We’re delighted to share that Woohoo has been featured in the December issue of Lancashire Business View, with a spotlight on our attendance at the recent Built Environment Summit. The summit brought together senior voices from across the county to debate what it will take to get Lancashire building, with discussion ranging from planning reform and housing delivery to net zero and the skills pipeline, all vital ingredients for long-term economic growth.
On page 34 of the November/December 2025 edition, the article showcases insights from the event and highlights our contribution to the conversation.
We’d encourage you to explore the full piece; it features perspectives from leading minds in Lancashire’s development community and sheds light on the practical headwinds and opportunities that are shaping the county’s built future.
In the first two parts of the Hot Topic series, we explored running costs and energy consumption for common UK heating systems. This final section looks at the greenhouse gas emissions involved, using the same 100m² example home.
Emissions are shown as CO2E using the government’s latest conversion factors, which take into account all major greenhouse gases. Electricity figures reflect the current national grid mix, which still includes a large share of gas generation.
Hydrogen Boiler
Pros: No emissions from your building, potential for the future Cons: Currently costly to run and wastes energy in production
Hydrogen itself burns cleanly but producing it requires a huge amount of electricity. Green hydrogen, made entirely from renewables, has very low emissions, while hydrogen created using grid electricity has very high emissions. Its impact depends entirely on how it is produced.
Oil Boiler
Pros: A practical and widely used choice for properties that aren’t connected to the gas grid.
Cons: Produces some of the highest emissions of any commonly used heating fuel due to the nature of kerosene.
Kerosene is a fossil fuel and has the highest emissions of the fuels compared in this series.
Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) Boiler
Pros: A workable heating solution for off-grid homes where other fuels aren’t suitable.
Cons: LPG remains an expensive and carbon-intensive fuel despite its convenience.
LPG is another fossil fuel option, and using it for heating has a large amount of emissions associated with it.
Gas Boiler
Pros: A reliable, accessible and generally affordable heating method with lower emissions than other fossil fuel options.
Cons: Still dependent on a fossil fuel, so it contributes directly to carbon emissions.
Gas boilers are common in part because gas produces fewer emissions than oil or LPG leading to improved air quality.
Electric Storage Heaters
Pros: Straightforward to install and well-suited to smaller, well-insulated spaces where heat demand is modest.
Cons: Running costs climb quickly in larger or draughty homes, especially when powered by grid electricity that still includes a significant gas contribution.
Electric heating only becomes low-emission when powered by clean electricity. As much of the UK grid still relies on gas, emissions for storage heaters currently sit close to gas heating. A renewable tariff helps push the grid in the right direction towards net zero.
Electric Infrared Heaters
Pros: Inexpensive to install and effective for heating specific areas rather than whole rooms, helping keep energy use down when managed properly.
Cons: Poor use can lead to cold spots, condensation and damp issues, particularly in buildings heated intermittently.
Infrared heaters operate at almost 100% efficiency and use less energy because they are easy to target. Problems arise when buildings are under-heated, leading to cold spots, condensation and mould, especially when users switch them on only when inside the building.
Air Source Heat Pumps
Pros: Capable of delivering lower running costs than gas when well-installed, with government grants available to support the upfront investment.
Cons: Installation is costly and performance can dip in very cold conditions, so not every home will achieve the same level of efficiency.
Heat pumps create far more heat than the electricity they consume, so their emissions are much lower than boilers or resistance heating. This efficiency is a major reason behind the government’s net-zero strategy.
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Pros: Extremely efficient with low energy consumption thanks to the stable temperatures beneath the ground.
Cons: Installation can be expensive and complex, often requiring extensive groundwork that limits where they can be used.
Ground source systems use even less electricity than air source models, resulting in lower emissions. However, cost and installation requirements limit where they are suitable.
Log Burner
Pros: Can be relatively inexpensive to fuel and works well in off-grid settings.
Cons: Delivers heat to a limited area and is less efficient than modern whole-house heating systems.
In theory, emissions can be lower than heat pumps at present because sustainably sourced wood can have its carbon reabsorbed over time. However, log burners are inefficient, heat only small spaces and rely on forestry that cannot scale nationwide.
