With gas and electricity bills burning an ever larger hole in people’s pockets, it makes sense to consider every possible solution. We talk to the homeowners who have seriously cut their energy costs
The overnight low in West Kirby on the Wirrall was around 5C last night. Yet in Colin Usher’s home the temperature is a comfy 20c-21C – despite the fact he has not turned on the heating once this autumn. Even in the depths of winter, the house uses a fraction of the energy that most British homes consume trying to keep warm. On average, the Ushers’ home energy bills since 2014 have been £530 a year, and that for a house that is nearly twice the size of a standard British semi. It means the family is saving at least £1,000 a year, and possibly much more. Throw in the fact that their rooftop solar panels generate an income of £500 a year and their net energy bills are actually close to zero.
Colin and his wife Jenny insist they are not shivering in their four-bed house, or wrapped in multiple fleeces and blankets to keep the cold away. Rarely does the temperature in the house go above 22c, rarely does it fall below 20c. Yet they have achieved this without spending ludicrous amounts of money buying the fanciest new technology. Usher, an architect, built the 179 sq metre (1,926 sq ft) house for just £240,000 and says the key to saving on heating bills is being airtight.
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Source: Guardian Environment
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are something of a wish list for a world that works forever, for everyone