How Our Homes Impact Climate Change
Building a Sustainable Future
Welcome to Greener Together: Understanding How Our Homes Contribute to Climate Change and What We Can Do to Make a Difference.
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Our homes, where we spend most of our time, are a major source of carbon emissions. From heating to lighting, the way we use energy at home shapes our environmental footprint. This page explores how our homes impact the climate, practical ways to reduce our emissions, and essential change targets we can work towards together.
How Do Our Homes Contribute to Climate Change?
In Wingfield and Stowford, 8.88t CO2e of the 20.9t CO2e we produce is from our homes. That is 43%, so they are a significant factor in climate change. The county average of CO2e usage in the home is 3.6t CO2e and the national average is 3.4t CO2e. So once, again we are significantly higher.
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Of that 43% (8.88t CO2e) this is how our household energy breaks down:
As such a large proportion of household energy is used for heating, the type of heating system (i.e. is it low carbon?), and how well the home retains heat, are critical factors shaping the scale of a home’s emissions.
How well a home retains heat depends on a number of factors, including:
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when and how it was built
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how much insulation has been installed
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how draughty the home is
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the efficiency of the windows; and
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the behaviour of the residents.
Change Targets: How We Can Reduce Household Emissions
To reduce our homes' impact on climate change, we can aim for the following:
Self-Reflection: How Does Our Community Measure Up?
To understand how to best reduce household emissions, consider the following questions for our community:
GRANTS: Retrofitting
Many homes benefit from insulation, draught-proofing, and switching to low-carbon heating options. What ongoing initiatives are encouraging residents to make these improvements? What can you do to be part of that?
GRANTS: Switching From Oil
Reduce your energy bills and make your home warmer with an oil boiler replacement grant. Discover how you can transform your home into an energy-efficient haven and save on your energy bills.
Local Renewable Energy Initatives
Solar farms, rooftop solar, and even community-owned wind energy projects could be viable options. Investigate the potential for joint ownership of renewable energy schemes in our area. Are you willing to lead the way? Start a conversation.
Showcase Your Home
Have you already made some improvements? Heat pumps? Triple glazing? Energy efficient carpets? Insultation? Whatever you have done, consider hosting a showcase event to highlight homes with notable upgrades. To review the Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) for buildings in our area: EPC Database.
Switching to Green Tariffs
Switching to green tariffs, where energy is generated from renewable sources, is another way for households and businesses to reduce emissions. Encouraging this shift can significantly impact - could you change and save money?
Review Your Energy Performance Certificate
Check the data for your property. This is the official place for all Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates, and Air Conditioning Inspection Reports.
If you’d like more information about the above ideas, get in touch today.
Inspiring a Sustainable Community: Working Together for Change
Addressing household emissions is essential to a more sustainable future. By making small changes—like insulating homes, switching to renewable energy, or engaging in local retrofitting efforts—we can collectively reduce our environmental impact and create a more resilient, eco-conscious community.
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Together, we can make our homes—and our community—a model for sustainable living, helping the UK reach its 2050 Net Zero goal.