Feature

4 Easy Ways to Make Your Home Greener

Climate change is a pressing issue, and it means we’re paying more attention to our carbon footprint. The UK is currently working towards a target of net-zero emissions by 2050, and we’re all playing our part to reach this goal. In our personal lives, our biggest contributor to greenhouse gases is our homes. Household emissions contribute around 15% of the UK’s total carbon footprint. The good news, however, is that there are many things we can do to lower our homes’ greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we discuss easy and cost-effective ways to make your home greener.

Don’t leave appliances on standby

We’ll start with an oldie but a goodie. Energy Saving Trust found that between 9% and 16% of UK household energy usage is from devices plugged in on standby. It is estimated that this could be costing us around £86 a year. By switching off your appliances when you’re not using them, you’re not only making a positive impact on the environment, but you’re also saving money! This research also found that the older an appliance is, the less energy efficient it is. If you’re on a budget, replacing all your devices such as kettles, TVs, and speakers probably isn’t possible. Simply unplugging them – or, better yet, switching the plug off when they’re not in use – is an easy way to make a difference.

Consider your fuel sources

We know that some fuel sources are more environmentally friendly than others. What you might not know is that a home emits an average of 2.7 tonnes of CO2 a year solely from heating. That’s a lot of greenhouse gas. New build homes will be required to fit a non-gas boiler from 2023 as part of the gas boiler ban. While there’s currently no ban on gas boilers in existing homes, we may see this implemented in the future on the roadmap to net-zero emissions. Electric boilers are significantly more eco-friendly because they don’t burn fossil fuels in order to create heat. This is hugely beneficial to the environment. What’s more, electric boilers are extremely energy-efficient. Most will have an energy efficiency rating of 99%, which is better than any gas boiler. If your gas boiler is coming to the end of its life, now is the time to consider an environmentally friendly alternative. However, if you’re not in a position to do that right now, ensuring you have it regularly serviced by a Gas Safe boiler engineer will ensure it’s as energy efficient as possible.

Think about energy efficiency everywhere

Your boiler isn’t the only thing in your home that you can make more energy efficient. In the same way that your heat source impacts how energy efficient your home is, so does your home’s insulation. A report from Nottingham Trent University and the IET found that insulating homes in the UK is critical if we’re to meet our target of net-zero emissions. Insulation will not only save you money by trapping heat inside your home, but it will also prevent greenhouse gases from leaking out into the environment. Energy efficiency can also be applied to some of your other key household appliances. If you use your washing machine more efficiently and fill it effectively instead of running multiple small loads, you’ll use significantly less energy and water. Similarly, if your home has a dishwasher, don’t switch it on until it’s full.

Make your home green…literally

If you’ve followed these tips, you’ll have dramatically reduced your home’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Now, what about putting something good into the environment? If you have a garden, plants and flowers that positively contribute to the ecosystem work best. Flowers that provide pollen to bees, like foxgloves and lavender, are a great additional way to contribute to the environment. Bonus points if you have some holly plant hedging around for small wildlife to make a habitat in. Inside your home, we recommend choosing plants with the best oxygen-boosting benefits. Spider plants are common in the UK, and for good reason. Not only do they produce plenty of clean oxygen, but they can also help remove harmful gases including formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. Aloe vera is another great choice, especially for your bedroom because it produces oxygen overnight.

As well as clearing the air of benzene and harmful aldehydes, its gel can be used for anything from skincare to wound healing!

The fight against climate change is one we all need to play our part in. Our homes emit a lot of greenhouse gases, but there are ways we can not only reduce these harmful emissions but also introduce cleaner oxygen. An added bonus of making your home greener is that you’ll save on a lot of unnecessary costs too – winwin!