Biomass Boiler
Pros: A renewable heating option with running costs that compare favourably to fossil fuel systems.
Cons: Requires dedicated storage space and regular fuel deliveries and isn’t suitable everywhere due to fuel supply and sustainability considerations.
Biomass boilers currently have the lowest operational emissions because their carbon cycle is relatively short. They still produce other greenhouse gases, require significant fuel storage and depend on sustainable forestry that cannot meet UK-wide demand. They are effective where waste wood is plentiful, but not a scalable national solution.
Summary
The direction of government policy becomes clear when you consider emissions. Electricity offers the best pathway to net zero because it can be fully decarbonised. Heat pumps reduce overall energy demand and generate far fewer emissions, making them the strongest large-scale option available today. Other technologies will still have their place, but heat pumps remain the most practical route for households aiming to cut their carbon footprint.
As the UK’s storm season sets in, homes and commercial buildings across the country are tested, but older and heritage buildings often feel it more. From draughty windows to leaking roofs, traditional materials and designs mean these properties can need extra care when the weather turns cold, wet, and windy.
This blog explores small but effective ways to protect your heritage building, save money, prevent damage, and stay comfortable through the winter.
1. Keep the rain out: gutters, downpipes and roofs
Blocked gutters and cracked downpipes can quickly lead to leaks and water damage, particularly during prolonged periods of rain. Regularly clearing debris and checking for blockages keeps water moving away from the walls and foundations rather than soaking into them. It’s also worth remembering that drier building fabrics are far cheaper to heat; it takes a surprising amount of energy to warm up moisture held within walls, floors and roofs, so keeping water out directly supports lower heating bills.
Likewise, inspecting the roof for loose slates or tiles can help prevent moisture finding its way inside and causing costly internal damage during storms.
2. Cut the draughts, not the character
Heritage homes often lose heat through ill-fitting doors and windows. Weatherstripping and discreet draught-proofing can make a noticeable difference without altering the building’s appearance. Reducing air leaks not only keeps interiors warmer but also helps lower energy bills during extended cold spells.
3. Prepare your heating system
Before the worst weather hits, bleeding radiators ensures they’re running efficiently and delivering consistent warmth. In older buildings where heat loss can be high, every bit of efficiency counts it’s a simple, quick job that can make your system more effective when you need it most.
4. Make use of windy weather
High winds aren’t all bad news they can mean lower-cost, low-emission electricity on dynamic tariffs. If your home uses modern energy solutions, such as smart meters or variable tariffs, keeping an eye on when wind energy peaks could save you money while reducing carbon impact.
5. Manage airflow and prevent unnecessary heat loss
Ventilation is vital for heritage buildings, but too much can make interiors uncomfortably cold. Adjusting or temporarily closing a proportion of vents in extreme weather can strike a balance between preventing damp and retaining warmth. Windbreaks, such as hedges or fencing, can also reduce direct wind exposure and the rate of heat loss from external walls.
Caring for a heritage property through winter doesn’t need to be complicated. Regular checks, simple maintenance, and a few smart adjustments can go a long way toward keeping your building warm, dry, and efficient, without compromising its character. If you’re unsure where to start, our expert team can help you assess your building’s condition and find the most effective, sympathetic improvements for your home.
If you own a heritage building or home, talk to us about improving its comfort and performance this winter. Get in touch with us today.
Feeling powerless against rising energy bills? The latest price cap announcement allows suppliers to increase their prices by up to 4% per unit, meaning households will pay more for gas and electricity. While the price cap was originally designed to protect households from extreme price hikes, it must also be set at a level that prevents energy suppliers from going out of business. This means switching providers is no longer a reliable escape, and that the smarter long-term solution lies in home improvements that permanently cut energy usage.
While there are potentially small savings to be had by switching to a fixed-rate contract, the greatest gains come from reducing your energy consumption, as that directly lowers costs no matter which tariff you’re on.
Opportunities with Electricity
Switching to electricity opens new avenues unavailable with gas or oil. By using time-of-use tariffs, you can schedule energy-hungry tasks for when electricity is cheapest. Overnight rates are often a fraction of daytime prices, letting you run appliances, charge an electric vehicle, or heat water for much less. This simple shift offers more control than any flat-rate fossil fuel tariff.
