Time is running out for the UK to meet its carbon reduction targets and the way we live has to change. A big part of that will be saying goodbye to our gas and oil boilers, which the UK is looking to phase out almost completely by 2050. Indeed, in
IMPORTANT plans for the future supply of homes in Edinburgh have been given the go-ahead by Councillors at a hearing on the 22 MAY 2019. The 655-home development at Cammo Estate is a consortium project by CALA Homes and David Wilson Homes and includes 164 much-needed affordable homes. The development
The Mayor of Dawlish has officially opened Cavanna Homes’ latest show home at Barley Meadow community in Dawlish with a ribbon-cutting. The development, located off Secmaton Lane, has already secured four reservations. Councillor Lisa Mayne was joined by Andy Addison, Head of Operations, Lauren Pybus, Sales Manager, and Anne Beadle,
Traditional, handcrafted building styles have made way for more cost-effective and less time-consuming modern-day methods as the homebuilding industry works hard to deliver the government’s ambitious target of 300,000 new builds each year. In the Westcountry however, fourth-generation family firm Cavanna Homes is investing in the skills of an artisan
The new partnership between Wates Residential and Orbit will bring a further 42 new homes to the London Borough of Bexley. Already creating more than 700 homes in Bexley, the partnership will further contribute to the redevelopments of a site on West Street in Erith. “We are delighted to be
Galliford Try Partnerships has been named to deliver the first 725 homes at Enfield Council’s £6 billion Meridian Water scheme. After a robust evaluation of four very strong bids, Enfield Council’s Cabinet decided that developer Galliford Try Partnerships is best placed to deliver on value, quality, design and financial robustness.
A £102 million contract has been sealed by Balfour Beatty for the delivery of 302 Zero Carbon Homes near the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The firm will build phase one of the East Wick and Sweetwater development, which involves four mixed use buildings, including 302 apartments, townhouses and duplex residencies
House builders Crossman Homes is installing electric car charging points at five of its recent developments and has committed to integrating them in all future schemes. The company will be installing charging points at its developments at Weston Park and at Lansdown Court in Lansdown in Bath and at Speedwell
The UK has been embroiled in a housing crisis for quite some time, and London has taken the brunt of the impact in many respects. While many people are eager to live and work in the capital, there’s unfortunately not enough room or opportunity for everyone. Space is limited and
Eco-friendly homes are all the rage right now, with many consumers attempting to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle long-term. Helping the planet is about more than just recycling and refusing to buy single-use plastics, and those taking it seriously have already started incorporating environmentally conscious practices into their home design
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Time is running out for the UK to meet its carbon reduction targets and the way we live has to change. A big part of that will be saying goodbye to our gas and oil boilers, which the UK is looking to phase out almost completely by 2050. Indeed, in March 2019 it was confirmed that from 2025 it will be illegal to install gas boilers in new build homes. It’s a tall order, especially when you consider that the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has vowed to try and keep energy bills as low as possible. The Guardian reported in 2018 that households need electric or hydrogen boilers sooner rather than later if the UK is to hit its carbon targets at the lowest cost. And while electricity supplies are rapidly switching to low-carbon sources, almost all homes today rely on fossil fuels. According to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the public is largely unaware of the alternatives, and consumer understanding is “far from where it needs to be.” So, we need to make big, long term changes to the way we power and heat our homes, but with minimal up-front costs and lower ongoing energy bills. Building Products caught up with IOBAC’s CEO Paul Woolvine about how the built environment could do it. IOBAC delivers innovative heating and flooring technologies based around speed of install, flexibility, operational effectiveness, and sustainability. Heated flooring to the rescue (but not as you know it!) Generally, underfloor heating operates at a lower temperature when compared with standard radiators; it retains heat for a good length of time after it has been switched off; and the even distribution of heat can allow a room to heat up more quickly and stay warm. For some people, however, barriers still exist that put them off underfloor heating. It’s considered by many as an expensive luxury product with a disruptive, complex installation processes. It can also be difficult to remediate if there’s a problem. And the big one: typically, there are limited options for renewable energy inputs. So, can we harness all of the intrinsic benefits of underfloor heating within a simpler, more cost-effective and accessible solution? The good news, according to IOBAC’s CEO, Paul Woolvine, is “yes”. Paul explains: “IOBAC heated flooring was developed to overcome issues commonly associated with conventional electric mats and water-based underfloor heating systems. Our heated flooring solution doesn’t require you to dig up your floor or cause any disruption to any existing pipework or electric system.” Sounds easy, right? “It really is as easy as it sounds,” continues Paul. “The process is as follows: lay conductive copper strips, apply conductive paint, apply magnetically dielectric paint, install surface tiles, connect copper strips, and away you go. It’s far easier to install and much easier to remediate or change and is a simple painted