Environmental Sustainability - FAQ's
Climate Change is a change in global or regional climate patterns caused by an increase in carbon dioxide.
Climate Change is mainly caused by the use of fossil fuels. However, deforestation, an increase of livestock agriculture, and fluorinated gases can also affect it.
Coal, oil and natural gases are the main examples of fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels are a limited resource and non-renewable so our dependence on fossil fuels cannot be sustained.
Climate Change will naturally warm up our planet causing extreme events such as heatwaves, droughts, forest fires, irregular and heavy rainfall, floods and cyclones.
All of these changes have a negative impact on biodiversity, wildlife habitats, rising sea levels and soil degradation.
Carbon emissions are created when things such as fossil fuels are burned for energy. Reducing carbon emissions will reduce the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
A carbon footprint is the measurement of the total amount of emissions released into the atmosphere because of an individuals or organisations actions.
Carbon footprints are normally measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
Wind, solar, tidal, hydro and geothermal energy are all examples of renewable energy sources.
A renewable energy source means that the energy created from this source is infinite and sustainable.
Putting a bigger focus on renewable energy will be critical to reducing the impacts of climate change.
Environmental sustainability is an approach that aims to preserve and support life on our planet, without having a negative impact on humans, animals, and natural resources.
In 2019 the UK Government set a precedent by passing legislation to ensure the UK will be net zero emissions by 2050.
Net Zero means that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the UK released into the atmosphere must be balanced out by removing the same amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund was launched by the Government to help registered providers of social housing improve the energy performance of their housing stock.
By improving energy performance across our housing stock, we will be able to provide warmer, more efficient homes, reduce our housing stock carbon emissions, tackle fuel poverty and support the local green economy by developing the retrofit industry.
Retrofitting a home refers to any addition or work that helps improve energy efficiency and reduces the overall emissions from that home.
By carrying out retrofit improvements and enhancing the energy efficiency of our homes, we will ensure that they are more comfortable, sustainable and cheaper to run for our tenants.
Retrofit will also aide us in decarbonising our housing stock to address the climate emergency and reach our net zero aspiration.
Solar PV panels help to capture the sun’s energy and convert it to electricity for you to use in your home. This means you won’t use as much electricity from the national grid.
The Energy Saving Trust have further information on how renewable electricity can be generated with solar panels - A comprehensive guide to solar panels - Energy Saving Trust.
Air source heat pumps capture heated air from outside and move it inside of your home. Air source heat pumps are generated using electricity.
The Energy Saving Trust have further information on how air source heat pumps can be used to heat your home - A guide to air source heat pumps - Energy Saving Trust.
Yes, we have fitted 50 homes with solar panels (or PV panels) and we plan to fit a further 23 in 2022/23.
The average installation time from the scaffolding going up will be 4 days, the longest an installation will take is 7 days.
You will use the electricity generated by the panels. Surplus electricity is stored in a battery for use when the panels are not generating electricity. The stored electricity is used before you use any electricity from the grid.
Rigid insulation is fixed to the external walls of the property and a finish such as render or cladding is then fixed to the insulation.
It prevents damp and acts as a heat insulator to keep homes warmer for longer reducing the cost to heat your home.
An air source heat pump is a low-carbon way of heating your home. The air source heat pump takes heat from the air and boosts it to a higher temperature using a compressor, it then transfers the heat to the heating system in your home, and heats the water you need in a hot water cylinder for your shower, bath and taps.
There are a number of different air source heat pumps in use in our homes. Read the user guides for yours below:
- Panasonic - User guide
- Daikin - User guide | Controls user guide
- Mitsubishi - User guide | Controls user guide
The pump uses electricity to run, but it uses less electrical energy than the heat it produces. This makes them an energy-efficient way to warm your home. Air source heat pumps work even if the temperature is well below zero.
Your radiators will feel cooler to touch compared to a traditional gas boiler system, but they are sized to ensure each room stays warm and comfortable, even on the coldest days.
Make sure that there's plenty of air around your heat pump. This means regularly checking for leaves or rubbish caught at the back and side of the heat pump and pruning back any plants growing too close to the unit or its pipes. In very cold weather make sure to clear snow from the air source heat pump. Do not stack things against or on top of the heat pump as this could restrict the air flow or damage the unit.
Keep the area around your heat pump clear – The heat pumps pull heat energy from the air and to do this it needs a clear flow of air down the back and side. The cleaner the air flow the more heat it will absorb to use to heat your home.
On colder days you may see steam coming from your heat pump this is normal it’s called the de-icing cycle. This cycle should only take a couple of minutes.
Turning the system off completely will cause significant delays in reheating the home and hot water, it is recommended that the heating is kept on and running at around 15 degrees for optimal efficiency.
When turning the system back on after being off, the ASHP system will have to run above its optimized working load meaning increased usage over leaving it on, we would recommend turning it down or up depending on the need or time of the year, or use one of the modes settings, but not off.
Due to the nature of the system, it will take longer to warm up over traditional systems, it can take around one hour to raise temperatures by 5℃. Heating your home after the system has been off off can take up to two hours. Larger radiators have been installed to help with this. we recommend using the timer settings to ensure that the home is warm when needed.
Depending on usage, electricity bills may be slightly higher than you have had previous, however this is offset by not having any gas bill to pay for.
If you experience any issues with the heating system, get in touch.