Carbon saved by switching to a green energy supplier
By far the easiest and quickest way to slash your domestic CO2 emissions is to switch to a green energy supplier, on average doing so can save you around 2 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Investing in renewable energy technologies, such as solar hot water, solar PV or even wind turbines, is another way of keeping your household CO2 emissions down and protects you against future energy prices. See below for more details.
Carbon saved by installing your own renewable energy system
We're surrounded by lots and lots of free energy - the sun, wind, even the energy in the ground, can all be harnessed to power or heat our homes. Renewable energy, unlike the conventional ways we generate power, produces no carbon emissions, no toxic waste products, and (as the name aptly suggests) won't run out. You can generate your own electricity through solar photovoltaics or a small wind turbine, get loads of free hot water with a solar hot water system, or even keep your home warm with a ground or air source heat pump, or a biomass boiler. You may also be able to apply for a government grant to help towards the cost.
Installing a micro-generation system can be an investment but, once it's in, it'll go some way in protecting you from rising energy prices and help slash your household carbon emissions. And reports have also suggested that installing a renewable energy system can significantly add to the desirability and value of your home. Also, if you opt for generating your own electricity and produce more than you can use, you can sell it back to the grid.
Carbon saved by installing a renewable energy system:
There are many types of renewable energy systems available, and which one you opt for will depend on your individual needs, where you live, and how much power you're looking to generate.
The Energy Saving Trust lists carbon savings for different renewable energy systems:
Biomass boiler - 840 kg CO2
Air source heat pump - 830 kg CO2 (if replacing a gas system, up to 6 tonnes for electricity)
Ground source heat pump - 830 kg CO2 (up to 7 tonnes for electricity, interpolated for gas as on par with air source heat pumps)
Solar PV systems (for generating electricity) - 1200 kg CO2
Solar hot water systems - 325 kg CO2 (if replacing a gas system)
(Wind turbine figures are not included as there is not yet enough data)
Taking an average of these savings:
= 805 kg CO2 saved per year
Footnotes
