showers.
• Work out your household carbon footprint using a good carbon calculator like the one at www.carbonindependent.org/ or https://zero.giki.earth/. Both can give you lots of ideas to help you tread more lightly.

Energy and your laundry…

·        Washing your clothes at 30° instead ofhigher temperatures uses around 40% less electricity. Although eco cycles oftenseem to take much longer, most energy used by machines is to heat the water,not pump it.

·        Fill up the washing machine and tumbledryer: one full load uses less energy and water than two half loads (thisapplies to your dishwasher as well).

·        Enjoy softer, fresher smelling clothesby drying outside when possible.

·        Reduce the need to iron by hanging orfolding clothes straight after drying

Energy saving in the kitchen…

• Cook in bulk and freeze – saving on electricity/gas and time for doing other things!
• Use only as much water as you need each time you boil the kettle. Given how many cups of tea and coffee most of us drink each day, this can make a surprising difference to electricity bills.
• Use the right size of pan for the job and the appropriate size ring or burner. Lots of energy is wasted by using a small pan on a large ring. Cover pans with lids to speed up cooking, save energy and reduce condensation.

The energy footprint of our tech….
Nearly all of us have a smart phone in our pockets these days, and we’re reliant on electronic devices for so many aspects of our lives – but they’re also a massive energy guzzler.

• A third of the average UK home’s electricity consumption is used on appliances, electronics and computer equipment. Try to buy the most efficient products you can (an A+ rating is the best). They may be a little more expensive, but you will save money in the long run.
• Sign up with Ecotalk (www.ecotalk.co.uk/), which works with the RSPB and uses money from customers’ bills to buy land for nature.
• Make your phone battery last longer. Batteries that are often recharged to 100% or allowed to run down to zero have a shorter lifespan than those that are kept at around 50% most of the time.
• Only replace your phone or other device if it’s really necessary. Do you really need the latest model iPhone if your current one is working fine? The minerals used to make batteries and components are rare, and mining and processing them has a significant environmental impact.
• Instead of buying new, how about getting a reconditioned second hand phone or device? They won’t be the latest model but are as good as new and come with a warranty. That way you won’t be creating demand for even more new materials. Even better – they’re much cheaper and you won’t be locked into an expensive contract. Find more information here - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mobiles/buying-refurbished-phones/
• If you’re replacing your device, don’t bin the old one! If it’s working, why not sell it on eBay, or donate to a charity shop? Most charities accept old mobile phones, whether they are working or not. They can raise valuable funds by passing them on to mobile phone recycling companies.
• Swap your search engine to Ecosia ecosia.org. It's as good as Google and you'll be planting trees as you search! So far Ecosia has planted nearly 200 million trees.
• Unplug before you travel. Before a holiday or any extended time away, unplug electronic devices such as WiFi routers (unless your home security depends on your internet connection), TVs etc.
• Even unplugging before bed can be beneficial. All that standby power can really add up!
• A solar charger can be used to charge up phones, tablets, headphones, and even laptops while you’re travelling and also at home. They do also work in the winter, just not as effectively.
• Replace dead or dying compact fluorescent light bulbs and vintage incandescent bulbs with good quality LED ones. They use much less energy and can last up to 20 times longer.
• Try not to store too much on ‘the cloud’, as this uses a lot of energy.

Reducing embedded energy – buy less, buy second hand, buy local

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The invisible embedded energy and environmental damage in the clothes and other products we buy from overseas (quite possibly made using electricity generated using coal) and then transported across the world is enormous.

Do we need so much stuff? As well as high street charity shops, there are loads of great options for buying second hand online – from Facebook Marketplace to eBay, Vinted, Thrifted, etc.

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Second hand is cool! You can find some incredible bargains (always satisfying), while also knowing that you are massively minimising your footprint by not creating more demand for new things.

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‍Cornwall Local Area Energy Plan

Help to be part of shaping Cornwall’s energy future. Sign up to stay informed and for updates about future events, calls for evidence and consultations about the steps Cornwall should take to decarbonise and work towards energy security.

https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/laep

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Resources for local communities

The South West Net Zero Hub (swnetzerohub.org.uk) provides free strategic and technical support to the public sector and communities to develop, finance and deliver net zero energy projects.

Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (WREN) https://www.wren.uk.com/

has worked with partners to develop a Future Energy Tool, designed to help whole communities to establish a community scale picture of domestic energy usage, carbon emissions and energy costs, and to understand what types of low carbon interventions and scale of action are required to achieve a local net zero energy system by 2050. The tool helps communities to set ambitions, facilitating community scale planning and proposing collective and individual household action for a net zero future.

But it is just as much about engaging a community in a vision to reach net zero as it is about planning and taking the necessary actions.

Further resources and contacts

Check out local groups and organisations around Cornwall working on various issues around renewable energy installation, home retrofitting, emissions reduction and community support on the journey to net zero….

Planet A Energy

A social enterprise headed up by experts who can provide energy assessments, feasibility studies and training for companies and public sector bodies looking to understand how to decarbonise.

Community Power Cornwall - https://communitypowercornwall.coop/

Fal Energy Partnership – falenergy.co.uk – loads of interesting and useful tips and news

Chacewater Energy Group

Roseland Environment Action Community Team (REACT)

South Hill Association for Renewable Energy (SHARE)

Stoke Climsland Net Zero Homes Project

• Do proliferating solar farms stop us from growing food? Find out more about agrivoltaics – growing crops among solar panels – here: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/agrivoltaic-farming-solar-energy/
• Find out all the latest research and development in the fast-growing, exciting but very challenging sector of offshore renewables here - https://www.supergen-ore.net/
• Find out lots more about the exciting potential of geothermal energy in Cornwall – as well as the potential issues around it, such as seismicity, on the website of Geothermal Engineering Ltd (https://geothermalengineering.co.uk/), FAQs here: https://geothermalengineering.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions/