In a carbon neutral Portsmouth houses would be very well insulated, with energy-efficient appliances powered by renewable energy.
This is about 30% of our city’s overall carbon footprint. Most is from the gas used to heat our homes and water
This leads to approximately 40 early deaths per year.
There are two main ways to green our housing sector:
Our existing homes need to be retrofitted with better insulation, and gas central heating replaced by heat pumps and solar energy systems. Appliances also need to be updated to be energy efficient. Read more
to a 100% renewable tariff. If you choose the right supplier this can fund new solar and wind farms. Read this article for a heads-up on which companies do this.
An EPC A rating denotes a very energy efficient home whilst F means most of your heating is going straight out leaky windows, lofts and walls. Upgrading from an EPC E rated home to an EPC C rated home will save on average £650 a year in energy bills.
to make your house warmer and cut your energy bills / carbon footprint. If you are on certain benefits or a low income the government "ECO" scheme can offer grants for this.
to an energy-efficient one. Modern condensing boilers are around 90% efficient, compared to 55% for the oldest models – meaning a signficant reduction on your gas bill.
to lower your bills / carbon footprint and earn money. Find out if your roof is suitable via the Switched On Solar website. (N.B. for household incomes less than £30k a year, the panels are free.)
to solar or an air source heat pump, which can pay for itself in three years from savings on your bill and money back from the government.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) provides grants, up to £6000, to support the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers in homes and non-domestic buildings.
Tenants / homeowners whose household income is under £30 000 could be eligible for free solar panels, cavity or external wall insulation or even an air source heat pump via the Warmer Homes scheme. The scheme is delivered by Switched on Portsmouth.
Up to 50% of the lifetime emissions of a building can occur at the construction stage. If you are a developer consider signing up to the Green Building Council’s Net Zero commitment.
1 in 4 pounds spent on heating is wasted and nearly 780,000 children live in homes with damp. The Great Homes Upgrade is a campaign for a large-scale, UK-wide programme of upgrading our leaky, inefficient homes. It would create at least 200 000 jobs and reduce our energy bills by £400 each on average.
Architects Declare is a network of architectural practices committed to addressing the climate and biodiversity emergency. You can check out how to support them and their aims on this website.
Influence new developments where you live: ask the developer about how they intend to reduce carbon emissions, contribute to local consultations and comment on planning applications.