solution – simply remove the floor tile and coating and repaint. And importantly, this underfloor heating solution can be powered by a highly efficient electric input from an AC or DC supply – like solar panels. With this technology it’s absolutely feasible to heat your home with solar power – or any other electrical input for that matter. That way people don’t need to be reliant on big energy companies.” On this solution’s sustainability credentials, Paul explained: “Well, firstly, this solution uses infrared heat. Research suggests that infrared heat has numerous health benefits, including increased blood circulation, an enhanced immune system, and reduction of joint pain and inflammation. Infrared heat is typically more budget friendly; designed with sustainable inputs the running costs are significantly less than conventional solutions and the temperature tends to be more consistent.” So, you’ve heard of heated flooring, but heated walls? Traditional radiators can range anywhere from 120mm to 480mm and typically, the thicker the better due to a lower fin density. But a thicker radiator can look bulky and unsightly, or even cause design issues. Paul explains why he believes IOBAC’s alternative offers the best of both worlds: “Our heated walling technology is a modern-day alternative to traditional radiators. It’s a micro-thin radiator which can essentially be ‘painted’ onto the wall using a special patent-pending Graphene based technology. This enables more design freedom – no more unattractive wall-hung radiators – and can be connected via an AC or DC supply. Imagine your home without bulky radiators! This technology essentially works in the same way as our heated flooring: conductive copper strips, apply conductive resin, dielectric paint, and connect copper strips. It shares further similarities with heated flooring: it’s non-disruptive, cost-effective, and enjoys all the benefits of infrared heat. “Of course, some people – especially those that are environmentally conscious – may want to switch out their traditional radiators straight away. But we don’t necessarily anticipate 20 million-plus households to rip out their existing radiators overnight. It’s why, initially, we envisage that this technology will be best suited to the new-build market. It’s also why we’ve developed a smart radiator cover for retrofit applications that will be available later this year.” Retrofit radiators do of course currently exist, but some can be inefficient and fairly expensive. Paul explains IOBAC’s imminent answer: “Retrofitting radiators can be costly and time-consuming – often you have to deconstruct the radiator. IOBAC’s technology enables you to effectively cover the existing radiator with a highly efficient Graphene based heating system, which is really simple to do yourself. This is again utilising our super conductive graphene technology and, as with our heated flooring and heated wall technology, it can be designed to be more efficient than traditional solutions. This will be available to buy over the counter later this year. Watch this space!” Straightforward switching Paul concludes: “We think these technologies could enable the government’s 2050 target to potentially become a reality by the mid-2020s. But, crucially, it needs to be straightforward for people to switch to more sustainable solutions and energy sources. As The Guardian says, most people, unfortunately, are unaware of the alternatives. More
IMPORTANT plans for the future supply of homes in Edinburgh have been given the go-ahead by Councillors at a hearing on the 22 MAY 2019. The 655-home development at Cammo Estate is a consortium project by CALA Homes and David Wilson Homes and includes 164 much-needed affordable homes. The development will provide a unique mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, terraced homes, colonies as well as detached family homes. A spokesperson on behalf of the consortium, said: “We must thank the local community first and foremost for engaging with us throughout, helping us to shape the final proposals which have evolved over the past two years. “We fully understand how important the junctions at Maybury and Barnton are and traffic was a key concern for many people at the outset. “We feel the improvements made through Planning Gain contributions will benefit the wider community and those commuting in or out the city. “Following yesterday’s decision our focus now turns to assisting the City of Edinburgh Council to ensure a timely delivery of these improvements” A key component of the site is the extent of publicly accessible green space – which totals over a third of the entire development and includes linear parks, a seven-hectare park, and over 700 new specimen trees. In addition, a half kilometre 20-metre wide green corridor at Maybury Avenue will feature a much-needed cycle and footpath detached from Maybury Road. Further improvements to the walking and cycling network will be made from Planning Gain contributions the developments will make. In line with the Local Development Plan these routes will connect to the land at West Craigs, and as part of that development connect onwards to the Gyle and Edinburgh Park. The spokesperson added: “At the heart of the design solution has been the delivery of an outstanding landscape environment along with significant investment to improve public transport, education and health care and the delivery of an excellent pedestrian and cycle network. “Within the development site we will deliver new bus infrastructure in addition to making contributions to public transport connections to the site. “In addition, there is an exceptionally wide range of homes that will help to ease the supply shortfall that features throughout the market.” As part of the 655 homes, 25% of the development units will be of affordable tenure delivered with our Registered Social Landlord partner; comprising a wide range of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and terraced homes. The affordable housing will commence as part of the initial phase of development.
