Home Energy
Home energy use accounts for a lot of our carbon footprint – and bills. Most of the energy is used for keeping us warm. There is so much we can do to save energy and cut our bills – some of it simple and cheap, some requiring more investment. Read on…. and check out our reference information and energy projects on the right.
Talking Heat Pumps
On 6 November, we had a fascinating talk on Heat Pumps by Bean Beanland of the Heat Pump Federation. Bean described how heat pumps are 3-4 times as efficient as gas for heating, because they take warmth from the world around and ‘concentrate’ it to warm our homes. They work on electricity, which is increasingly provided by renewables, rather than fossil fuels, which means their carbon footprint is reducing even further every year. He told us that if your boiler is running at 55 degrees output (the most efficient temperature for a condensing boiler), then a heat pump will be able to replace...
Heat Pumps – will they work for me?
Why heat pumps? Gas and oil boilers are being phased out, because the fossil fuels they burn account for about a fifth of our household carbon footprint. Heat pumps are much more efficient (3 or more times as efficient as gas boilers) and the electricity they use is increasingly provided by renewable sources like wind and solar. That’s why the government is subsidising heat pump installation. How do heat pumps work? A heat pump works like an air conditioner or fridge, but in reverse – it cools the outside air (or ground) and transfers that heat to inside your home. Usually, that heat is...
Straw Bale Buildings: a talk on 19 June 2025
Come and learn all about sustainable building with natural materials, from national expert Salli Gosling. Thursday 19th June, 7pm, Kinver Senior Citizens Club Salli will cover how straw bales are used – for infill, load-bearing, or as pre-filled panels. She’ll then talk about the other natural materials which complete the job: lime and clay plasters, earth floors, wood fibre board and more. And our very own Phil Jones will describe building his own, well-insulated garden office using straw bales.
Getting financial support for insulation and other energy-saving measures
We have been looking into the various grants and schemes available for homeowners and tenants looking to improve their home's energy efficiency. The good news is that there are several schemes offering financial support to get insulation upgraded and energy use reduced in your home. The bad news is it can be hard to navigate; the schemes change; and not everyone who would seem to qualify ends up being able to access the grants. So, we offer what guidance we have to get you started. Check the government websites To get the most up-to-date information, check out the government's pages on...
My straw bale garden office: self build blog
Committee member Phil is building a straw bale building in his garden to act as an office as he works from home. Follow his journey using this highly efficient building method. February Over the next few months, I’ll be reporting progress on my new garden office, which I hope to have built this summer (2024). I’m a transport planner and highway engineer and work mostly from home in Kinver, currently in a wooden summer house. As the name suggests the building is fine when it’s warm, but despite my best efforts to put in some insulation it gets a bit nippy in the winter. It’s also...
Find out about Community Solar with MyLOW Carbon Ltd
Have you been considering solar panel installation on your home? It could be a wise choice. With rising energy prices and the uplift in purchase of electric vehicles, harnessing the power from the sun at home is a great way to reduce energy bills while limiting your reliance on fossil fuels. Community Solar installer, MyLOW Carbon Ltd, have just completed their first installations in the village and would love to help more villagers take advantage of their reduced-cost solar panels. The idea is simple – MyLOW Carbon Ltd have identified Kinver as a place with high potential solar panel...
How warm are Kinver homes? We find out with our thermal imaging camera
In this cold weather, we’ve been seeing what our thermal camera can tell us about where the heat is escaping from local homes. Our hope is these examples can help people in the village identify what remedial actions might suit their home to prevent heat loss. If you want to find out where your home is losing the most heat, a visit with the camera could be the solution as it indicates the temperature of surfaces around the home. What we are looking for is discrepancies between the average room temperature and that of its walls, floors, ceilings, windows and doors. The camera certainly shows...
5 easy ways to reduce heat loss at home
If your home is losing heat, it will inevitably be impacting on your energy bills. You will be upping the thermostat or running your heating for longer to counteract the heat loss, frittering money away to maintain a comfortable temperature. There are lots of things you can do to improve the efficiency of your home – such as installing better insulation or upgrading your windows – but these cost both time and money. Luckily, there are less-invasive ways to reduce heat loss, and many can be done today with the right materials. Give them a go to make your home feel warmer and less draughty,...
Find out where heat is escaping from your home with our thermal imaging camera
With rising energy bills we are all looking for ways to save some money on our heating. And heat loss around the home is one way you are pouring money down the drain (or losing it up the chimney...), so knowing what areas are making your property thermally inefficient is important. Our thermal camera will show up the cold spots, and help with prioritising actions to make your home more comfortable, and cut your bills. It's already helped people to spot sections of wall which are poorly insulated, chimneys which are letting heat escape, and uneven loft insulation. We will demonstrate the...
Kinver Eco Energy Fair 2023
Kinver Eco Energy FairIf you missed the event, click below for presentations, film and info.Thank you to those who attended Kinver Climate Action Group's first Eco Energy Fair on 1st October 2023. With the onset of cooler weather, and thoughts turning to cutting out energy bills, the group felt this was a great time to give villagers plenty of advice on improving their home's efficiency and cutting energy. We hosted speakers and stalls covering everthing from quick and simple actions which save you money, all the way through to planning a full-house retrofit and prioritising what to tackle...
Home Energy Info
For background info and useful links about home energy, heat pumps, solar, grants and more, visit our Home Energy Info pages
Home Energy MOT
In Winter, we offer a free Home Energy MOT, reviewing ways you could save energy, and using our Thermal Camera to spots where the cold is creeping in.