With energy prices soaring and the cost of living spiralling, the economic and environmental benefits of making our homes more efficient – and generating our own energy – have never been more apparent, and firm such as Green Home Systems are here to help

 

YOUR own home can be bad for you – and your carbon footprint. Often poorly insulated, expensive to heat and a major contributor to carbon emissions, the built environment alone presently contributes 23% of CO2 emissions in the UK.

And with energy prices rising and a major cost of living crisis looming – not to mention the added pressure of Scotland moving inexorably towards a net zero target of 2045 – the good news is that homes and buildings can easily be made more efficient.

Homeowners should note, however, that energy efficiency upgrades are often carried out in a piecemeal and fragmented way – with one firm providing insulation, another fitting a heat pump and yet another installing energy-efficient lighting. This can increase complexity and the risk of misunderstandings.

But forward-thinking companies such as Ayrshire’s Green Home Systems – fully accredited energy efficiency specialists – take a different, simpler and more integrated approach. Based in Irvine, it offers turnkey solutions, acting as a one stop shop and considering the whole house as a single project.

Alastair Macphie, its Managing Director, explains this approach. “First of all, we look at the fabric of the building and make sure that it is properly insulated and has as low an energy requirement as possible.

The Herald:

"We will see what can be done in terms of retrofit to bring it up to an efficient standard. Then we will install the systems delivering power to the house – devices such as heat pumps, solar panels and batteries.

"These ensure that you are generating your power from an environmentally friendly source.”

Mr Macphie makes the point that there is no point in putting in a renewable heating system if the walls and roof of the property are simply leaking the heat back out again.

“The aim is to make the house more energy efficient and to reduce your bills.”
Grants and interest free loans may be available from Home Energy Scotland and can help to offset the cost of the work, he adds.

“It may be possible to obtain up to £10,000 in funding for a heat pump, with up to £7,500 available in the form of a grant and £2,500 as an interest free loan.”
Green Home Systems is happy to stage the work if necessary in order to suit individual household budgets.

“It allows you to continue to deal with one company, which makes a lot of sense. If people want to insulate their home first, wait six months and then install the heat pump and perhaps the lighting, that can be done.”

Undertaking the project on a whole house basis is much the same in many ways as building a home extension, he says. “You can do it yourself and deal with a lot of subcontractors or you can go to someone who looks after everything and does the project management as well. That’s what we do.”

What sort of costs might be involved? To an extent, this depends on client requirements. Options may include cavity wall, loft, underfloor or external wall insulation. “Obviously it will also be based on the size of the house, but to insulate your home properly will probably cost about £2000.

“However, the Home Energy Scotland grants are available towards this, with up to £1000 available in funding towards each measure. So if someone had a property without any filled cavity walls or loft insulation, that funding would be available for both these measures and would probably cover the cost.”

Heat pumps are more expensive, generally costing between £15,000 and £20,000 depending on the property. “But you’re putting in a new heating system, so it’s a big change.  You also need to put in new radiators in most cases as you need bigger ones to allow the heat pump to work efficiently. Again, though, grants are available to help with the funding.”

At the end of the day, Mr Macphie says, the final cost to the purchaser may well not be that different to installing a new gas boiler, but with the added advantage that you are futureproofing your property.

Another option for property owners taking a whole house approach is to consider putting in solar panels, which can generate the electricity needed to power the heat pump.

“These are going to become more popular. If you combine them with battery storage, you can keep the electricity they generate. So if you have an electric vehicle (EV) and a charging point for it in your house, you can plug your car in overnight and use the solar power from the battery to charge it for free,” says Mr Macphie.

With both electricity bills and a household’s carbon footprint being reduced, it is easy to see why domestic renewable energy has a growing appeal. 

“There is now more publicity about this sort of a solution than there was even a year ago. Perhaps because they are more environmentally conscious now or they are worried about the size of their bills, people are now really focusing on making their homes more energy efficient.” 

 

This article was brought to you in partnership with Green Home Systems