The Mayor of Dawlish has officially opened Cavanna Homes’ latest show home at Barley Meadow community in Dawlish with a ribbon-cutting. The development, located off Secmaton Lane, has already secured four reservations. Councillor Lisa Mayne was joined by Andy Addison, Head of Operations, Lauren Pybus, Sales Manager, and Anne Beadle, Sales Advisor, for the ceremony. Cllr Mayne said: “It’s remarkable to see how this space has changed since the turf cutting back in November into a community of new homes for Dawlish. “It was a pleasure to officially open the new show home at Barley Meadow and to see this beautiful development coming to life”. Barley Meadow, offers a selection of two, three and four-bedroom homes close to the coast and the countryside, and is within easy reach of Dawlish town centre by car, foot, bike or bus. Andy Addison added: “It’s really positive to have four of our new homes already reserved before our show home was even opened. This development is bursting with energy and is surrounded by beautiful countryside. We would encourage anyone looking to move to the area to come and visit us”. The show home is a ‘Brook’ style three-bedroom detached property with a master en-suite bedroom, spacious lounge with large bay windows and double doors leading onto the lawned garden. Prices at Barley Meadow start from £225,000 for a two-bedroom home. The local area has two primary schools, a college, and local amenities including a post office, supermarket, banks, restaurants and a leisure centre. Dawlish train station is two miles away and provides links to Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol and London. As well as 74 new open market and affordable homes, the homebuilder will be funding a new cycle route to connect Barley Meadow to the town centre, and supporting recreation facilities and habitat improvements for the Cirl Bunting bird population. For more information about Cavanna Homes’ Barley Meadow development, please call the sales advisor on 01626 817424 or visit the website: www.cavannahomes.co.uk. The show home and marketing suite is open daily from 10am – 5pm.
Traditional, handcrafted building styles have made way for more cost-effective and less time-consuming modern-day methods as the homebuilding industry works hard to deliver the government’s ambitious target of 300,000 new builds each year. In the Westcountry however, fourth-generation family firm Cavanna Homes is investing in the skills of an artisan bricklayer to help define the character of its homes and developments, in turn, helping to keep the ancient craft of stonemasonry alive. Born and bred in the South Hams, Terry Newman currently spends his three-day working week as a subcontractor for West Country Brickworks Ltd on projects for Cavanna Homes, which has its headquarters in Torquay and is in its 96th year. Cavanna Homes incorporates stonemasonry in its developments to reflect a local vernacular and to make a new scheme look more mature so it immediately fits into its existing surroundings. Work incorporating traditional stonemasonry skills is intricate and time consuming: a three-metre stone panel takes around a day to build, while the same sized panel in bricks takes half-a-day, or a couple of hours for concrete blocks, plus wet weather can prolong a job involving stone work because the materials must be kept dry. “Nowadays, time and cost are big factors in the house building industry,” says bricklayer Terry. “So if a developer includes stonemasonry in its schemes, they’re adding time, and time is money! I take my hat off to those firms including stonework at their new developments; it not only adds character and charm to modern buildings but it’s keeping the tradition alive.” Terry trained as a bricklayer at South Devon College in the late 1970s when stonemasonry was included in the course, completing an apprenticeship with a local firm which “happened” to include stonemasonry in its remit. Nowadays, there are no colleges offering stonemasonry courses west of Bath and Weymouth, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a construction or bricklaying course which offers even a hint of stonemasonry. But Terry has used the skills of his industry’s forefathers ever since his teens. At Cavanna’s Dartington developments, Origins and Yarners Mill, Terry created stone walls and panels to add historic charm to the homes in-keeping with their position in the picturesque Dart Valley, and one of his most recent tasks has been the construction of a 30-metre wall at the entrance of Cavanna @ Wolborough Hill – a collection of 26 luxury-style homes in Newton Abbot – to replace the original wall. Also on his immediate list of pending jobs is replacing the coping (the top of a wall which acts like a lid, keeping the rain out) at Palstone Meadow – Cavanna’s 26-home development in South Brent – and building a wall at Kings Orchard – Cavanna’s emerging 53-home scheme in Stoke Gabriel. Traditionally, stone doesn’t tend to travel very far after it’s excavated, so where the job is determines what type of