Sustainable Renovation Consultancy

Bespoke green renovation for homes and historic buildings.

• Consultancy

• Surveys & Audits

• Project Management

• Education & Training

Tips for the DIYer

Before you make a start, there are some easy steps you can take to reduce your bills and the carbon emissions from your home.

1. Draught-proof external doors and windows.
2. Use only energy-efficient lightbulbs for room lighting.
3. For spotlights, reading lights and strip lighting where the light is focused, use LEDs, which consume far less energy than conventional lighting.
4. Include insulative Leka balls within plaster.
5. Fit a radiator reflector behind radiators on external walls to reduce heat loss.
6. Connect a smart meter to your incoming power supply to monitor your consumption and fit power-saving devices on all electrical appliances.
7. Fit a hippo-bag in your toilet cistern to reduce water consumption.
8. Divert rainwater from your roof into a water butt in your garden, which you can use to water garden plants.
9. Use furniture, furnishings and household goods from recycled, recyclable and renewable sources. Visit the links on our links page for further details. Wooden products are great as trees absorb carbon dioxide, replacing it with oxygen (avoid tropical hardwoods). In contrast, plastic products are produced by consuming a large amount of energy and emitting a large quantity of carbon-dioxide into the Earth's atmosphere.
10. Probably the easiest and most significant way you can limit your contribution to climate change is simply to turn the heating down a little. In winter, woollen products are great, and with your help, grandma's knitwear will come back into fashion!

More details and tips are avaiable in our free self-help pack for the DIYer.