Hull's homes are the most energy-efficient in Britain, according to a survey released today.
The survey by British Gas ranks 25 cities according to how energy efficient their households are. It found London residents are the least energy efficient, with households in the London borough of Kingston-upon-Thames wasting the most energy.
Homes in Glasgow, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Portsmouth ranked highly, while Birmingham, Derby and Nottingham came alongside London at the bottom.
Figures from the Department for Food, Rural Affairs and the Environment show that households alone account for 28% of total UK CO2 emissions. And while new homes are built according to energy-efficient regulations, British Gas says that simple measures such as cavity-wall and loft insulation could cut CO2 emissions from the UK's estimated 25m homes by 52%.
Managing director of British Gas, Phil Bentley, said: "For every £3 we spend heating our homes £1 is wasted because of poor insulation.
"While strict standards on new builds are needed, most of the energy being consumed is in the ageing homes we live in today. Making changes in these properties will give us the biggest carbon-emission reductions."
The results of the survey were compiled from British Gas's free energy-audit. Around 1.5m households took part in the nationwide Energy Savers exercise earlier this year.
Households were given an energy-efficiency rating from A to F, with A being the most efficient.
The rating was determined by the property's location, construction and heating characteristics, and takes into account energy-efficient measures already installed in the property.
Last year, the same survey found most (65%) homes rated D or worse while the average grade in the audit was also D.
This year's grade remained the same, but a British Gas spokeswoman said the survey had revealed a behavioural change: "We've definitely seen a change in people's attitudes. Far more people are taking action, and it's not necessarily with more insulation or new boilers."
She added: "More people say they are turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby, and turning down their themostat. There is a 10% increase in people who are doing these things."
full article
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Building work begins this week on a new generation of zero-carbon homes.
The prototype of the "green house" has been designed to produce the smallest carbon footprint.
Solar panels will heat the water, pumps will extract heat from the air to warm the house and lavatories will use rainwater to flush.
The floors and walls will be insulated with concrete to keep the building's temperature stable.
The family house is being built by Barratt Homes and will be scientifically tested to ensure it meets the strict credentials set out by the Government to make it zero carbon. If it is given the allclear, a range of properties will be introduced on to the mainstream market by 2010.
The house, developed at the BRE Innovation Park in Hertfordshire, comes two weeks after the exemption from stamp duty of zero-carbon homes worth less than £500,000.
The prototype was designed by London architects Gaunt Francis; and the National Centre for Excellence in Housing, based at the BRE complex, is collaborating on the project.
Mark Clare, chief executive of Barratt Developments, said: "The most exciting aspect of the 'green house' is it's not designed as a one-off - we will take what works and apply it to house building across the country
full article
Monday, 15 October 2007
Calls for ‘Three Planets’ action
HUGE lifestyle changes affecting everyone in Wales are necessary if we are to leave behind our shameful “Three Planets” status, according to a major report published today.
The report, commissioned by environmental campaign group WWF Cymru, says that if everyone on Earth consumed resources at the rate Wales currently does, the world’s population would need three planets to survive.
Produced by researcher Joe Ravetz of the University of Manchester’s Centre for Urban Regional Ecology, the One Planet Wales report sets out a vision for a radically different Wales, with a 75% cut in the nation’s ecological footprint by 2050.
