Saving Money with Green Upgrades

SAVING MONEY WITH GREEN UPGRADES Being green doesn't just save the environment, but can also save you money. Wood Burner Approximate 10% off Wind Turbine Solar Panels Approximate your gas bill a year Oproximate Loft Insulation Approkimate Cavity Wall Insulation Saving oximate Double Glazing rOximate Floor Insulation Appro: DDrOximate £50 Water Butt PprOximate a year Vegetable Garden ADproximale Air to Water Pump Geothermal Solid Wall Heat Pump Greenhouse Insulation Droximate APproxima HOpIONim, ODIOximate proximate Varies on use Benefits SOLAR PANELS Get paid for the electricity you generate by selling surplus electric. Maintenance Cost A little cleaning maybe required. Professional cleaning costs The average domestic solar PV system costs around £7,000 around £30. (including VAT). Savings A 3.5 kWp system generates around 3,000 kWh of electricity a year, three-quarters of a typical household's needs. If eligible for the Feed-In Tariff scheme, it could save around £645 a year.* *based on a 3.5 kWp solar PV system Benefits Get paid for the electricity yoU generate through feed-in-tariffs. Roof-fitted or free-standing. WIND TURBINE Cost Savings Domestic wind turbines cost between On average you could save £200 a year. £500 and £1,000. A turbine should last 20 years, but the inverter may need changing for Savings are highly dependent on the speed and direction of the wind. around £700. Maintenance every few years costs £100 to £200. Considerations Only consider a turbine if the local annual average windspeed is 6 m/s or more and there are no significant nearby objects such as buildings, trees or hills that will reduce the windspeed. Some areas may require planning permission. INSULATION Draught-proofing,roof, cavity wall, solid wall and floor insulation can all reduce your carbon footprint and energy bills. A Cavity Wall Insulation $avings Loft Insulation Cost Savings Cost Up to £300 £180 £450 Up to £140 Solid Wall Insulation $avings Floor Insulation Cost Savings Cost Up to Up to £300 £50 £7000 £460 Benefits Use rainwater to Water the garden Wash your car and garden furniture WATER BUTT Cost Savings You may only save money if your water is metered. However, typical water butt will save around 5,000 litres of water a year. A normal water butt costs a around £30. Some UK Councils sell them at a reduced price. Benefits Grow your own organic fruit and vegetables. VEGETABLE GARDEN Reduce your use of imported foods which cause carbon emissions. large Cost Bonus Tip With the equipment needed for a vegetable garden and depending on the vegetables you wish to grow, expect to pay up to £50. Use old coffee, bananas and BONUS peelings to make compost. Savings Savings may be minimal once you've paid for cloches, netting and tools. Vegetable gardens are a good investment for those who have the time and like gardening, rather than those looking to save money. Benefits Grow nearly any plant your own garden. Reduce reliance on air-freighted, high carbon supermarket food. flower in GREENHOUSE Cost Savings A 10' x 6' greenhouse will typically cost around £350, and smaller greenhouses can cost as little as £60. Savings can vary drastically depending on what you grow and your greenhouse size. It really is a labour of love in terms of the time you need to invest to make significant savings. Benefits GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP Uses the earth as a heat source (in the winter) or a heat sink (in the summer). Can be combined with solar heating to form systemto increase efficiency. a geo-solar Cost Savings 3. You could save around £100 a year on Gas bills and £600 on electric bills. A typical system costs around £10,000 to £17,000. Restrictions You will need a garden suitable for digging a trench or borehole,which is accessible to digging machinery. Benefits Chance to reclaim unused wood. WOOD BURNER Reduce reliance on gas or electricity to heat your home. Cost Precautions Safety precautions should be taken with children. Wood burners retail for around £500 to £1,000 with installation a further £1,500 to £2,000. Check you're not in a smoke control area. 1m of wood costs £90. Savings Savings vary depending on the size of the room, other heating, price of fuel and whether it has a back boiler providing hot water. You could save an estimated 10% on gas heating bills. Benefits Ф Reduce heat loss through DOUBLE GLAZING windows. Reduce heating bills. Cost Savings Replacing al windows with B-rated double single-glazed Estimated cost for a semi-detached glazing could save you around £170 per year. house is £5,000. Bonus Tip Using heavy curtains, sealed blinds and shutters can save even more by reducing drafts and heat loss. BONUS GREEN HOUSEHOLD TIPS USE DISTILLED VINEGAR TO CLEAN GREEN WASHING MACHINES Vinegar and water makes an effective multipurpose cleaner. Use cooler temperatures to cut your electricity bills. 1 PART VINEGAR 1 PART WATER MODERN WASHING MACHINES ARE DESIGNED TO BE EFFECTIVE AT CLEANING AT LOWER TEMPERATURES, REQUIRING LESS ENERGY TO HEAT WATER REUSE PLASTIC BAGS FREEZERS As bin liners, dog poop bags or just reuse them at the supermarket. Don't buy a freezer that's too big for your needs. SAVINGS AREN'T HUGE IF IT IS MORE THAN 10 BUT ADD UP IF YOUR 2p + 2p YEARS OLD, CONSIDER BUYING A NEW ONE SUPERMARKET CHARGES FOR PLASTIC BAGS GROCERY DELIVERY LINE DRY YOUR LAUNDRY Although a delivery van uses 5 times more carbon dioxidethan Using the wind to naturally dry your washing requires no energy at all. a car, it can carry 20 times as much shopping. YOU COULD SAVE MORE THAN DEPENDING ON HOW FAR FROM THE STORE YOU LIVE, YOU COULD £50 A YEAR OFF ENERGY BILLS ALSO SAVE MONEY ON FUEL BUY SECOND HAND Second hand furniture can save you a fortune when kitting out a new home. 20X YOU'LL STOP GOOD FURNITURE FROM FILLING UP LANDFILLS. USE SITES SUCH AS EBAY, GUMTREE AND FREECYCLE TO FIND GOOD QUALITY FURNITURE FOR BARGAIN PRICES ebay freecycle.org Gumtree Sources Air source heat pumps - benefits, costs and fuel savings – www.servicemagic.co.uk Water butts and water saving offers - www.southwestwater.co.uk Energy Saving Trust - www.energysavingtrust.org.uk Wind Turbines - www.which.co.uk Supermarket home delivery service promotes its green credentials – www.guardian.co.uk Geothermal heat pump - www.wikipedia.org Could a wood-burning stove save you money on energy bills? – www.dailymail.co.uk Growing your own - does it really save you money? – www.which.co.uk Greenhouse - www.ecofriendlyhouses.net Air Breeze Marine Wind Turbine 12v Wind Generator - www.ecopowershop.co.uk How much money will a micro-wind turbine save? - www.northampton.gov.uk TM MoneySupermarket com saving saving saving Saving Appro. saving saving saving saving Approx saving saving Appro *****.... saving saving %3D Appro