Improving homes through technology: how smart robots can save on heating bills
Older homes with timber floors can lose a significant amount of heat through uninsulated ground floors. Our studies show that you can save around £40 a year by installing traditional under-floor insulation to help keep your home warm. In the past, installing under-floor insulation always involved...
Could a water source heat pump work for you?
A waterway might not spring to mind as a way to get heating and hot water for your home or business – but it’s certainly an option for some. Water source heat pumps (WSHPs) work by extracting heat from a body of water and converting it into useful energy to heat your home. They use a series of...
Energy Saving Trust visits Efficiency for Access projects in Kenya
Photo credit: Makena Ireri /CLASP By Chris Joda Representatives from the Efficiency for Access (EforA) coalition recently visited Kenya to meet manufacturers, distributors and end users of off-grid solar appliances, connected to the Low Energy Inclusive Appliance (LEIA) programme . As part of our...
Why we should all be saving water
Water is a precious resource – but it can’t be taken for granted. Climate change, and the more extreme weather that comes with it, means that water supply is becoming more unpredictable than in years gone by. Increased frequency of drought across Europe lines up with climate projections . Water is...
Toy giants aim for a sustainable future
Loved by children across the world, toy creators LEGO are taking sustainability seriously, looking to reduce their carbon emissions to protect the planet for their current audience. The Danish toy giant signed up to the WWF Climate Savers programme in 2014, and achieved an 11.5% reduction in energy...
The UK’s cities are leading the charge to reduce carbon emissions
While there are challenges ahead, to date the UK has reduced carbon emissions by 43% from the level recorded in 1990. And the UK’s cities, particularly those with devolved administrations are leading the way in that reduction, with ambitious plans to improve building efficiency, embrace renewable...
Generating energy from waste: how it works
With world resources finite, and increasing public awareness of the harmful effects of our ‘throwaway culture’, a move towards what’s known as a circular economy seems a sensible option. In short, this means making products last longer, and recovering materials or other benefits from them when they...
How to tackle insulation problems
We’ve been encouraging people to insulate their homes for over two decades now, and many millions of homes have been insulated in that time. As with any building work, the quality of installation has varied from house to house, and unfortunately some homes will have had a decidedly substandard job...
Green finance: can it support home energy efficiency?
We took a general look at green finance in our last blog . Now, we’re looking more specifically at the role of green finance in funding home retrofit. NB. This article takes a general look at different ways that finance could be used to fund home retrofit. It is not intended as financial advice for...
Clean air zones open up the electric car market
With more makes and models of pure electric and hybrid vehicles coming on to the market, it’s easier than ever to find the right electric vehicle (EV). The introduction of Clean Air Zones in London in 2019, and in cities across the UK from 2020 onwards presents a powerful motivation to invest in an...