Greening the Box

Greening the Box is an initiative adopted by Wherry Housing Association for the environmentally responsible adaptation of an existing dwelling to low carbon standards

As with many rural housing providers, Wherry has a number of homes that are not covered by the gas network and therefore residents are more likely to rely on more expensive electric or oil heating options which can exacerbate fuel poverty.

This pilot project involved the retrofit of an existing social housing unit in rural Norfolk to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs for occupants. The family that live next door will move into the home so that they can compare the experience of living in GTB to their existing home.

You can read more here: Greening The Box Website

What can you do?

Energy Saving

There are many things you can do to save energy in your home which will also help the environment. Here is our top list.

Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent and typically saves around £55 per year. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time.
Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors.
Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.
If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads.
Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
When your light bulbs fail replace them with energy saving lightbulbs. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £40 over the lifetime of the bulb. This saving could be around £65 over its lifetime if you're replacing a high wattage incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day.

These may all sound like little things but when you add them all together the savings could be great.

For more tips and advice visit: Energy Saving Trust

Smart Meters

Smart meters are the next generation of electricity and gas meters.

They will bring about the end of estimated bills and meter readings, and provide customers and energy suppliers with accurate information on the amount of electricity and gas being used.

Smart meters will empower customers to make choices on how much energy they use. Suppliers will install two-way communication systems that display accurate real-time information on energy use in the home to the consumer and back to the energy supplier.

In addition, smart meters enable:

Flexible tariffs that measure consumption over set time periods
Capability for selling energy back to the supplier which will facilitate microgeneration technology (e.g. solar panels or wind turbines)

The same meter for electricity (and gas, subject to cost) will be used for all customers, whether they are pre-payment or credit , and regardless of supplier

Suppliers will be able to differentiate their tariffs and services through offering alternative means of displaying energy consumption – i.e. through mobiles, the internet or via digital TV

Improved accuracy of forecasting energy demand at different times of the day.

You can find out more here

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