A Step Further?
Agile tariffs change prices every half-hour, reflecting the wholesale market. This encourages you to shift consumption to cheaper periods, for example, midday in summer when solar power is abundant, or overnight in winter during windy conditions. Programming appliances to run at these times can significantly cut costs. An agile tariff rewards you for using power when the grid is cleanest and cheapest.
Reducing Consumption
The most immediate savings come from lowering demand. Focus on your building’s fabric and systems first:
Upgrade Insulation: Insulating walls, floors, and lofts is the most effective way to prevent heat loss. Using sustainable materials such as wood fibre or recycled cellulose improves performance while reducing environmental impact.
Control Airflow and Recover Heat: A Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system provides fresh, filtered air while recovering up to 90% of heat from outgoing stale air.
Choose Smart Lighting and Appliances: LEDs and A-rated appliances drastically cut electricity use without changing habits.
Install Renewable Heating: Replacing a gas or oil boiler with a heat pump can provide up to four times the heat for each unit of electricity used.
Generation
Generating your own power at home is a major step towards energy independence, with both solar panels and wind turbines offering distinct pros and cons. Solar panels are practical for most homes, providing clean daytime electricity, though they only convert 20–30% of sunlight and don’t work at night without batteries.
Wind turbines are more efficient and operate 24/7 in the right conditions, but require high upfront costs, space, and can be visually or audibly disruptive, best suited to rural or exposed areas.
Batteries help balance generation, though some energy is lost in charging and discharging.
How We Can Help
Every building is different. We can be your trusted guide, helping you choose the most impactful and cost-effective improvements for your heritage property, whether insulation, heating, or renewables, so that all upgrades work together to create a more efficient, comfortable, and future-proof home.
Our goal is to help buildings use less energy. Insulation can halve heating demand, and a heat pump uses a quarter of the energy of a gas boiler. With lower demand, bills fall, and less on-site generation is needed. Flexible electricity use can unlock further savings.
If you own a heritage building or home and want tailored advice on reducing energy use without compromising its character, get in touch with us today.
In Part 2, we now remove the fuel cost and analyse how much energy they use, as well as their efficiency.
As with part 1, we are comparing common UK heating options using a standard 100m² home with typical heat loss. Each situation will vary, but this example illustrates the trends in the amount of energy different heating systems consume.
Log Burner Traditional, potentially cheap but inefficient.
Pros: Relatively inexpensive fuel, works off-grid
Cons: Inefficient and localised heat typically to the room it’s in.
Log burners are a common sight throughout the UK, and many people have access to cheap or even free logs. The downside is that they are one of the least efficient methods of heating a home from burning a fuel. They can heat up a room quickly as they are very powerful, using radiant heat to make the space feel warm. However, compared to a biomass boiler, less of the energy in the wood is converted into useful heat for your room.
Oil Boiler Common off-grid option.
Pros: Good efficiency, widely available off-grid
Cons: Price is still volatile, carbon emissions
Now we are moving into the boilers that burn things in a contained environment to heat water for a central heating system. Newer condensing type boilers are more efficient, extracting upwards of 90% of the energy available in the kerosene. Older boilers are usually non-condensing, which are less efficient. All of the following modern boiler types have very similar efficiencies.
Biomass Boiler Renewable option with reasonable running costs
Pros: Renewable, lower running cost
Cons: Needs storage space, frequent deliveries
Biomass boilers commonly use wood chips or similar for fuel. Much more efficient than a log burner and has similar efficiency to other boilers. The disadvantage of biomass boilers is that the fuel is less energy-dense, and thus, it commonly requires more frequent deliveries of fuel.
LPG Boiler Central Heating System Off-grid solution, but pricey fuel
Pros: Suitable for off-grid homes
Cons: Expensive fuel
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) boilers are typically the most expensive to run of the boilers due to the fuel price, but have a similar burning efficiency to other boilers. Commonly used in more remote locations as it can be stored in tanks.
Gas Boiler The UK standard for good reason
Pros: Affordable, reliable, widely available
Cons: Still a fossil fuel
The most common boiler fuel in the UK is natural gas. These are now achieving around 95% efficiency and burn very cleanly, which has helped reduce pollution in urban environments.
