Reducing carbon emissions at home
Reducing your carbon emissions can start at home, and energy-efficient solutions are a powerful way to lower your carbon footprint.
YorEnergy is committed to making more sustainable energy accessible to everyone in York. With our free virtual plan builder, you can identify energy-efficient solutions tailored to your needs, helping you create a healthier home and planet.
Our experts provide free advice to help make things easy.
What are energy-efficient solutions?
Energy-efficient solutions can help reduce your carbon footprint by making homes more efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels. These solutions include heat pumps, which capture heat from the air (even when it’s cold outside), and solar panels, which produce electricity from sunlight. By generating energy from renewable sources, homes need to use less electricity from coal and gas.
Once you have generated this energy using renewable sources, the next step is to use the energy in smarter ways, like charging electric cars, heating water or powering the home using the electricity produced by solar panels. You could have a relaxing bath and know that the water has been heated using a heat pump or through solar hot water. This further cuts down on carbon emissions.
Depending on your budget and needs, a great first step is finding a better way of retaining heat. Insulation is a great way to retain the heat you have generated. Taking steps to insulate your home means that less energy is needed for heating, reducing the overall carbon footprint even more.
Make the switch
Discover the average amount of carbon emissions you could save by switching to these renewable energy solutions:
Solar panels do not generate any emissions from operation - they only have embodied, maintenance and end of life emissions. Solar power generates lower emissions overall than coal or natural gas, for example. The emissions are around 20 times lower than coal and 12 times lower than natural gas. Once set up, solar panels play an important role in lowering your carbon footprint.
Here's how many kilograms of CO₂ emissions you could save each year by replacing an existing heating system in a typical well-insulated four-bedroom detached home. This calculation assumes an average ground source heat pump installation and necessary radiator upgrades:
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Switching from an electric system: save 2,500-3,600 kg of CO₂ per year.
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Switching from a gas boiler: save 3,000-4,500 kg of CO₂ per year.
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Switching from an oil boiler: save 4,500-7,000 kg of CO₂ per year.
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Switching from an LPG boiler: save 3,500-5,000 kg of CO₂ per year.
(Energy Saving Trust. Based on April 2024 energy prices)
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Solar panels do create emissions when they are made, but this is quickly cancelled out once they’re installed and you start using them. Solar power generates lower emissions overall than coal or natural gas, for example. The emissions are around 20 times lower than coal and 12 times lower than natural gas. Once set up, solar panels play an important role in lowering your carbon footprint.
What is the carbon footprint of my house?
A home's carbon footprint is the amount of pollution generated from the energy used within it. This happens when we use things like gas, oil, or electricity. For example, if we heat our home with gas or oil, it creates carbon dioxide, which is a type of pollution. Electricity can also add to our carbon footprint if it comes from power plants that burn gas or coal. The more energy we use, like heating, cooking, or using lights, the bigger our carbon footprint gets.
What are carbon emissions?
Carbon emissions are greenhouse gases released into the air when we burn fuels such as gas, coal, or oil. These emissions come from everyday activities like driving cars, heating our homes, or using electricity. Carbon emissions contribute to pollution and can gradually warm the Earth’s climate over time.
I have future proofed our family home and it has paid for itself in under two years.
Darren, 35, York
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