By Freya Aitchison
Home Energy Scotland can advise homeowners how to reduce carbon emissions and costs at the same time.
The latest in a regular series of opinion columns by members of climate campaign group Time for Change Argyll and Bute
Tackling the climate crisis and the cost of living crisis together in housing
The recent rise in energy bills and in the cost of living has made it increasingly difficult for many people in Scotland to keep their houses warm, plunging many into fuel poverty and forcing people to make difficult choices between heating and other essentials such as food.
However, this is not the only difficulty faced by the housing sector, with 13 per cent of Scotland’s annual CO2 emissions coming from heating and powering people’s homes – that’s more than three times as much as the aviation and shipping sectors combined.
The good news is that there are some simple solutions which address both the climate and social impacts of keeping our houses warm.
Last week Time for Change hosted a talk from Home Energy Scotland, an organisation funded by the Scottish government and managed by the Energy Saving Trust to deliver free, impartial advice to anyone in Scotland about which energy efficiency and home renewables options are best suited to their personal situation, saving them both money and emissions.
One of the key aims of Home Energy Scotland is finding a plan that works for individuals.
Many homes in Argyll are old, draughty and remote, so the options for insulation or renewable energy systems that would work in a newly built house in a city might not be appropriate.
Representatives can talk to householders by phone and email, and even visit houses all over Scotland to help people work out the best option.
They also take personal budgets into account and will help find different options for grants and loans from various sources to make retrofitting homes more affordable.
One of the most effective things that can be done to reduce energy bills at the same time as carbon emissions is to make homes more energy efficient, so nobody has to use too much energy in the first place.
Insulation is the easiest way to do this, and Home Energy Scotland can take people through the different options for this as different types of houses require different types of insulation.
Once householders have made sure their house is as energy efficient as possible, they might want to think about installing a renewable energy system, either for heating, electricity generation or hot water.
Again, what works best in one place may not be suitable in another, but Home Energy Scotland can help with decisions regarding what is best for each property and those who live there.
Some of the options include air source and ground source heat pumps, solar panels, or micro hydro schemes.
The recording of our talk and questions with Home Energy Scotland can be watched on our website www.timeforchangeargyllandbute.org and people can get in touch with Home Energy Scotland directly through their website or by calling their free phone line on 0808 808 2282.