Hydrogen Boiler Central Heating System Future-friendly but still similar efficiency to other boilers
Pros: No emissions from your building, potential for the future
Cons: Is still burning a fuel to create heat with high current hydrogen prices
Hydrogen is likely to have a role to play in our net zero journey but projections are suggesting it is not going to be the boiler of choice for most future homes. It may become a more off grid solution or an option in places where electricity generation, storage and supply have challenges.
Electric Storage Heaters Simple but costly for larger spaces
Pros: Easy to install and efficient, good for small, well-insulated spaces
Cons: Expensive to run in bigger or draughtier homes
We now move into the heating systems powered by electricity. Electric heating is often considered to be close to 100% efficient, which is why it is used in kettles, stoves, and other appliances. The downside is that the current market price of electricity is considerably higher than that of burnable fuels, and hence can be expensive to run. An interesting side note is that the vast majority of the electricity your appliances use within your home ultimately ends up as heat that helps heat your home.
Electric Infrared Heaters Targeted heating that needs careful management
Pros: Cheap to install, heat specific areas directly
Cons: Can cause damp problems if used incorrectly
The efficiency of infrared heaters is similar to that of storage heaters and very close to 100%. The reason it uses less energy compared to storage heaters is that it can often be timed and targeted better.
It is worth noting that other building issues can occur with infrared heating, as people tend to heat the building less to save costs. A common one we see is colder spots where the heat isn’t targeted, creating condensation and damp in these areas. Another issue is owners turning the heating on when they are in the building and then off when leaving, commonly trapping moisture inside. With no heating to keep the water in the air, it condenses on surfaces and can create mould.
In certain scenarios, it can be a great heating scenario, but in the wrong scenario, it can be expensive or create expensive building problems.
Air Source Heat Pumps Modern, efficient, but needs good installation
Pros: Lower running costs than gas (when installed properly), government grants available
Cons: Expensive to install, less efficient in very cold weather
Now we move into the heat pumps, where they really start to show their benefits. Modern air source heat pumps are capable of efficiencies of 400% plus. This means that for every 1 unit of electricity, you will get 4 units of heat out, as the heat pump uses that electricity to extract heat from the air surrounding the building. This is why there is a big push from the Government to migrate to heat pumps. The country has a plan to reduce the emissions it takes to make electricity, and moving consumers to electrical heating systems is a huge part of the country’s net-zero plan. The current issue is that the National Grid is limited in the amount of electricity it can reasonably supply, and electricity is currently expensive. Heat Pumps solve this by reducing the required electricity from the grid, and have now managed to reduce their running costs to below that of gas.
If the Government achieves its goal of reducing the electricity price relative to fossil fuels, then heat pumps will become significantly cheaper to run than boilers.
This is why the Government has the £7500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in place to incentivise switching to a heat pump.
Ground Source Heat Pumps The most efficient but most expensive to install
Pros: Low energy consumption
Cons: Costly and complex installation
As with the cost comparison, the ground source heat pump tops the list of the most efficient heating systems. It is, however, likely to be the most costly and complex to install. The reason it is the most efficient is that during the coldest winter months, the ground is warmer than the air; thus, the ground-source heat pump is more efficient in these months.
Air source heat pumps have been closing the gap quite quickly, and it is conceivable that the efficiency of smaller systems may overtake ground source systems in the not-so-distant future.
Summary
In efficiency terms, the heat pumps hugely outperform their boiler equivalents. They demonstrate the amount of energy available in the environments immediately surrounding our buildings, and it’s clear why this is the heating technology being incentivised by the Government.
In our next and final blog, we’ll examine the emissions of each system to provide insight into how the country can achieve its net-zero targets.
Simon Lock is a key member of the Woohoo team, working as a Sustainability Consultant.
Here, he shares his career journey to date, what he loves about his job and how he achieves success.
What’s your career experience to date?
I’m currently working as a Sustainability Consultant as part of the Woohooo team. I’m a relative newcomer to the heritage building industry, with a background in performance engineering.
I originally qualified with a Masters in Motorsport Engineering and specialised in vehicle electronic systems and controls strategy. This involved lots of accurate vehicle measurements, using a wide variety of sensing technologies and how controls systems use this information to gain the most performance from a vehicle, working across British 125cc, World 125cc, Formula 1 and Formula E.
