From Guest Blogger Clare Evans: Renewable Energy — You Can Make a Difference and Save Money at Home

There is a pretty big buzz surrounding renewable or ‘green’ energy at the moment.

We’re all looking to do our bit for the planet – reduce our carbon footprint, lessen our reliance on fossil fuels, and help the environment – but we’re all feeling the pinch. Can we really make a difference whilst saving money at the home?

The answer is, of course, yes. Here are a number of ways renewable energy can help you do your bit for the planet whist saving money in the home:

1. Solar thermal vs. Photovoltaics

When it comes to solar energy for the home, there are a number of options open to you.

If you’re looking for an alternative way to heat your home, solar thermal panels are a great choice. Working alongside your existing system, solar thermal panels heat your hot water easily and efficiently.

Apart from the initial set up cost, you will pay nothing. That means free hot water for the whole time you own the house. Some local governments even offer grants that will reduce the cost of the panels even further.

If you’re looking to cut your energy bills, photovoltaic solar panels are the answer. You can also purchase these as special tiles which are much more subtle, and easy to replace. The panels will generate light energy for your home all year round and really help you save money.

The costs are high though, so it’s definitely worth looking into grants.

2. Ground source vs. air source heat pumps

Another way you can make a difference and save money in the home, is by replacing your boiler with something more ‘green’. Ground source pumps work in a very similar way, but rather than burning damaging fossil fuels they use underground heat.

A ground source system is made up of a network of pipes, buried underground. This is then linked to a heat pump which helps achieve the required temperature. Despite requiring little maintenance, these pumps won’t come cheap. You can save a great deal of money on your bills though.

Alternatively, you could turn to air source heat pumps.

These work by still using electricity but in a much more efficient manner. With a similar appearance to an air conditioning unit, these units are attached to an outside wall on your property. They work by taking heat from the air, and increasing it to the required temperature.

3. Biomass

Another source of renewable energy is biomass. This is the name given to wood burning systems such as stoves and boilers. This looks at the traditional log burning stoves, as well as pellet stoves and boilers which are much simpler to run.

Biomass systems can heat your home, and provide hot water easily and efficiently. These are obviously cheaper alternatives to solar panels and heat pumps, but can still save you a great deal on your annual heating bill.

As long as you have the room to store the logs and pellets, biomass heaters can dramatically reduce a home owners’ dependence on fossil fuels.

Renewable energy sources are a great way to do your bit for the planet. Making a difference is easier than you might think, and you can save considerable amounts of money in the home. Once you have made your initial costs back, your annual return on investment is certainly worthwhile.

Clare Evans writes on behalf of Auriga Services, sharing advice on saving money on utility bills and looking in depth at green energy alternatives.