Why energy efficiency matters

Energy efficiency appears to be increasingly becoming a buzz word on people's lips, with everyone from politicians, to journalists to musicians informing Britons of the benefits of going green.

However, it may not be all hype, indeed, becoming more energy efficient does have numerous benefits, not only the chance that it could go some way towards helping the planet by limiting carbon emissions and therefore helping to halt climate change.

But there are also more immediate benefits that energy efficiency could present to consumers, such as the opportunity to enjoy cheaper gas and electricity bills.

Indeed, Julia Goodwin, editor at House Beautiful magazine, recently stated that going green is becoming an increasingly popular home improvement, saying: "Energy efficiency is enormous [... it is something that] people are interested in, absolutely."

Meanwhile, the Independent recently urged: "Starting to adapt your habits can help create momentum for change - the aggregated choices of individual consumers create economic waves that can transform the global marketplace - and help you to prepare and adapt for changes that may before long be thrust upon you anyway."

But what exactly can Britons do to improve their energy efficiency?

The Energy Saving Trust could be one useful source of information, asserting that central heating systems could be a positive place to start.

The green advice site notes that gas boilers account for 60 per cent of the carbon emissions released from the average gas central heating property, meaning that upgrading to a more energy efficient boiler could have a significant effect in reducing carbon emissions.

Indeed, upgrading an old G-rated boiler to the latest condensing type could see people reducing their carbon footprint and also saving money.

Also installing central heating with heating controls - which can ensure that only rooms which are occupied are heated when needed - could see bill payers saving some £235 every year.

These are sentiments echoed by boiler manufacturer Baxi, which recently launched its own green advice site, Baxi EnergyHub.

"For every pound you spend on gas, 25p is wasted with a conventional boiler. High efficiency boilers will turn over 90p of that pound into heat," it states.

Baxi explains that this is because a conventional gas boiler converts less that 78 per cent of its fuel into heat, while the remainder is released as a waste product.

"You are paying for that wasted heat, so it's damaging to the environment and to your finances," the group claims.

However, upgrading a boiler is not the only action that Britons can take if they wish to give their energy efficiency efforts a well-timed boost.

Too go really green, consumers may wish to follow Baxi's advice and invest in renewable energy technology.

Typically for homeowners, this technology falls into four different categories - solar panels, ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps and biomass boilers - meaning there could be something to suit everyone.

Ground and air source heat pumps work in a similar way, collecting heat stored in either the ground or air and converting it into usable heat for the home, whether by giving radiators a boost in addition to their usual energy source or by powering underfloor heating.

Meanwhile, a biomass boiler is powered by wood chips or pellets, which people can purchase from a sustainable source of trees, safe in the knowledge that, unlike with fossil fuels, it will be replaced.

Finally, solar panels can be used for everything from boosting central heating, to warming water, to generating electricity.

With so many options available, Britons may wish to stop putting off moves to become more energy efficient and make changes now, before, as the Independent warned, they are "thrust" upon them.