My work then evolved into performance engineering, and simulation work in the electric car series Formula E, culminating in race wins at world championship level.
My experience has transferred to buildings with the approach of accurately measuring required data, using the data to understand the underlying physics of a building, and then simulating different changes, to ensure that the proposed changes are going to have the required impact.
How do you achieve success in your role?
Success to me is enabling project partners to make well-informed decisions, to achieve their goals.
This involves taking the time to understand what the client wants to achieve with their space, properly understanding how their building works through data and simulation and then highlighting to them what options they have available, to make their project a success.
Success also takes other forms, such as visually showing how much waste is in a process or giving insight into how someone’s building works and how they can get the best out of it.
What’s your favourite aspect of your role?
That’s easy, the best part of the role is watching what people can achieve with the information that we’ve been able to provide. This could be changing from space heaters to an air source heat pump to drastically reduce their bills, providing a set of drone photos that has enabled funds to be gathered for a roof replacement, changing façade renders that have allowed someone to gain listed building consent, or even a company changing to a fleet of electric vehicles, to reduce their emissions.
What’s your favourite thing about being part of the Woohoo team?
I particularly enjoy the collaborative nature of the work we do. We aim to learn every day, and we always want to base our decisions on information, rather than hunches.
We can’t always be experts, but if we gather good information, we can use this to communicate with others who do have that experience and learn from that.
Finally, tell us a fun or surprising fact about you…
I keep bees and have a fascination with nature. How ecosystems have evolved and use the resources and physics in their landscape provide infinite wonder and inspiration!
If you’d like to get in touch with Simon to discuss your next project (or hear about his time with Formula 1… or get some advice on beekeeping!), be sure to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.
As a business owner, you may understand the importance of efficiency. But are you overlooking a major source of wasted resources: heat loss?
Commercial buildings, with their larger footprints and complex systems, often consume far more energy than necessary. This not only impacts your bottom line but can also contribute to a larger environmental footprint.
In this practical guide, we aim to show you how to reduce heat loss, save money, and align with government objectives for a greener future.
Know Your Numbers: Measure and Analyse Your Energy Consumption
The first step to reducing waste is understanding where it’s happening, a good place to start is by auditing your energy usage. Compare your heating bills across seasons (e.g., January vs. July) to identify potential discrepancies. This helps pinpoint areas where insulation or heating systems might be underperforming.
Remember, data is your ally; it reveals where improvements are most needed and whether you are improving. As with all tips mentioned in this blog, Woohoo can assist with an audit, to enable you to find out where your money is being used.
Optimise What You Have: Simple Steps for Immediate Impact
Before investing in major upgrades, focus on maintaining and optimising your existing systems. Often, buildings are not getting the best out of what they currently have and so implementing a maintenance schedule can often yield sizeable returns.
Seal the Gaps: Air leaks can be a major source of heat loss and reduced building comfort. Whilst maintaining adequate ventilation is critical for buildings, checking whether window and door weather strips are still functionality and sealing up uncontrolled leaks and often yield improvements.
Heating System Tuning: Regular maintenance of your heating system is crucial to ensuring it is performing at its best. A well-tuned system operates at peak efficiency, minimising energy waste. This includes boiler servicing, pipework checks, radiator bleeding and ensuring radiators are balanced so the building heats up evenly. A well-tuned heating system will ensure the most heating energy out of the fuel you are purchasing.
Smart Controls: With guidance from your heating engineer, improving the control systems could give a good return based on a small investment and allow tuning the building better to the required heating demands.
These simple, cost-effective measures can significantly reduce heat loss and improve energy efficiency.
Plan for Long-Term Improvement: Sustainable Solutions for Lasting Value
Once you’ve optimised your existing systems, consider long-term improvements that align with current government sustainability objectives.
Heating system upgrades: Heating technologies are ever evolving with sizeable efficiency gains to be had. Currently with the government’s net zero strategies, there are grants to change to renewable heating technologies.