It identifies seven key areas where it says change must occur:
Food – At present 75% of all food eaten in Wales comes through supermarkets where consumers are faced with 20,000 products, each with sophisticated packaging and advertising. The One Planet Food agenda sees a transformation of the food system at each stage of the supply chain, with an agricultural-environmental agenda on the producer side, and a healthy diet agenda on the consumer side;
Buildings – Many towns and cities in Wales are composed of buildings which are inefficient and unsuited for the 21st Century. While policies for new buildings are much needed, it is the existing building stock which is the bigger challenge. One Planet Buildings in Wales sees a future of low carbon sustainable buildings responsive to the sun and the elements, surrounded by townscapes which are green, clean and human scale;
Transport – The terrain and geography of Wales is certainly a challenge for sustainable transport. The One Planet Transport vision sees a future of low-impact, high-quality, IT-enabled, responsive public transport; a car fleet which has raised its efficiency by several times; and on the demand side, a total coordination of activities and locations to reduce travel needs to a minimum;
Products – In a One Planet Wales economy, the average product will last longer and be adaptable, designed for re-use and reconditioning, built from lower-impact materials with higher efficiency, sourced locally or with low-impact distribution. While most manufacturing in Wales is an integral part of the UK and EU economies, there is great potential for a unique and competitive marketing edge in the One Planet Wales label. In a tough business climate, this needs kick starting by the public sector through procurement and innovation partnerships, followed by extensions of carbon trading industrial markets;
Services – Now that services form the majority of Gross Value Added and employment in Wales, the One Planet agenda needs to focus on these more complex and wide-ranging activities. The vision of One Planet Services in Wales would be led by public sector procurement and based on corporate social responsibility, integrated environmental management, ethical trading and investment, life-cycle carbon trading, IT-enabled distribution and local community ownership;
Energy – The One Planet Energy vision sees a future where Wales’ energy demand is tapered down and local renewable energy sources are accelerated up. Behind this is a wide-ranging transformation of the energy infrastructure and distribution system, from global resources to individual homes and products;
Resources – A One Planet Resource economy is based on re-circulation: recycled, re-manufactured and re-used materials and products would become the norm, and virgin products and imports reduced to a minimum. The challenge is how to fit this to supply chain innovation, retail logistics and packaging, economic value added, consumer lifestyle habits, local charging incentives.
Today, Sustainability Minister Jane Davidson will respond to the report during a conference at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
Morgan Parry, head of WWF Cymru said, “Our very future depends on our ability to live within the limits of the Earth’s natural resources, yet since the 1980s human demand has been exceeding the Earth’s ability to replenish and absorb.
“To meet the unprecedented global challenges we have before us, we need a shared vision and a shared plan. A vision whereby everyone in Wales, by 2050, can enjoy a high quality life, using our fair share of the Earth’s resources.
“The pressure is now on us to make changes in the way we consume, the energy we use and the impact we have on the environment.
“By living sustainably we can find lasting solutions to our problems both today and tomorrow – and we all have a role to play.
“A shift towards a One Planet Wales economy will place Wales at the leading edge of global environmental initiatives through targeting the biggest footprint growth sectors in Wales .
“The One Planet Wales principles are being widely discussed and a chain reaction has been triggered, but some questions remain.
“Are we ready to change our everyday lifestyle choices? More important, are the government and businesses ready to provide services and frameworks for change that will make it easy, attractive and affordable for people to choose more sustainable options?”
full article
The report, commissioned by environmental campaign group WWF Cymru, says that if everyone on Earth consumed resources at the rate Wales currently does, the world’s population would need three planets to survive.
Produced by researcher Joe Ravetz of the University of Manchester’s Centre for Urban Regional Ecology, the One Planet Wales report sets out a vision for a radically different Wales, with a 75% cut in the nation’s ecological footprint by 2050.
It identifies seven key areas where it says change must occur:
Food – At present 75% of all food eaten in Wales comes through supermarkets where consumers are faced with 20,000 products, each with sophisticated packaging and advertising. The One Planet Food agenda sees a transformation of the food system at each stage of the supply chain, with an agricultural-environmental agenda on the producer side, and a healthy diet agenda on the consumer side;
Buildings – Many towns and cities in Wales are composed of buildings which are inefficient and unsuited for the 21st Century. While policies for new buildings are much needed, it is the existing building stock which is the bigger challenge. One Planet Buildings in Wales sees a future of low carbon sustainable buildings responsive to the sun and the elements, surrounded by townscapes which are green, clean and human scale;
Transport – The terrain and geography of Wales is certainly a challenge for sustainable transport. The One Planet Transport vision sees a future of low-impact, high-quality, IT-enabled, responsive public transport; a car fleet which has raised its efficiency by several times; and on the demand side, a total coordination of activities and locations to reduce travel needs to a minimum;
Products – In a One Planet Wales economy, the average product will last longer and be adaptable, designed for re-use and reconditioning, built from lower-impact materials with higher efficiency, sourced locally or with low-impact distribution. While most manufacturing in Wales is an integral part of the UK and EU economies, there is great potential for a unique and competitive marketing edge in the One Planet Wales label. In a tough business climate, this needs kick starting by the public sector through procurement and innovation partnerships, followed by extensions of carbon trading industrial markets;
Services – Now that services form the majority of Gross Value Added and employment in Wales, the One Planet agenda needs to focus on these more complex and wide-ranging activities. The vision of One Planet Services in Wales would be led by public sector procurement and based on corporate social responsibility, integrated environmental management, ethical trading and investment, life-cycle carbon trading, IT-enabled distribution and local community ownership;
Energy – The One Planet Energy vision sees a future where Wales’ energy demand is tapered down and local renewable energy sources are accelerated up. Behind this is a wide-ranging transformation of the energy infrastructure and distribution system, from global resources to individual homes and products;
Resources – A One Planet Resource economy is based on re-circulation: recycled, re-manufactured and re-used materials and products would become the norm, and virgin products and imports reduced to a minimum. The challenge is how to fit this to supply chain innovation, retail logistics and packaging, economic value added, consumer lifestyle habits, local charging incentives.
