So you’ve started to review your home’s energy efficiency and equipment and reviewed the decision tree diagram in the first blog in this series (https://ukifda.org/make-the-right-decarbonisation-decision-for-your-off-gas-grid-home/) but now you may need some help in evaluating your home and knowing your options
There are five elements to this. The below links should help you understand:
1. your current equipment 2. your home’s current energy rating 3. what improvements could be made to your home and associated costs 4. your technology options and costs 5. what grants could be available for energy efficiency or technology switching.
Your Current Equipment
The OFTEC website is a good place to begin.
Appliance types – https://www.oftec.org/consumers/off-gas-grid-heating-guides/liquid-fuel/appliances-and-systems.
Fuel Storage Tanks – https://www.oftec.org/consumers/off-gas-grid-heating-guides/liquid-fuel/storage-tanks.
If you are still not sure what systems you have and whether a new boiler could save your energy and money you can find your nearest local OFTEC technician here
Glowgreen has a guide to verifying the age of a boiler https://www.glowgreenltd.com/blog/how-old-is-my-boiler/.
The Building Energy Performance Assessment site includes a boiler database which may help http://www.ncm-pcdb.org.uk/sap/pcdbsearch.jsp?pid=26.
Our own UKIFDA website contains information on tanks https://ukifda.org/consumers/oil-tank-care/ and the Oilcare Campaign website also provides help on understanding your oil tank http://oilcare.org.uk/look-after-your-oil/gtkyot/.
Energy Rating
You may not have Energy Performance Certificate – EPC (UK) or Building Energy Rating Certificate – BER (Ireland) if your house has not been sold in recent years.
In the UK, the government webpage provides information on how to get an EPC https://www.gov.uk/buy-sell-your-home/energy-performance-certificates.
In the Republic of Ireland similar information can be found here https://www.seai.ie/home-energy/building-energy-rating-ber/how-to-get-a-ber/.
Improvements
The UKIFDA website https://ukifda.org/consumers/oil-tank-care/ and the Oilcare Campaign http://oilcare.org.uk/look-after-your-oil/getting-a-new-oil-tank-for-your-home-things-to-think-about/ have some good advice if you wish to replace your oil storage tank.
The Simple Energy Advice website provide impartial advice https://www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/.
The Energy Savings Trust has lots of information on its website including a whole section on home improvement https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency/home-improvements and a handy visual of the potential savings you could make https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency/energy-saving-quick-wins.
Technology Options
Which is a trusted source of information https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/home-heating-systems/article/home-heating-systems/the-best-heating-for-your-home.
Energy Saving Trust provide an overview of boiler replacement options https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency/boiler-replacement.
The following provides a comprehensive overview of home heating options https://www.bestheating.com/info/the-mostly-complete-guide-to-home-heating-systems/.
OFTEC again are a good source of data
An overview of available options https://www.oftec.org/consumers/off-gas-grid-heating-guides/options-are-available.
A comparison of costs https://www.oftec.org/news/2020/03/10/cheaper-heating-bills-for-oil-households-as-industry-prepares-a-greener-fuel.
A comparison of the cost of saving one tonne of carbon in home heating https://www.oftec.org/future-heating.
Grants
Our own website provides more detail on energy efficiency options and also links to the UK government’s green deal scheme https://ukifda.org/consumers/energy-efficiency-tips/.
Simple Energy Advice has a page dedicated to energy grants in the UK https://www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/grants which is lined to via the government’s own site https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency. The government also detail the Renewable Heat Incentive here https://www.gov.uk/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive although this expires in March 20 and as yet there is no known replacement.
Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert website includes a page on energy grant information https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/grant-grabbing/ and Turn2Us is a charity which sets out energy grant schemes by country https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Grants-for-Energy-Efficiency/Country-schemes.
In Ireland the Sustainable Energy Authority details the types of support available https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/.
Kingspan are an energy partners with SEAi and explain grants on their website https://www.kingspan.com/irl/en-ie/services/home-energy-retrofit-solutions/seai-grants.
The commission for regulation of utilities https://www.cru.ie/home/energy-saving-advice/ and Citizens Information https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/housing_grants_and_schemes/home_energy_saving_scheme.html both offer advice on grants.
We hope that the above provides information for you to complete your personal plan in conjunction with the UKIFDA decision tree. In the third blog we will expand more on future biofuels (which was mentioned as one possible technology option above) and detail the work that UKIFDA is doing to show that this is a cost-effective option and should play its part in the decarbonised future.
