Seriadevineri

A report published jointly by the UK Met Office and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in July 2010 came to the conclusion “unequivocally that the world is warming and has been for more than three decades”. The report is the first one to combine all the separate measurers of climate from upper atmosphere and ocean temperatures to sea level rises and glacier shrinkage. The report went on to conclude “Understanding climate change requires looking at the longer-term record. When we follow decade-to-decade trends using different data sets and independent analyses from around the world, we see clear and unmistakable signs of a warming world.” People looking for house extensions, should consider this report as eye-opener.  

But even then, if the report is not incentive enough to prompt movement towards energy efficient homes, the rise in heating costs certainly is. Those lucky enough to build their homes from scratch can incorporate energy efficient methods into the basic design with all new homes in England having to be carbon neutral from 2016. Every house-owner needs to keep this in mind before opting for house extensions. Those in existing properties, are left to do the best they can with shared buildings, listed and scheduled areas and basic structure having to be taken into account.

Although there are grants and incentives available to help to make homes more energy efficient, these are subject to variation and the best advice that we can give is that anyone considering installing energy efficient methods should speak to their proposed installer about what is available at the time. For house extensions You also need to talk to your local council as planning permission or building regulations may be required.

The first solution to look at is the solar water heater. Although the first records of these dates back to the 1800s, their use really took off in the 1960s. The technology has been around for long enough to be fairly robust and many are still working well thirty years after installation.

The drawback of solar water heaters is that they only heat water and they are now being overtaken by photovoltaic (PV) cells. These convert sunlight into electricity and the best ones will work to a limited extent even on a fairly cloudy day or in the winter. The benefit of PV cells over solar water heaters is that the electricity generated can be used for all household needs and surplus electricity can be sold back to the National Grid. So, prior to house extensions, house owners need to remember that energy efficiency is also a very important aspect for the house to be installed.

Coming up fast in the energy efficient stakes are the heat exchangers and heat pumps. These collect heat from the surrounding air or ground and use it to provide hot water and central heating. Because these can generally work in all temperatures from minus 25 degrees upwards they are perfect for the British winter. So, if you think that enduring the severe winter is going to be an integral part of house extensions, then you need to put this in mind.  Air source heat pumps can be attached to the outside of the house, in the attic or garage or in the garden and are therefore a less unsightly alternative to solar water heaters. The one drawback is that they can be noisy, but this is improving and most are comparable to the noise made by a refrigerator.

Finally, don’t discount the benefits of good insulation. A well insulated home will virtually do away with the need for any form of heating in most British winters so check up on levels of loft and wall insulation and top up if necessary.