Open Space Meeting Report: Energy Efficiency

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This was a very rambly discussion and it touched on a lot of points and came to few conclusions

• the Energy Saving Trust EST gives advice on energy efficiency in the home
  • but it is not always easy to understand
• home improvements such as insulation involves hassle and investment
  • a limited budget can be a big barrier to installing improvements
  • limited spare time is also a barrier
  • may involve significant internal rearrangements e.g. for boiler siting
    • and wall thickness if you do not have cavity walls which is common in Cambridge in older houses
  • people who do not have the time or skill to do it themselves need to hire someone to do it
    • more expensive
    • needs to be someone they can trust - how do we know who to trust?
    • could we get cheaper assistance e.g. from apprentices at CRC?
  • there is lots of information available but not always easy to understand
  • it would be helpful to be able to share experiences with other people in similar situations
  • residents associations might be able to help - often there are whole streets of similar houses
    • can copy solutions from one to the other
• heating
  • insulation really helps but see above
  • housing associations limit flexibility in e.g. choice of fuel
    • but they often have similar houses
• water
  • solar thermal heating is an option at least in summer
  • can we use less hot water? (our parents did not shower or bathe nearly so much as we do)
  • water softeners can make a difference in hard water areas as otherwise e.g. kettle furring reduces efficiency
• appliances
  • it is difficult to keep track of the energy use of appliances without e.g. a smart meter
  • do people really check ratings before they buy a product - the ratings should be more prominent