Insulation upgrades: Insulation upgrades should be carefully considered so not to compromise the longevity of the building, but upgrades to walls, roofs, and floors to minimise heat transfer should all yield good returns. This is a significant investment, but it offers substantial long-term savings.
High-performance windows: Windows typically have up to a 30-year lifespan and so can be a great opportunity for improvement. These could be replaced with secondary, double or triple-glazed units to improve thermal performance.
Heat recovery systems: Often, a lot of commercial processes will involve waste heat. Looking at whether this waste can be captured and re-used can sometimes yield large returns.
Embrace modern technology: Commercial buildings typically use large amounts of daytime electricity that usually make solar panels a good option for investment. Other technology such as advanced building management systems may also reduce maintenance and maintain better control over the heating and ventilation of a building.
Remember to consider overheating: Commercial buildings often generate a lot of internal heat and so being ever mindful with a warming climate not to tip the building to have high summer overheating, which in turn will require significant amounts of energy to cool, is important.
Remember, reducing heat loss shouldn’t compromise building comfort or longevity. In fact, it can enhance both. Proper insulation and efficient heating systems create a more comfortable environment for occupants and protect your building from moisture damage and other issues. This translates to increased property value and reduced maintenance costs, making your building a more valuable asset.
Whilst the focus is often reducing the immediate utility bills often the greater gains from improvements are increased building value, reduced maintenance and greater productivity. By implementing these practical strategies, you can reduce heat loss, save money, and contribute to a more sustainable future. Start today and reap the rewards of a more efficient and valuable commercial building.
Looking for Support in Reducing Heat Loss in your Building?
Jess Barrow is our Heritage Director, here at Woohoo.
Here, she shares her career journey to date, her passion for growing vegetables, and what she loves about the work she does.
What’s your career experience to date?
I completed my undergraduate studies in Rural Estate and Land Management, before starting out my career as a Geotechnical Surveyor in Shrewsbury. I fell in love with the investigation of historic buildings during this time and returned to higher education to gain a Masters in Conservation of Historic Buildings, from the University of Bath.
I went straight from there to work for Aberdeenshire Council as an Environmental Planner and Project Officer. Here, I worked on lots of projects restoring dilapidated community buildings, such as memorials and historic churchyards on the northeast coast of Aberdeenshire, whilst also providing specialist consultations on development proposals.
I left Aberdeenshire to work in Project Management for Turner and Townsend in Manchester, guiding clients through project development and grant funding applications. From there, I returned to the public sector and worked as a Conservation Officer, consulting on an array of applications from major developments to householder applications.
Now, I’m part of the Woohoo team as Heritage Director!
How do you achieve success in your role?
My passion for the historic built environment comes from my love of place. Success for me is helping people unravel history to understand how their property played a role in the past, so that we can make a new relevant story for its future.
A measure of my success for my clients is gaining listed building consent/planning permission for their proposals, helping clients gain grant funding or just improving building conditions.
What’s your favourite aspect of your role?
I love piecing together different elements of a building’s history, with its present being to determine its future; I love researching and getting up close to buildings!
I also love working with community groups and making a difference to people’s lives. I strongly believe that historic buildings help people connect, give people a sense of place and build stronger communities.
What’s your favourite thing about being part of the Woohoo team?
I enjoy being able to collaborate with clients and other professionals to find solutions for buildings. Here at Woohoo, we always consider things holistically and take the time to get to know our site and its users, to help determine the best intervention.
Finally, tell us a fun or surprising fact about you…
If you’d like to get in touch with Jess to discuss your next project (or gain some Monty Don-esque gardening advice) be sure to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.
Ever feel like your energy bills are a mystery? You’re not alone. Many homeowners struggle to understand where their money is going, especially with fluctuating prices and a variety of energy sources.
In this blog, we’ll aim to break down the typical energy sources used in UK homes, explaining the cost differences, and then dive into how much you could be wasting – and how to stop!
The ‘Big Three’
While every household is different, the majority of energy costs typically fall into three main categories. Understanding these “big three” energy consumers is the first step to taking control of your spending.
1: Heating (50-70%): Keeping your home at a comfortable temperature during the colder months usually consumes the largest share of your energy budget. The exact percentage depends heavily on your local climate, insulation levels, and the efficiency of your heating systems.
