There is definitely a brrr in the month as the miserable summer has been swiftly followed by an early winter. We had our first frosts in September and last week there was snow in the Highlands. While the past couple of days have been milder, as soon as the sun goes down the drop in temperature is dramatic. And anyone who isn’t entirely convinced that the seasons have gone awry should check out our garden – we’ve been harvesting a bumper crop of raspberries in October which are still attracting bees and butterflies!
Up until this week, our evenings were spent shivering in blankets due to the lack of a heating system. The old part of the house (with the draughty windows) has radiators but they were all covered with furniture so weren’t much use heating the rooms. The new build will have Thermaskirt heating but we’re not quite ready for installation yet. Though the extension is well-insulated, as it’s not being lived in yet there is no residual heat to keep in. Insulation isn’t ’smart’ – it is good at keeping a consistent temperature, so if the extension is generally cold, the insulation will keep all that cold air in.
We had resorted to a plug-in oil heater, which means we were alternating between watching our breath or overheated, dry air. While this is not exactly comfortable, the biggest problem is the energy it uses. We installed an energy monitor in June and have been watching our energy use rise and fall depending on what appliances are on. Most of the appliances we use during the day are fairly low consumption – phone, modem, computer. The TV, which is of the old fashioned cathode ray variety, doesn’t use very much. Our lights are all A rated energy savers so they hardly register on the monitor. The biggest jump is in the evening when we cook dinner. Baking uses a phenomenal amount of energy. Microwaves use comparitively less but not all food lends itself to microwave cooking. Basically, the hotter an appliance gets, the more energy it uses. Our little plug-in heater sends the monitor all the way to 11!
Most people probably aren’t aware of the energy it takes to heat a house but this is probably your single biggest energy cost. With energy prices going up so dramatically this winter, hopefully awareness will increase and consumers will try to reduce consumption to save money. ‘Insulation, insulation, insulation’ may be an eco build cliche but it bears repeating. If your house isn’t insulated properly you are paying to heat the cold air outside. Investing in this will not only save you money in the medium term but it will also reduce demand on energy sources that are rapidly diminishing. Check out if you are eligible for any of the grovernment grant schemes http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/What-can-I-do-today/Energy-saving-grants-and-offers or contact your energy supplier to see if they have any incentives for reducing energy.
One of the fundamentals of our current energy economy is the imperative for profit. The way the market is structured, all the big energy companies, though theoretically in competition with each other for the benefit of the consumer, in reality offer little choice in price and the benefits are all for their shareholders and directors. As your energy bills go up, no corners are being cut on executive salaries – their profit margin is well-insulated. So it’s not really in their interest to supply affordable or renewable energy. Though we are on a green tariff which means we pay for energy from a renewable source, our bill will be going up the same as yours. Let me repeat, savings are not passed on to the consumer.
The government is relunctant to address this issue and appear anti-competitive but some countries have attempted to introduce renewable energy supplies at a local or community level and fallen foul of EU anti-compeition laws. Apparently, because these schemes are cheap to run and will provide energy that is essentially free once the start-up costs are recouped, they will not be attractive to investors so therefore are anti-competitive! The consumer would be laughing though. Not to mention the planet.
And after that rant (if you have made it this far) some good news – the kids’ rooms are now floored and habitable (with the assistance of extension cords) so their furniture has been moved in, which frees up space in the older rooms so we can use our radiators. Woohoo. And yes, Mr. Wicander, we’re very happy with the cork flooring. Check it out:
Top bedroom with cork flooring