Today, Sustainability Minister Jane Davidson will respond to the report during a conference at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
Morgan Parry, head of WWF Cymru said, “Our very future depends on our ability to live within the limits of the Earth’s natural resources, yet since the 1980s human demand has been exceeding the Earth’s ability to replenish and absorb.
“To meet the unprecedented global challenges we have before us, we need a shared vision and a shared plan. A vision whereby everyone in Wales, by 2050, can enjoy a high quality life, using our fair share of the Earth’s resources.
“The pressure is now on us to make changes in the way we consume, the energy we use and the impact we have on the environment.
“By living sustainably we can find lasting solutions to our problems both today and tomorrow – and we all have a role to play.
“A shift towards a One Planet Wales economy will place Wales at the leading edge of global environmental initiatives through targeting the biggest footprint growth sectors in Wales .
“The One Planet Wales principles are being widely discussed and a chain reaction has been triggered, but some questions remain.
“Are we ready to change our everyday lifestyle choices? More important, are the government and businesses ready to provide services and frameworks for change that will make it easy, attractive and affordable for people to choose more sustainable options?”
full article
Sunday, 14 October 2007
Thatched roof homes are back
Westley Marriott is one of those rare, happy men who loves his job. He spends most of his days up on the roofs of rural England, in the fresh air, employing his centuriesold skills as a thatcher.
It is peaceful, creative and fulfilling work – and recently, increasingly busy. A thatcher for 10 years, Westley started his own business six years ago and has had to employ an extra apprentice a year since then, to keep pace with demand.
It is not that, coincidentally, all the thatched cottages of England need reroofing at once – much of the extra call for Westley's skills comes from developers building new houses with thatched roofs.
"Ten years ago I may have thatched one or two new builds a year, now they make up around 70 per cent of my work," says Westley, who is based in Northamptonshire (www.thatchcraft.com).
"There is more demand for thatching now than at any time in the last 70 years."
"Better building regulations means fire hazards have been reduced and there are far more competitive insurance premiums. Thatchers are better trained, resulting in higher quality than you might have got in the Seventies. These roofs holds their value today. Thatch is definitely back."
There has been confusion about whether or not, for the purposes of Energy Performance Certificates in the new Home Information Packs, thatch constitutes roof insulation.
The latest advice is that insulation is calculated to be half the thickness of the thatch, so if for example a thatch is two feet thick, the insulation is considered to be one foot thick. This means that virtually all thatched houses should out-perform minimum insulation standards.
The Energy Savings Trust has full details of the calculations on their website (www.est.org.uk) or ring 0800 512012 for free advice.
full article
It is peaceful, creative and fulfilling work – and recently, increasingly busy. A thatcher for 10 years, Westley started his own business six years ago and has had to employ an extra apprentice a year since then, to keep pace with demand.
It is not that, coincidentally, all the thatched cottages of England need reroofing at once – much of the extra call for Westley's skills comes from developers building new houses with thatched roofs.
"Ten years ago I may have thatched one or two new builds a year, now they make up around 70 per cent of my work," says Westley, who is based in Northamptonshire (www.thatchcraft.com).
"There is more demand for thatching now than at any time in the last 70 years."
"Better building regulations means fire hazards have been reduced and there are far more competitive insurance premiums. Thatchers are better trained, resulting in higher quality than you might have got in the Seventies. These roofs holds their value today. Thatch is definitely back."
There has been confusion about whether or not, for the purposes of Energy Performance Certificates in the new Home Information Packs, thatch constitutes roof insulation.
The latest advice is that insulation is calculated to be half the thickness of the thatch, so if for example a thatch is two feet thick, the insulation is considered to be one foot thick. This means that virtually all thatched houses should out-perform minimum insulation standards.
The Energy Savings Trust has full details of the calculations on their website (www.est.org.uk) or ring 0800 512012 for free advice.
full article
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