2: Water Heating (15-25%): Heating water for showers, baths, washing clothes, and dishes is another significant energy user. Factors like the number of people living in your home, showering habits, and the efficiency of your water heating system all play a role.
3: Appliances (10-20%): From refrigerators running 24/7 to washing machines and dryers, our appliances contribute a substantial portion to our energy bills. The type of appliances you own, their energy efficiency ratings, and how often you use them all impact this category.
Fuel Sources
Most UK residents purchase energy for these household functions from a combination of the following fuel sources:
Electricity: Powers lights, appliances, electronics, and some heating systems. While essential, electricity is often the most expensive energy source per unit. This energy source is key to the UK government’s net zero strategy.
Gas: Common for central heating, hot water, and cooking. Generally cheaper than electricity, but prices can still vary significantly.
Heating Oil (Kerosene): Typically used in some rural homes for heating and hot water. Prices are volatile and can be higher than gas in some areas.
Biomass (Wood Pellets, etc.): Biomass heating is generally seen as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. However, fuel costs can vary, and specialised equipment is required.
For the average homeowner in England and Wales, energy bills currently average £1,107 for gas and £1,144 for electricity (ONS 2024 data). While reducing these costs is a clear benefit of home improvements, many upgrades also deliver a significant return on investment through increased property value (2-5%)
Where is the Energy Wasted?
Heating
Gas has long been the dominant fuel for heating UK homes, prized for its affordability and relatively clean burning. But just how much gas are we talking about?
The average annual UK household’s gas consumption alone contains enough energy to drive a typical petrol car halfway around the globe!
That’s a staggering amount of energy, prompting the question: where does it all go? Several factors are at play, including the size of the building, the quality of a building’s insulation and the efficiency of the heating system.
Poor insulation is a major culprit; the average UK home (EPC rating D) needs roughly five times more energy for heating than a similarly sized Passivhaus. Then there’s the efficiency of the heating system itself. Older, non-condensing gas boilers can waste up to 20% of the gas energy during conversion to heat, and another 10% can be lost through poor controls or uninsulated pipes. That’s a potential 30% energy loss! While gas was historically cheap, rising prices are now exposing these costly inefficiencies.
The current energy revolution centres around heat pump technology. Modern air source heat pumps can extract energy from the outside air, achieving efficiencies of over 400%! This means they can generate four units of heat for every unit of electricity used. Even though electricity is generally more expensive than gas, this remarkable efficiency often makes heat pumps a cheaper heating solution than traditional gas boilers.
Hot Water
Saving energy on hot water can be surprisingly easy; the key is often to avoid overheating and over-storing.
A common example of wasted energy is heating water to 70°C and then mixing it with cold water for a 40°C shower. This wastes energy both in the initial heating and through increased heat loss from the hot water cylinder. Most hot water systems allow homeowners to adjust the temperature setting, often via a dial or thermostat on the boiler or hot water tank.
Reducing below 60°C significantly increases the risk of Legionella. Plenty of information is available online to help you assess your Legionella risk, and modern heating systems often include features for running periodic Legionella-killing cycles. The risk of Legionella is generally reduced in homes with combination boilers (which heat water on demand) or where the hot water cylinder is emptied and refilled daily. As reducing hot water temperature does carry a risk, if in doubt, consult a qualified plumber or heating engineer.
Appliances
Appliances, while essential for modern living, can be significant energy wasters if not chosen and used wisely.
Older appliances, in particular, often lack the energy-efficient technologies of newer models, consuming far more electricity than necessary. Even seemingly innocuous habits, like leaving devices on standby or running washing machines and dishwashers half-full, contribute to unnecessary energy drain.
“Phantom power,” the energy consumed by devices even when switched off but still plugged in, is another hidden culprit. Choosing appliances with high energy ratings (A or above) and adopting mindful usage habits, such as fully loading machines before running them and unplugging devices when not in use, can significantly reduce appliance-related energy waste and lower your bills.
Key appliances to be mindful of and invest in energy-efficient items are washing machines, tumble driers, dishwashers, fridges and freezers.
The rules are generally if they involve water, heating or cooling, or are on continuously, they will typically use a lot of electricity.
