Green upgrades for your home that will save you money

This article was published on Green Home Gnome (http://www.greenhomegnome.com)

Source - http://www.moneysupermarket.com/loans/infographics/saving-money-with-green-upgrades/

Screen reader version:

Green upgrades
Being green doesn’t just save the environment, but can also save you money

Wood burner – approximate saving = 10 percent off your gas bill a year
Wind turbine – approximate save = £200 a year
Loft insulation – approximaate saving = £180 a year
Double glazing – approximate saving = £170 a year
Floor insulation – approximate saving = £50 a year
Geothermal heat pump – approximate saving = £700 a year
Air to water pump – approximate saving = £700 a year
Solid wall insulation – approximate saving = £460 a year
Greenhouse – approximate saving = varies on use
Vegetable garden – approximate saving = varies on use
Watter butt – approximate saving = £10 a year
Cavity wall insulation – approximate saving = £140 a year
Solar panels – approximate saving = £645 a year

Solar panels

Benefits – get paid for the electricity you generate by selling surplus electric.

Maintenance – a little cleaning may be required. Professsional cleaning costs around 30

Cost – the average domestic solar PV system costs around £7,000 (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).

Wind turbine

Benefits – get paid for the electricity you generate through feed-in tariffs (roof-fitted or free-standing).
Cost – domestic wind turbines cost between £500 and 1,000. A turbine should last 20 years, but the inverter may need changing for around £700. Maintenance every few years costs 100 to 200
Savings – on average you could save £200 a year. Savings are highly dependent on the speed and direction of the wind.
Considerations – only consider a turbine if the 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

Drought-proofing roof, cavity wall, solid wall and floor insulation can all reduce your carbon footprint and energy bills.

Loft insulation – cost = £300, savings = up to £180
Cavity wall insulation – cost = £450, savings = up to £140
Floor insulation – cost = 300, savings = up to £50
Solid wall insulation – cost = £7000, savings up to £460

Water butt

Benefits – use rainwater to water the garden and wash your car and garden furniture.
Cost – a normal water butt costs around £30. Some UK Councils sell them at a reduced price.
Savings – you may only save money if your water is metered. However, a typical water butt will save around 5,000 litres of water a year.

Vegetable garden

Benefits – grow your own organic fruit and vegetables. Reduce your use of imported foods which cause large carbon emissions.
Cost – with the equipment needed for a vegetable garden and depending on the vegetables you wish to grow, expect to pay up to £50
Bonus tip – use old coffee, bananas and 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.

Greenhouse

Benefits – grow nearly any plant or flower in your own garden. Reduce reliance on air-freighted, high carbon supermarket food.
Cost – a 10′ x 6′ greenhouse will typically cost around £350 and smaller greenhouses can cost as little as £60.
Savings – 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.

Geothermal heat pump

Benefits – 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 a geo-solar system to increase efficiency.

Cost – a typical system costs around £10,000 to 17,000
Savings – you could save around £100 a year on gas bills and 600 on electric bills
Restrictions – you will need a garden suitable for digging a trench or borehole which is accessible to digging machinery.

Wood burner

Benefits – chance to reclaim unused wood. Reduce reliance on gas or electricity to heat your home.
Cost – wood burners retail for around £500 to 1,000 with installation a further £1,500 to 2,000. 1 m3 of wood costs £90.
Precautions – safety precautions should be taken with children. Check you’re not in a smoke control area.
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 percent on gas heating bills.

Double glazing

Benefits – reduce heat loss through windows. Reduce heating bills.
Cost – estimated cost for a semi-detached house is £5,000.
Savings – replacing all single-glazed windows with B-rated double glazing could save you around £170 per year.
Bonus tip – using heavy curtains, seated blinds and shutters can save even more by reducign drafts and heat loss.

Green household tips

Use distilled vinegar to clean – vinegar and water makes an effective multipurpose cleaner (1 part vinegar and 1 part water)

Green washing machines – use cooler temperatures to cut your electricity bills – modern washing machines are designed to be effective at cleaning at lower temperatures, requiring less energy to heat water

Reuse plastic bags – as bag liners, dog poop bags or just reuse them at the supermarket – savings aren’t huge but add up if your supermarket charges for plastic bags.

Freezers – don’t buy a freezer that’s too big for your needs. If it is more than 10 years old, consider buying a new one.

Grocery delivery – although a delivery van uses five times more carbon dioxide than a car, it can carry 20 times as much shopping – depending on how far from the store you live, you could also save money on fuel.

Line dry your laundry – using the wind to naturally dry your washing requires no energy at all – you could save more than £50 a year off energy bills.

Buy second hand – second hand furniture can save you a fortune when kitting out a new home. 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.

The post Green upgrades for your home that will save you money appeared first on Green Home Gnome.

Read our free guides to green homes at http://www.greenhomegnome.com/guides