LOW ENERGY WALK IN JESMOND

What:

Insulated loft to 400mm thick. Including some foam panel areas.
Cavity walls filled with warmcell.
Under-floor insulation. Part 200mm. Part 400mm. Eco wool.
Double glazing.
Measuring of passive heat, moved sitting room.
Low energy bulbs / standby off switches.
Wood fired stove in sitting room (Very recent) + wood-store.
Thermostats fitted to radiators.
Stopped using any smokeless coal products.
440 Lit rainwater storage
Measuring temperatures with Infra red laser device.

When:

At various times over the last 9 years. A gradual process showing gradual savings. Now considerable saving.

Cost:

Insulation various costs. During last 8 years. A few hundred.

Cavity wall insulation: £175 for 4 bed house.
Under-floor Insulation: About £50 per ground floor room.
Double Glazing: £10,500
Thermostats: £400
Wood stove: £1500 in 2010.

Reasons:

Comfort. Environmental benefit. Cost saving. More energy security / flexibility. To stop using smokeless due to worse CO₂. Wood stove, wonderful feeling and very efficient. Makes use of trapped suns energy more. Wood has short carbon cycle.

Benefits:

Cosy. Variety of heating sources. Saves lots of energy costs.

Savings: Gas use is down 42% and now saves an average of £464/year. Electric use is down 35% and now saves £168/year. Total gas and electricity savings of £600/year and rising have easily paid for all insulation costs and are rapidly paying off the double glazing and stove costs.

Disadvantages:

The loft is mainly used for insulation, with small storage area but sufficient for us.
Need to improve ventilation (Possibly with passive heat exchanger).
Log stove needs setting / lighting. (Very quick and clean).

Lifestyle Changes:

Including Green Questions in thinking.
Monitoring / writing up findings.
Fairly regular green DIY jobs to consider.

Other Changes:

Different priorities.
Ask not what your planet can do for you but what you can do for it.
Storing own grown food.

Notes:

Going Green is a fun project that changes the way you see things.
House is warmer in spite of gas reductions. Heat just stays around longer.
Good insulation all round the house means that any changes of heat source can be smaller, e.g. stoves, ground source heat pump. Heating can be on for less time at lower level.
Still small insulation jobs to do.

REDUCING GAS AND ELECTRIC USE
Year	Change	Gas kWh	%	Electricity kWh	%
2002	Moved in	27115	100	3810	100
2003	Loft insulation	23490	87	3666	96
2004	Double glazing	24020	89	3940	103
2005	Cavity wall insulation, some fluorescent bulbs	20832	77	4099	108
2006	More fluorescent bulbs	18451	68	3569	94
2007	1st underfloor insulation	16000	59	3075	81
2008	2nd underfloor insulation, TVR, move sitting room to south(April), more loft insulation, stop using smokeless fuel, end standby usage, more fluorescent bulbs	17600	65	2943	78
2009	More loft insulation to 400mm, more fluorescent bulbs, reduce usage	15776	58	2452	65
2010	3rd underfloor insulation, wood-burning stove(April), very cold winter

Aim:

Would like to get gas saving down to 50% in next couple of years by insulation, use of Sun's heat and some use of the wood-burning stove. This year it won't happen due to exceptionally cold winter.