Heating Systems for Existing Homes
Hastoe has again been successful in its bid in the Government's Renewable Heat Premium Payment Social Housing competition. We have been awarded the maximum grant available to put towards the cost of retrofitting 77 properties in the West and East regions with ground source heat pumps.
We have fitted this type of heating system in other Hastoe properties and residents have reported an improved level of warmth and comfort throughout the house and in some cases, a saving in fuel bills also. Last year, we were awarded £175,000 (maximum available) grant to retrofit heat pumps to 13 properties in Norfolk. If you would like find out more about ground source heat pumps and what our residents have to say, take a look at our video below.
Wimbish Passivhaus achieves official accreditation
Our first Passivhaus scheme at Wimbish near Saffron Walden received its official accreditation as a Passivhaus scheme - making it the first rural accredited scheme in the country. Passivhaus is a energy and comfort standard originating in central Europe, which requires very high levels of insulation and air tightness, resulting in low energy, low carbon properties. Residents in the 14 unit development are already starting the reap the benefits of living in the low energy homes, with one resident receiving a £30 gas bill for six months. We are currently monitoring the properties for 2.5 years to see how they perform, funded by the Technology Strategy Board. For more information see the dedicated Wimbish site:
http://www.wimbishpassivhaus.com/
Gaymer Memorial Cottage Retrofit
Unbelievably the retrofit has been completed for just over a year and the resident, Mrs Lawrence is just approaching her first anniversary of moving in. A major retrofit was carried out on 4, Gaymer Memorial Cottage in Attleborough, Norfolk, after winning £150,000 from the Government's Technology Strategy Board to test low carbon technologies. Improvements to the 1940's cottage included increased levels of insulation and an air source heat pump. The target was to reduce carbon emissions by 80% and overall a 92% reduction was achieved. Mrs Lawrence experienced her first cold snap in the property in February after a relatively mild winter and confirmed that the cottage remained toasty and warm. She is also starting to benefit from lower energy bills too.
Hastoe residents trained on how to save energy and money Our residents have recently benefited from a training course delivered by Sustainable Homes. The course covered a range of topics relating to energy efficiency, including Top Ten Energy Saving Tips, advice on how to get the best tariff and grants and benefits available. Participants found the training extremely useful and on average rated the training 4.5 out of 5. One resident said "A lot of the tips are really simple. I can't wait to get home to try out everything I have learnt today." For more information about training opportunities or energy efficiency, please contact Jane Keiller on 020 8973 0424 or email:
jkeiller@hastoe.com.
Top tips for going green
As you know we are going green at Hastoe and have already seen the energy bills in our offices reduce by encouraging staff not to leave their appliances on standby at night (the Director of Operations has to crawl under her desk to do this which is a source of entertainment to us all!). With the credit crunch biting, here are some energy and money saving tips that we recommend to you:
It has been said before but turning down your heating thermostat by two degrees will save 500kg of carbon dioxide and can cut your heating bill.
Always finish one pot before starting another. Buy only the fruit and veg that you are going to eat – in short - don’t throw money in the bin! Buy just the right amount of food to save 190kg of carbon dioxide.
It’s greener to re-use than to make from new. Have you thought about using bread bags for dealing with the things that pets leave behind? Recycle as much as possible, to save 330kg of carbon dioxide.
Change fewer light bulbs – Switch to low energy light bulbs. They are longer lasting, saving 130kg of carbon dioxide and can cut your energy costs.
Never been to a charity shop – heard about vintage chic? What about a clothes exchange with your neighbours, especially children’s clothes and school uniforms, and winter coats for the adults? Old is the new ‘new’!
And the simplest and most cost effective of all - think before you buy - reduce the amount of goods you buy by a fifth and save 550kg of carbon dioxide, enough to fill nearly 3 double decker buses.
Some other useful sources of information
www.bbcgreen.com for more tips, useful information and help with taking action
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk for advice on energy efficiency
www.actionco2.directgov.uk/carboncalc to calculate your annual carbon footprint for home and travel
www.climatecare.org to measure carbon footprints for individual journeys
www.recyclenow.com for helpful recycling tips
Going Green at Hastoe
The carbon footprint of domestic housing is one of the biggest contributors to global warming in Britain – so when you look at it that way, it is you, our residents, who can make the biggest impact on saving the planet. We want to do all we can to help you in doing this. It is also where communities working together can really make a difference, so it may not seem like much to turn the light off when you leave the room – but what if every Hastoe resident did it every day!
Get in touch, get involved
If you would like to have your say on Greening Hastoe, contribute ideas or want more information on our plans and activities, we welcome your questions and input - please contact us at
greening@hastoe.com.