Since lockdown we have been told about the positive impact this has had on the environment because we have stopped taking planes and car usage has dropped by a whopping 95% and we really should give this more thought as we start to come out of this pandemic. Nothing will be the same again, and many of us are hoping that a better work:life balance might be one of the real positives to come out of this awful situation, which will have the added benefit of helping the planet with less mileage and consequently less pollution.
But what else could we do as individuals to help get to that Net Zero target? We probably all try to walk the kids to school, religiously sort our recycling and use reusable shopping bags. But we have apparently all been using more energy in our homes than we normally would at this time of the year. It’s so easy to push up that thermometer to 20 degrees if we’re feeling a bit chilly. But I would bet the vast majority of us have gas boilers and gas central heating systems. These are definitely NOT helping the planet!!!
So maybe we should start making our opinions heard and demand more affordable alternatives to fossil fuels to heat our homes. Look at what happened when we made a fuss about all those plastic bags poisoning our planet! Supermarkets listened, and we need to do more of that in order to influence change.
The government’s climate change watchdog is likely to recommend regulations to ban all new fossil fuel domestic heating from 2035. This will apply in new homes by 2025. So, if it’s time to upgrade or replace your gas boiler, think about the planet and look at alternatives. This includes Heat Pumps, Solar Thermal Panels and Biomass boilers. I know these systems have their pros and cons. In particular, the high initial cost of installation. But when combined with the RHI payments and energy bill savings, they make a lot of sense, AND we’ll be doing our bit for the environment.
Lockdown has massively impacted our life’s but it’s also massively benefitted our environment. What can you do personally to ensure you do you bit when we come out of this?
