Heat loss from homes, which equates to unnecessary wasted energy and a waste of money, comes under the spotlight today with the launch of the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council’s nationwide Hole in the Roof campaign.
Set to raise awareness of the benefits to be gained from having an energy efficient home, the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) wants to help households save money by encouraging them to make changes in their energy habits as a means of bringing down the cost of keeping their homes warm and comfortable.
Of course, old habits die hard and when it comes to relearning behaviour attributed to energy efficiency, it’s not going to be a walk in the park. But with gas and electricity prices on the rise and showing no sign of abating, the Hole in the Roof campaign believes if a difference is to be made then it’s got to come down to a good old fashioned change in human behaviour.
Commenting on the new campaign, HHIC director Roger Webb said: “The Hole in the Roof campaign is all about making simple changes in the home in order to make your environment more energy efficient. We want people to become enthused about changing their behaviour and that collectively we can make a difference. We can’t force people to change their behaviour but we can try to tap into the reasons they might want to.”
The ole in the Roof campaign has its own fun interactive website which has been launched to coincide with the energy saving initiative. Featuring a two dimensional house, simply by clicking on technologies including solar thermal panels, heating controls and heat pumps visitors will be able to learn about the benefits of energy saving technologies.
Energy efficiency is all about saving money and improving living conditions whilst being kinder to the environment by reducing greenhouse gases. And there are a variety of inexpensive measures which householders can embrace, such as draught proofing, using radiator reflectors and sealing an unused chimney. More expensive technologies and measures, including installing cavity wall insulation and loft insulation or fitting a modern condensing boiler can also help drive down escalating energy bills. And with around 60% of a typical household energy bill attributed to heating, having a well insulated home kitted out with energy saving technologies is the key to keeping costs down.
Backing the campaign, ex-Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper said: “A huge amount of the power and heat we generate does no good at all, it lights empty rooms, powers TVs that no one is watching and goes through walls and doors, and that is not only an issue for our environment, it is also a massive waste of money.”
Other leading experts to get behind the scheme – which is also designed to stimulate interest in heating and energy saving products and technologies – include Daily Mirror financial journalist Jasmine Birtles and Charlie Luxton from the BBC’s DIY SOS.