stone Terry works with. “In Cornwall it’s always shillet which is quarried there and has been used for building for centuries,” he says. “And in South Devon I often work with Stoneycombe, Glendinnings, Yennadon and Mill Hill Quarries stone, excavated on the doorstep.” Type “stonemasonry” into Google and you’ll find numerous glossaries explaining the terminology, which is often linked to the geography as well as the stones themselves. Take the style of the coping at the wall at Cavanna @ Wolborough for example. Bricklayer Terry describes it as “cock and hen” (where vertically placed stones run along the top of a wall). “I don’t know why it’s called cock and hen,” laughs Terry. “That’s what we call it down in the Westcountry.” Elsewhere, it’s known as “buck and doe”. Terry also describes using a method called “snail creep pointing” on the walls at his son’s house in Ivybridge. The effect can be achieved by using the handle of a metal watering can, cut in half. “It looks lovely when it’s finished,” Terry says, offering an insight into the intricacies of his craft, which includes being resourceful. Around a century ago it was typical for stonemasons to wade into rivers to collect stones. In the 90s, at a private residence in the South Hams, Terry found himself thigh-deep in a river which ran through the grounds, collecting stones to make sure the buttress he was building blended with the existing structure. Terry explains that stone can either be left in its natural state, known as rustic stone, or can be cut, so the face of the stone (the part which faces out, forming the side of the wall) has a smoother finish. Terry prefers the former and describes working with “random rubble”, the technical term for a mixture of different sized and shaped stones, which makes his job rather like a giant 3D jigsaw puzzle. Stonemasonry involves a huge variety of different styles and techniques and there is also far more to the pointing (or jointing) work (the joining together of the stones) than merely cementing between bricks. “At Origins I had to keep the jointing quite flush and create an indent of about half-an-inch between the stones,” he explains. “So instead of the surface being flat, the stones protrude a little. Usually the style will be down to the architects who designed the buildings, although often it will be the site manager who decides the finish.” For the wall at Cavanna @ Wolborough, bricklayer Terry said his biggest challenge was finding stones with “good faces”. “With slate or shillet you’ll use a larger quantity of stone but because of their shape it’s almost like stacking them on top of one another, whereas with random rubble a lot goes to waste because you have to have stones with good faces and which sit up well to create a wall with them. Although sometimes they won’t do either!” Although building in stone can be costly and slows down the build process, when completed to a high standard it gives a far higher quality finish.
The new partnership between Wates Residential and Orbit will bring a further 42 new homes to the London Borough of Bexley. Already creating more than 700 homes in Bexley, the partnership will further contribute to the redevelopments of a site on West Street in Erith. “We are delighted to be able to continue our award-winning work with Orbit, which has already led to more than 700 new homes in Bexley either being built or in the pipeline. We look forward to getting started on the West Street project, which will not only deliver more crucial housing for the area but will also lead to increased employment and training opportunities for local residents,” said Paul Nicholls, Managing Director of Wates Residential. The £9.4 million scheme will see vacant buildings including a former car parts warehouse replaced with a contemporary low-rise design including seven homes for London Affordable Rent, 14 homes for London Living Rent and 21 homes for Shared Ownership sale. The plans also include a car park with electric charging points and large community garden. The development of the site forms part of Orbit’s long-term strategy for delivering high quality new homes in Erith and the wider region, and will contribute towards improvements to the quality of the streetscape and the overall appearance of the local area. “We are pleased to once again be partnering with Wates to deliver much needed affordable housing to local people in Bexley. Wates understands our aim of ‘building thriving communities’ and we look forward to delivering more high quality homes for local families who need them,” added Shina Olalekan, Head of Development at Orbit. As part of the West Street project, Wates Residential and Orbit have also pledged to provide employment and training opportunities for local residents. It follows Orbit and Wates Residential’s successful regeneration of Larner Road into the award-winning Erith Park in Bexley. The contractor has also been appointed to help deliver Orbit’s proposed £95 million regeneration of the Arthur Street housing estate in Bexley, featuring 280 new homes.
