Category Archives: Energy

For every kilowatt hour of gas burnt, 0.185kg carbon dioxide is released. It may not sound like much, but considering that the average household burns between 10-20,000 kWh of gas for heating every year, this equates to between 1850 and 3700kg of carbon dioxide emitted annually per household.

Energy use in the home amounts to around 5 tonnes of CO2 emitted per year, per household, which cumulatively equals around 27% of the UK’s national carbon dioxide emissions (Energy Saving Trust, 2011).

From a financial and environmental perspective, the most effective way to save energy and cut carbon is to start out with behavioural change and no-cost actions such as turning off lights, collecting rainwater, ensuring that thermostatic radiator valves are set at the right temperature and only boiling as much water as you need in your kettle.

Energy Saving Ideas

• Installing wall, floor or loft insulation into your home or building – you could even club together with other people in your community to bulk buy insulation at a reduced cost. Or you could take advantage of Insulate Hampshire.
• Replacing an old or inefficient boiler system – the boiler accounts for around 60% of what you spend on energy in a year, so this can make a huge difference.
• Draught-proofing around window frames, doors and loft hatches
• Turning off your TV and other appliances at the plug, rather than leaving them on standby
• Changing your light-bulbs to low energy ones – five low energy bulbs use the same energy as one standard bulb, and they last ten times longer
• Only boiling the water you need in your kettle at tea-time

For more ideas, see Start UK.

ETNet Energy Group Projects

The ETNet Energy Group aims to provide impartial advice and support to anyone who is looking to reduce their energy use and/or generate renewable energy for their home, business or community group. The Energy Group meets on a monthly basis in Eastleigh – ideas currently being developed include presentations and seminars on energy-related matters for our group and others, an investigation into solar cooperatives as a way to help residents cut the cost of generating their own electricity and energy monitor and light-bulb lending schemes.

ETNet Energy Group produces an Energy newsletter in collaboration with Eastleigh Borough Council, and publishes occasional articles in various local newsletters and parish magazines on how to use energy as efficiently as possible. If you’d like to join the Energy Group distribution list, or are interested in attending the group meetings, please contact Andy Smale at energy@etnet.org.uk. The Energy Group is supported by Eastleigh Borough Council and local independent energy consultants Expert Energy.

For more information please visit http://expert-energy.co.uk or email info@expert-energy.co.uk.