sponsored earth one-planet-home 8097305 ----- # How to make your home green ## Kathryn Saville talks to three home owners who have benefited from an energy audit by one of B&Q's eco experts ![Room insulation][1] 4:32PM BST 29 Oct 2010 These days, more of us are aware of the importance of insulating our homes and using energy-efficient products to limit carbon emissions. But now, DIY specialist B&Q has trained eco advisers in all 330 of its stores who can tell you how to save energy in your home, making it easier to save money on your bills. B&Q also offers home visits from eco experts based in B&Q Sutton and B&Q New Malden, with more stores to follow. To find out more about B&Q's eco service, we sent qualified domestic energy assessor Spencer Barrett, who is based at B&Q New Malden, to three types of home a flat, a terraced house and a semi-detached house -- to give the home owners some valuable energy-saving advice. Tom Warner, a project manager, lives in an Edwardian two-bedroomed ground- floor flat in west London with his wife and 18-month-old son. "Spencer gave me quite a good bill of health," Tom reports. "He checked for draughts, had a look at the boiler and the windows I've got double-glazing front and back so he was happy with that. There's a little loft area above the back bedroom but I'd already insulated that. However, he did recommend changing my downlighters from halogen to LED bulbs. "The boiler is less than 10 years old and a combination model, so there wasn't much to improve but Spencer did recommend I control the heating using the radiator thermostats I've already fitted. That's what's good about the service -- some of it's about getting new kit and updating things but you're told how to use what you have already. "There's an electrical usage monitor called an OWL, which Spencer installed and showed me how to use. I think that monitoring energy use could get quite addictive. You end up running round, switching things off!" ## Related Articles * [B&Q commitments][2] 29 Oct 2010 The OWL will provide Tom with a detailed analysis of electricity use and show him how much money he's saving. The low-energy lightbulbs will also reduce Tom's bill. Spencer also recommended that Tom seal a gap under the skirting in his kitchen and use a standby saving device. Jan Raggett, from Farnborough Village in Kent, also found her eco assessment enlightening. Like many home owners, she discovered that the loft insulation on her two-bedroomed terraced house wasn't of the recommended thickness, and insulating her cavity walls could take a third off her heating bill. In fact, without proper insulation as much as 50 per cent of your heating could be disappearing through your walls and roof. And if every UK household fitted loft insulation to the recommended thickness of 270mm, it would save enough energy to heat 750,000 homes for a year. If you're unsure about what kind of loft insulation you need, and how much, go to diy.com, click on Eco, then Save Energy, and you'll find a handy loft insulation calculator. Jan takes up the story: "The loft badly needed lagging. I don't know when it was last insulated but it was a pretty poor job." Spencer also suggested that Jan should start using an electricity monitor and look at having her cavity walls insulated. Jan now knows how to save energy, and enjoyed the process: "I have to say Spencer was very helpful and friendly." Charlotte Nash lives with husband Simon and children Matthew and Mollie in a three-bedroomed semi in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Spencer suggested Charlotte should draught-proof the front and back doors, fit foils behind the radiators to reflect out heat, insulate the loft over her cold kitchen, and use energy-efficient lightbulbs and an electricity monitor. "I'd already noticed the impact of using the tumble dryer on our bills, so I now use an airer instead," says Charlotte. "I didn't know that B&Q gave eco advice; it was really helpful and confirmed what we thought we should do to make the house warmer. "We sleep in the loft; it's cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Spencer says that's because there isn't proper insulation between the ceiling and the roof tiles -- but fixing it is a really big job." Spencer suggested that Charlotte and Simon should include this in their plans next time they are considering any major building work. [X][3] Share & bookmark Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz [What are these?][4] * Share: [Share][3] [ ][5] [ ][6] [Tweet][7] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/earth/one-planet-home/8097305/How-to- make-your-home-more-energy-efficient.html Telegraph ## [One Planet Home][8] * ### [Sponsored »][9] * ### [Earth »][10] ### [How to make your home green][11] [![Room insulation][12] ][11] Kathryn Saville talks to three home owners who have benefited from an energy audit by one of B&Q's eco experts ### [How B&Q can help you save energy][13] [![B&Q homes][14] ][13] Be inspired. Find out how B&Q can help you save money and the environment with a few simple changes to your home. ### [How to put an end to winter worries][15] [![Jan is now implementing B&Q's recommendations. ][16] ][15] These clever gadgets from B&Q will keep the cold out and the heat in, says Kathryn Saville. ### [B&Q commitments][2] [![B&Q Eco-shop][17] ][2] Our approach to sustainability is called One Planet Home®. We have worked with independent sustainability experts to develop this vision and the robust and challenging programme that underpins it, which is changing the way we do business. [X][3] Share & bookmark Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz [What are these?][4] Share: * [ ][3] * [ ][5] * [ ][6] * [Tweet][7] * ![B&Q One Planet Home][18] video ### [B&Q One Planet Home][19] [![One Planet Home ][20] ][19] B&Q Video - Saving energy in the home ## [Energy saving appliances »][21] ### [How to put an end to winter worries][22] [![Making light work: Tom does his bit by installing energy-saving light bulbs][23] ][22] At B&Q you can find plenty of eco-friendly solutions that are simple and cheap... 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