Galliford Try Partnerships has been named to deliver the first 725 homes at Enfield Council’s £6 billion Meridian Water scheme. After a robust evaluation of four very strong bids, Enfield Council’s Cabinet decided that developer Galliford Try Partnerships is best placed to deliver on value, quality, design and financial robustness. “This is the start of a bright new era for Meridian Water and we welcome Galliford Try Partnerships to the team. We are extremely excited to be working with Galliford Try as they have demonstrated that they will be able to deliver quality, well-designed homes in a timely manner and social infrastructure that reflects the Meridian Water vision,” said Enfield Council’s Leader, Cllr Nesil Caliskan. The first homes will be built by 2022 and will include a significant number of affordable units, as well as new public squares, shops and leisure facilities. The new homes will be delivered around the new Meridian Water train station, which is due to open next month and serve up to four million rail passengers a year. Outline planning permission is already in place for the new homes, with construction enabling work having started in January 2017. The first phase forms part of the £6 billion Meridian Water development, which will deliver 10,000 homes and 6,000 jobs, alongside world-class public spaces, community facilities and road and rail networks. “We are delighted to have been selected to work in close partnership with Enfield Council and the local communities on the delivery of Meridian One as a new vibrant mixed-use, mixed-tenure neighbourhood. We will create an environment for local people to thrive – providing quality affordable homes, opportunities for local start-up businesses to flourish, great public spaces and a design which celebrates the parkland character of the Lea Valley. It is a great opportunity to demonstrate responsible and accountable regeneration through a responsible, accountable partnership,” commented Stephen Teagle, Chief Executive of Galliford Try Partnerships. In addition, the search for a new developer for Meridian Two, at Leeside Road has also started. The scheme will deliver circa 250 affordable homes with workspace on the lower floors, earmarked to bring makers and creators to the area. The appointment of Galliford Try Partnerships as the Master Developer for Meridian One is subject to call in, the statutory stand-still period and is also subject to contract.
A £102 million contract has been sealed by Balfour Beatty for the delivery of 302 Zero Carbon Homes near the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The firm will build phase one of the East Wick and Sweetwater development, which involves four mixed use buildings, including 302 apartments, townhouses and duplex residencies and a number of associated commercial facilities including retail and leisure amenities. The new homes will contribute to the transformation of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, providing a new, diverse and vibrant part of East London, as well as 1,500 new homes for the community. Around 500 people are expected to be employed at construction peak, with 7% of the workforce made of up apprentices. “This contract award builds on Balfour Beatty’s strong relationship with the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the London Legacy Development Corporation, having constructed the London 2012 Aquatics Centre and delivered transformative engineering works to the London Olympic Stadium. We look forward to providing East London with a lasting legacy by creating a range of employment opportunities for local people and businesses through the development of this new and exciting neighborhood,” said Graham Hill, Balfour Beatty’s Managing Director for its London Regional construction business. This work is the first of seven construction phases for the development and is being supported by equity from Balfour Beatty Investments in joint venture with Places for People and borrowed funding provided by Homes England. Ground preparation works commenced in early 2019 with completion expected in spring 2021.
House builders Crossman Homes is installing electric car charging points at five of its recent developments and has committed to integrating them in all future schemes. The company will be installing charging points at its developments at Weston Park and at Lansdown Court in Lansdown in Bath and at Speedwell Baths, Master’s Church and in Totterdown in Bristol. Brad Hughes, Crossman Homes, says: “As responsible developers it is our duty to ensure we’ve future proofed our developments and made provision for our home owners to make greener choices when it comes to transport and travelling, and often this starts at home. We’ll be installing electric car charging points at all of our developments in the future. “Electric car ownership is growing in popularity and will soon be much more accessible to many more drivers so anything we can do to make owning and charging these vehicles easier can only be a good thing. Only recently we replaced our company maintenance van with an electric one so we understand how vital it is to have access to charging points.” Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show a dramatic rise in electric car sales in the UK. Registrations increased to an average of 5,000 per month in 2018.
