The UK has 30 million homes and powering them with oil and gas will come at a huge cost to our environment. Decarbonising our homes is essential if we want to reach our national target of net zero.
There are many ways in which you can save your energy, reduce your carbon footprint and in turn reduce your energy bills!
Monitoring your energy use using a smart meter
Using LED lights, which are more energy efficient than traditional lightbulbs
Switching off appliances when not in use – find out more about the appliances in your household which are contributing most to your carbon footprint on the carbon footprintTM website
Switching off lights when leaving a room
Switch to a green energy provider
Switching your energy to a renewable energy provider is a quick and simple way to reduce your carbon footprint. There are many online resources which can help you pick the best ‘green’ provider. Or try the Council’s Energy Deal Scheme which could help you save money on your energy bills and reduce your carbon emissions.
Renewable energy
TWBC has already started to install PV solar panels onto their council buildings, helping reduce their emissions.
The council encourages the use of renewable energy through the ‘Solar Together Kent’ scheme.
How much do you know about renewable energy?
Click on the links below to learn about the most popular renewable energy sources used to power homes:
Our Energy Advice page offers support on how to save energy, reduce your energy bills, access funding to install gas central heating to privately owned or rented properties.
Historic Buildings and Climate Change
Traditional buildings, mainly those built before 1914, can have a role in achieving a carbon neutral Borough. Continuing research is helping to bust the myth that older buildings contribute to emissions and are difficult to convert to being more energy efficient.
In fact, they can contribute to a reduction and there are many ways of doing this: they are durable, versatile and adaptable, and were designed to work efficiently and passively in the first place. Historic England, the Government’s advisor on the historic environment, found through research that carefully retrofitting historic houses could save up to 84% in carbon emissions.
- Historic England’s ‘heritage and Environment’ report (2020)
- Historic England’s ‘know your home, know your carbon’ – a report on how owners and occupiers of historic homes can reduce carbon emissions
