Top 10 Ways To Make Your Home Greener

Kevin McCloud

These days, making your home more environmentally friendly and energy efficient is on the top of most people’s agenda especially with rising fuel costs and the media focus on eco living.

The good news is that Grand Design Live has the best 10 ways to ensure your home goes greener whatever the budget.

• 1. Insulate – Up to one third of your heating is lost through the walls of your home and 15 per cent through the roof so insulating can save money as well as being eco friendly. Many modern houses, built between 1920 and 1990, have a cavity wall construction that can be injected with insulation material for as little as £250 for three bedroom semi. And with a choice of natural insulation to the cheaper polyurethane foams for the loft, there really is no excuse not to be more energy-efficient. Visit www.carboneco.co.uk for more top insulating tips or see them at Grand Designs Live.

• 2. Glazing – Ill fitting windows are one of the main areas where loss of heat can occur. Windows are rated according to their U-values. The lower the U value, the more efficient the window so expect a value of around 1.5 for double glazing or 1 for triple glazing which can come as wood or the cheaper PVC. If your windows are salvageable but your budget is restricted, consider secondary glazing with a 10-16mm gap between the existing window and the new glass. Visit www.glasscurtainsuk.co.uk for more information or see them at Grand Designs Live.

• 3. Draught proofing – According to the Energy Savings Trust, 20 per cent of all heat loss in the home is through poor ventilation and draughts. Draught proofing comes in all forms from heavy curtains to sealants for around doors and windows and silicone for gaps in skirting and floorboards. Do-it-yourself or hire a specialist company depending on your budget. Visit www.energysavingtrust.org for more information.

• 4. Lighting– Lighting accounts for around six per cent of our domestic fuel consumption. So swapping compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) for standard incandescent lamps would slash this by around 75%. LED’s or light emitting diodes promise even greater energy savings and are set to revolutionise lighting. CFL also use less mercury in their production which means they’re less likely to poison the planet when disposed. Visit www.20thcenturycollectables.co.uk or visit them at Grand Designs Live.

• 5. Paints and Wood Treatments – There are many negative things said against the environmental impact of common paints and wood treatments, many of which are oil based and contain synthetic chemicals. In addition, some of the production processes create up to 10 tons of waste for every one ton of product. Today, European legislation means that mainstream paints are subject to tighter regulations but there is also a growing catalogue of natural water based products with minimal or no petrochemical elements. Go to www.naturalpaintonline.co.uk or visit them at Grand Designs Live.

• 6. Composting – Everyone should compost even if they don’t have a garden. Organic matter sent to landfill sites produces methane gas as it decomposes underground but it won’t do that in a compost bin. So with methane being a major contributor to global warming and some councils offering a discount on a compost bin or free pick up, there’s no excuse not to recycle your potato peelings. www.recyclenow.com

• 7. Flooring – These days, a large selection of flooring from sustainable sources can be found but it’s also worth checking out how healthy it is too given the level of potentially harmful toxins in modern flooring. Weaves, reeds and fibres are often cheaper than hard flooring and act as good insulators. Carpet should be pure wool with a natural fibre backing. Wood and cork are good natural surfaces whilst bamboo flooring is one of the most renewable resources on the planet. See www.qualitywoodflooring.co.uk or visit them at Grand Designs Live.

• 8. Furniture – Sustainable, recycled or second hand. Furniture with a conscience is widely available, whatever the budget. Many cities or town have retail outlets that specialise in retro or second furniture. However if, like many people, you prefer to buy new, try to get wood furniture made from sustainable sources carrying the logo of the Forest Stewardship Council(FSC) rather than non-renewable materials such as steel, PVC and plastic. See www.outgang.com or visit them at Grand Designs Live.

• 9. Rainwater harvesting – Fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource and requires energy to clean it and pump it into homes. So, rainwater harvesting that consists of a storage tank in the garden or under the ground that collects rain from your guttering is eco-friendly initiative that needn’t cost the earth. Use it to water the garden or to flush the loo; plumb a tank in or just use a hose…the costs vary but on average, a pump will cost 10p a week to run after the initial set up costs. See www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk or visit them at Grand Designs Live

• 10. Grow your Own – You may not have a garden the size of a football pitch. You may not even have a garden. But growing your own veggies is still easy for everyone and the clichés about the taste of food from your garden are all true. Start off with easy growing herbs and tomato plants in pots before tackling the intricacies of a large patch. The more of us that can grow our own, the more we can roll back a culture of food miles, yards of packaging and driving to the shops. Visit www.rhs.org.uk for more information.

Even more green tips and inspiration for every aspect of eco-design and homebuilding can be found at Grand Designs Live at the Birmingham NEC in October. Featuring celebrity experts, new interactive features and great advice, there is also a huge range of free seminars in our Grand Theatre and free consultations with an expert in the Design Centre - win tickets here.