The UK has been embroiled in a housing crisis for quite some time, and London has taken the brunt of the impact in many respects. While many people are eager to live and work in the capital, there’s unfortunately not enough room or opportunity for everyone. Space is limited and the costs of living are high, and many have now begun to wonder if London is even close to a plan that will resolve the issue. Consequently, it’s worth posing the question; can the housing crisis in London be solved? Political Factors As most people well know, politics absolutely influences the housing landscape. This is especially true of London, where numerous reports indicate that Brexit is dampening the appeal of the capital completely. Rent rates have shot up to unprecedented levels, and crime and pollution have also played their parts in putting a dent in the London housing market. Solutions can only be found here amongst the squabbling MP’s in Westminster. It’s the first place where answers should be found and enacted. There isn’t any one cause at the heart of London’s housing crisis; unfortunately, there’s an entire list of them. Only when a good Brexit deal is secured, and crime and pollution get lower, will the London housing crisis slowly begin to dissipate. Outsourcing Services London real estate is a turbulent terrain, and many who work in this industry tend to tally up a bad reputation. While those on the commercial side seem to be rather savvy thanks to consultancy companies like Avison Young, those on the residential side of things face a different reality. However, those in business can help would-be buyers find a new place to call home! While housing development businesses are starting to buckle under the weight of their obligations, they can possibly alleviate some of their problems by outsourcing select services; such as finance and funding. That way, they can run their operations in a more smooth and efficient fashion and get people into homes quicker. It lightens up the workload and frees up room for them to focus, instead of being bogged down and overwhelmed by processes they just can’t keep up with. Micro Homes Micro homes aren’t known to many just yet. However, it’s quite feasible that they soon will be more popular, particularly among the younger generations looking to get their start after moving out of their parent’s home. After all, it’s been stated that micro homes could well solve the London housing crisis in totality, giving people a space to bunker down in the capital. These micro homes are, perhaps obviously, incredibly small. However, the smart features and innovations within them still allow the residents to have a diverse lifestyle; such as by utilising foldable furniture. They can come with communal areas located elsewhere in the residential building too, but obviously, these homes aren’t quite for everyone. There’s a severe lack of space that some might call oppressive, especially if they’re claustrophobic. Consequently, it’s hard to imagine micro homes swooping in and saving the day alone, though they could certainly help with the housing crisis on some level.
Eco-friendly homes are all the rage right now, with many consumers attempting to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle long-term. Helping the planet is about more than just recycling and refusing to buy single-use plastics, and those taking it seriously have already started incorporating environmentally conscious practices into their home design and buying choices. Here, we discuss several ways in which to make a kitchen more eco-friendly. Responsible shopping habits Purchasing kitchenware and furniture in materials such as wood and stone can prove to be a far more eco-friendly alternative over plastic, and is actually just as robust and long-lasting. Natural materials make a home have a lovely, rustic feel and can work perfectly for flooring, kitchen countertops and furniture. When designing a new kitchen or renovating an existing one, it is important to keep sustainability in mind. Purchasing from a local retailer not only allows you to support the small high street stores, but also means you will be reducing your carbon footprint. There are plenty of independent UK and London kitchens specialists out there, many of which focus on maximising eco-friendliness. Durable furniture Kitting out the home certainly does not come cheap, and many of us will actively purchase low-priced furniture, knowing full well it is not likely to stand the test of time. Unfortunately, this is what is known as a “false economy”, and the cost spent replacing poor quality items throughout the years tends to offset the initial expenditure we could have used to purchase durable, high-quality pieces that last for many years, if not decades. Replacing furniture every few years is simply not sustainable or cost-effective, so be sure to think carefully about the materials, brand and quality you are choosing when buying furniture. Alternatively, there are plenty of second-hand auction sites and car boot sales in which people are selling their unwanted furniture for a small fee (and sometimes completely free!), many of which are still in excellent condition. This helps keep the pieces in rotation for as long as they are fit, preventing them from ending up in a landfill. Energy efficient appliances Appliances with energy efficiency built-in are becoming more and more prevalent, as savvy consumers seek to lower their energy bills and go greener at the same time. There are plenty of models on the market that meet this growing demand, such as cookers with low-heat settings, ECO kettles and energy efficient washing machines. Before making any purchase, simply take a look at the appliance’s energy star rating, which indicates how environmentally-friendly it is. The Energy Saving Trust notes that around £30 per year on average is wasted by households leaving their appliances on standby mode. As such, turning off appliances when not in use helps both the planet and your wallet! Changing our habits Making small, positive changes to the way we live can steadily impact the earth around us. Beyond buying choices, there are several things we can all do to make the home more eco-friendly: Bulk cook and plan ahead to save on food and packaging waste, as well as reducing carbon footprint from travelling to and from the supermarket via car. Use glass containers over plastic, which is much harder to recycle. Purchase from local, independent shops or food markets. Have a separate recycling bin and educate other people living with you on which materials belong in which bins.