Sources

https://blog.loop.homes/the-cost-of-leaving-appliances-in-standby-mode https://citu.co.uk/citu-live/what-is-the-carbon-footprint-of-a-house https://heatingforce.co.uk/blog/electric-boilers-expensive-run/ https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2018/10/better-home-insulation-is-keyto-lowering-uk-carbon-emissions-report-finds/ https://www.thompson-morgan.com/top-10-plants-for-bees https://www.plantedshack.com/what-plant-produces-the-most-oxygen/

Alresford & District Neighbourhood Watch Association

Since the 15th October the spending limit for contactless cards has been increased from £45 to £100. Whilst it will take time to update all the card payment terminals the increase has made bank card theft far more attractive to offenders. It is now easier for a thief to use a lost or stolen card to make larger purchases, especially if the card owner has not noticed that the card is missing. We can limit the risk of contactless fraud by following some simple steps:

• Do not leave bags or wallets, with bank cards, in your car • Do not let anyone take your card out of sight to make a payment and always ask for and check the receipt • Check bank statements regularly, if you see any unexpected payments contact your bank immediately • If you think your card is lost or stolen, contact your bank straight away to cancel it; many mobile banking apps have the facility to pause or cancel a card immediately • Consider purchasing a purse chain with bells that attaches your wallet to your bag or pocket

If you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to Action Fraud using their online tool, or by calling - 0800 123 0240

Safety when buying or selling online

It has become increasingly popular and easy to buy and sell items online and through social media. This can also involve meeting people you don’t know to exchange items and money. It always pays to be vigilant, as you do not know the person you are speaking to or arranging to meet. Some ways you can protect yourself as a buyer or seller online are to: • Use an online payment option such as PayPal which can protect you • Never transfer money directly into a seller’s account without viewing the item in person at a safe place • If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is • For additional tips visit ‘Get Safe Online’ www.getsafeonline.org/

Stop Fraud - The Art of Saying No!

'Take Five to Stop Fraud' have recently launched a new campaign titled “The Art of Saying No”. As many of us know saying ‘no’ can feel uncomfortable, but it’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore requests especially if someone is asking for your personal or financial information. Only criminals will try to rush and panic you into giving away damaging information.

If you receive or come across a scam, then please email #StopChallengeProtect and forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk and/or send a text to 7726.

The Church in the Wood 2021 review

Our last review was of the Covid year as we called 2020. We described what had been done ‘in the wood’ during 19/20. Much volunteer effort was directed at woodwork, painting and restoring the harmonium. Despite everything, we were able to hold five services including one memorial, and all of these were outside.

In 2021 there have been ten services, with two still to take place, The Almighty has intervened to give “good enough” weather to remain outside to respect Covid rules which latterly allowed us to venture indoors.

Other News

9th May - Hymns in the Wood with Rev Christopher, was attended by a congregation of 67. Sadly, no brass band thanks to Covid but the harmonium did us well with Pat Mathews at the keyboard and the singing was uplifting! 13th June - Outside with Sarah Gill preaching and lessons read by her father, a retired vicar whose enthusiasm for the old job, nearly eclipsed her! 26th July - Inside with Rev Christopher, with hymns for the first time since 2019! 8th August - Inside with Rev Christopher. The bell rope broke just before the service but it was repaired a couple of days later by Ian Dow a builder from San Francisco who was in the congregation. 15th August - there was a bunch of flowers on the door step with a note remembering Ryell and Alex Duffy from Gary, Gemma and Amelie. 26th September - Harvest Festival with Rev Christopher. Outside with hymns and of course Richard Beaumont on the harmonium. 5th November - a large branch broke off a beech tree blocking the track to the church. This was soon removed at Julie Butler’s request by Marc Carpenter.

The trustees have finally made a reluctant decision to remove the top section of the large oak at the back of the churchyard. The church is totally dependent on the generous contributions given during services and they have made this work possible. The tree has been suffering from honey fungus and it is thought to be necessary for the removal to be done from a cherry picker as it is too dangerous to climb.

6th November - Another bunch of memorial flowers on the door step but this time without a note. Also a stone with the message, St Albans Rocks, with a photo, post, re-hide. Is it part of a game of search, a long way from home?

AND NEXT on 12th December Carol Service outside, (weather permitting) followed on 17th December by a Carol service for the Alresford Scout troop Hopefully, pictures to follow Wishing you a very Happy Christmas James