Smart electricity usage involves taking advantage of off-peak tariffs. By scheduling appliances to run when electricity is cheapest, homeowners can make a noticeable dent in their bills. Home batteries are revolutionising this approach, enabling customers to store off-peak electricity for use whenever needed.
The expenditure on energy by UK households is substantial, creating a significant drain on family budgets across the nation. This highlights not only the scale of our energy use but also the immense opportunity for reduction.
Woohoo is here to help
From simple fixes like better insulation and draught-proofing to embracing innovative technologies like heat pumps and smart controls, there’s a vast potential to significantly decrease our energy consumption. Looking for advice on how to lower your energy bills and increase the value of your home? Contact us for an initial chat, we’d love to hear your plans and see where we can help you in being more sustainable in your own home.
Every building has the potential to use less energy and ultimately save money. The vast majority of UK buildings in fact could reduce their energy consumption by up to 75%.
The key to identifying your potential savings is to find the size of energy demand on your home, and what proportion of that energy is being lost trying to meet the demand. From there, we can work out ways to reduce the demand and explore the most efficient methods to supply it.
Not sure where to start? Woohoo can support you with all aspects of this, and in this article, we’ll look at the different benefits of an energy health check and how we can support you in making your home more efficient.
Assessing the building fabric
In the local climate of the Lancaster for example, most of the energy usage for a historic building will come from heating it in the winter months. The amount of heat required is proportional to how big the building is and what each part of the building is used for.
Most methods, such as EPC, use theoretical values based on inspection. We always aim to find out what is really happening by comparing modelled information to bill, temperature and humidity data, occupant reports or thermal camera data. This helps us to quickly establish if a cavity wall has insulation for example, or whether a ceiling with no access has insulation.
By seeing the actual performance through this method, we highlight the areas losing energy and ensure the fabric improvements will save you money. Knowing the sizes of walls, windows, floors etc, help to estimate the cost of a retrofit against the cost of saving.
Assessing the fabric: Site render
Assessing the heating system
Now that we’ve established the fabric performance, we can model against the internal gains for your building, such as occupancy, appliance usage and solar gain, to calculate the heat requirement and how much energy the building’s heating system should be using.
With measured bill data, we can find out if the system is performing and if not, where the heat is being lost. We can then establish what technologies are available for the future to save costs.
Assessing the heating: radiators
Taking the holistic approach
There are many other ways that improvements can save energy but also have a wider impact. For example, a well-maintained roof will keep water off walls and in turn will use less energy, but it will also extend a building’s life and reduce damage.
Improving a heating system in an office building to make it more comfortable may not have a significant energy reduction but could lead to healthier occupants, improved occupancy or attract more customers with its efforts to reduce emissions.
Our aims for building improvements look beyond just energy reduction and look at factors such as extending building lifespan, improving comfort and occupancy and reducing lifecycle emissions.
Taking the holistic approach: listed barn for redevelopment
Assessing the risks and values
Often with historic buildings, every change carries a risk. Well publicised risks can include mould appearing after retrofitting or building fabric decaying because moisture has been trapped by insulation.
When planning improvements to your home, these risks should be highlighted, with the intention of mitigating them as much as possible, with a good understanding of the existing building fabric and how it works. Understanding these risks can save significant costs further down the road.
With heritage buildings, there are often heritage values that need to be considered. Take a listed building for example, this could be obtaining listed building consent for solar panels and underfloor heating. By working with a heritage consultant who understands these values and required consents, this can often save money by not stalling projects or having to undo work.
Assessing the options
Once your options have been established and indicative costs understood, this can be balanced against the risks and savings. We can support you in looking at market information, government and local strategies and current technologies available.
This can all come together to provide you with the best information to make informed choices on how to upgrade your building, to give you the best and most efficient improvements.
Assessing the options: comparison of heat loss areas
Looking to the future
To meet the Government’s climate goals, many buildings will be heavily retrofitted over their lifetime, and it’s very possible for them to have minimal heating and cooling costs.
We aim to help plan these building’s futures to make them great spaces for their occupants and have a reduced environmental impact. Our role is to help you understand your building better and give it a bright future.
Looking to the future: solar panels
We’d love to hear from you, contact Woohoo and we can discuss your upcoming project!
