CREATING AN ECOFRIENDLY HOME
QOur draughty Victorian house isn’t very energyefficient. How can I reduce our carbon footprint?
Ros Whittaker, Hull
AOften in older, period buildings, small changes can create big differences to your energy efficiency, carbon footprint and comfort levels.
First, switch to an energy supplier that both produces and supplies energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar or tidal power. Lots of companies offer a green tariff, but you may find they’re buying renewably produced energy from others, while producing most of their own via carbon-heavy, coal-fired power stations. This means you could still be supporting a company whose ethics you disagree with. Try Good Energy, Green Energy UK and Ecotricity.
Then think about reducing your own energy use. If your boiler is more than eight years old, it may be time to replace it with a new and
more energy efficient model. See energysavingtrust.org.uk. Fit draught excluders to doors and windows or consider installing conservation-grade double glazing, which will reduce sound and heat transfer.
Insulation is key. Many Victorian properties have solid brick walls, which can make external wall insulation tricky and expensive to fit. However, insulating your roof and beneath your floorboards can make a big difference. Leave adequate ventilation below flooring to allow air circulation and prevent damp to timber beams. With this in mind, it’s also important to make sure that when reducing draughts, you introduce new, more efficient forms of ventilation in areas such as kitchens and bathrooms to reduce damp. Continuous-running extractor fans can be a good option in all areas.