Today’s post interests us at BuilderScrap.com simply because we’re nosey people.

All respondents were asked how they set the temperature on their heating system during the winter. They were asked to select which out of six statements best described how they set the temperature and also the current temperature setting on their thermostat (in degrees centigrade). Respondents who were unsure of the current setting were asked to check their thermostat or heating controls. The answers to both questions are provided in Table 10 (thermostat temperature was provided to the nearest degree but is presented here in bands of five degrees). Those with no central heating are excluded from the analysis.

The majority of respondents who had central heating reported that they changed the temperature setting whenever it got too hot or too cold, with 41% saying that while they did this, they often wore a jumper indoors. Around one in five (21%) said they often changed the temperature setting when it got too hot or cold and they did not like to wear a lot of layers. Around a third (37%) said that they did not change the setting often. Just 2% of respondents indicated that they did not tend to use the central heating. Detailed responses are provided above.

The mean temperature setting in respondents homes was 18.3 degrees centigrade. This calculation is based on those who had central heating, were able to control the temperature in their home and who knew what temperature the heating was set to. As in the 2007 Defra survey respondents who gave unrealistic answers (over 35 degrees centigrade) were also excluded from the analysis. In the 2007 Defra survey, the mean temperature was measured at 19.6 degrees suggesting that people were setting their heating at a slightly lower temperature in 2009. However, in 2007, respondents were not asked to check the temperature setting when responding so there was a higher level of estimation than in 2009.
More than a quarter (29%) of respondents with central heating had the temperature in their home set between 15 and 19 degrees and a similar proportion (28%) had it set between 20 and 24 degrees. It was uncommon for respondents to have the temperature either below 15 degrees (8%) or above 29 degrees (2%). Despite being asked to check the temperature setting if they were unsure, 20% of respondents said they didn‟t know what setting their heating was set to. In addition, 10% indicated that they either had no way of controlling the temperature or that the heating controls did not have a temperature scale.

We know that keeping your heating levels down is great for the environment…. big fluffy jumpers all the way! Do respondents have better home insulation, is it generally warmer or are respondents genuinely trying to not to waste energy. I’m going to write a post on Building Services to compliment this post to illustrate the point. Are people getting more work done on the home to aid heating efficiencies.

More on the frankly remarkable results from ‘home energy use’ Builders and Contractors take note. There is an opportunity here!

All respondents who had not installed cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation or loft insulation (but were able to do so) were asked to say what the main reasons were for not doing so. Those who said they had not heard of that type of insulation and those who said it was not applicable to them were excluded from these questions.

Around 300 respondents (30% of those whose homes were constructed with cavity walls) had not installed cavity wall insulation. Respondents were most likely to say that they had not installed this form of insulation as they could not afford it (27%). Other key reasons provided included never having thought about it (14%), not knowing whether they had it already (11%), because they were waiting until they needed to do other major renovations (9%) and because it would take too long to get costs back through lower energy bills (7%).

Similar reasons were provided by the small proportion (16%) of respondents who had a loft but said they had not installed loft insulation or top-up loft insulation. Cost was the most frequently cited reason – a quarter (23%) said they could not afford to do this, 17% said they were waiting until they needed to do other major renovations, 15% had never thought about it, and 10% said that it required too much effort.

In contrast, respondents whose homes were constructed with solid walls were most likely to say that they had not installed solid wall insulation as they had never thought about it (27%). That said, cost was also a significant factor with one fifth saying that they could not afford to install this form of insulation (20%). Around one in ten indicated that they did not know if they already had it or not (11%) or that they did not know how to go about it or who to ask (8%).

This leads me to the question…. Does the government need to be more proactive when informing homeowners of energy saving options e.g. solid wall insulation. What about Government subsidies?

The last part of the BuilderScrap.com recycling around the world series. Today Hamadou Tidiane Sy focuses on Senegal.

Recycling is not done on an industrial scale, but it is part of daily life for many resourceful Senegalese. Everything is recycled, from plastic bags to school exercise books, food cans, bottles of mineral water and even fruit peel. The peel is said to be collected for use in cheap perfume.
Tomato tins become drinking cups in rural areas or are used by beggars in the streets, old newspapers and administrative documents are used to wrap bread, fruit or peanuts you buy in the street. Some artisans also use metal waste to produce anything from chairs to kitchen utensils and children’s toys. Plastic bags are used to make shoes. In the old days, worn tyres used to be made into sandals, but these are much less popular now.
Recently, some smart people have started collecting all the metal waste they can find to send it back to factories in Europe.
The Swiss waste disposal firm Alcyon has signed a contract with the government worth more than $9m to collect and treat rubbish in the capital Dakar. The project is being managed by AMA-Senegal, which will remove a huge tip called Mbeubeuss and recycle much of the city’s waste.

We have just come across an interesting article here in the BuilderScrap office about how plumbers are the tradespeople most likely to offer environmental advice. The article was found here, have a read and let us know what you think.

More than eight in 10 plumbers would offer advice on environmental efficiency, says new survey.  Plumbers are the tradespeople most likely to offer their customers green advice, according to a new survey by the Energy Saving Trust.
More than eight out of 10 (81%) of plumbers said they would give energy efficiency advice. Carpenters came in at the other end of the scale, with only 27% saying they would advise their customers how to be more green.

81% of plumbers said they would give energy efficiency advice
Only 56% of builders said they would give energy efficiency advice, but 73% of electricians said they would. A total of 84% of the 241 tradespeople polled said they would like to be able to give environmental advice that their customers trusted.
Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said: “Seventy-five per cent of people in the UK believe the best way to improve the energy efficiency of a home is when the builders are in, but until tradespeople have the knowledge, training and skills to be able to offer this expertise as second nature then they will be building in the dark.”

Remember that BuilderScrap can be used by all trades to pass on unused, surplus materials, including plumbing products.

The third part of the HowStuffWorks article we have been reading at the BuilderScrap office is all about even more ways to ‘go green’ in the construction industry.

Solar panels
Goi­ng solar is definitely pricey, but you can expect to spend a lot less than just a few decades ago — as much as 90 percent less, by some estimates (and some states offer tax incentives and rebates). Plus, many states now require utility companies to charge homeowners for only the energy they consume beyond their solar production. And some solar panels produce enough electricity to allow users to sell energy back to the utility company. The amount of time it takes to break even depends on a number of factors — like your household’s energy usage, the number of panels needed, the orientation of your home to the sun, and the amount of sun the panels get over time.

Recycled countertops
There are a myriad of choices for countertops for the modern kitchen — from granite to quartz to ceramic tile to laminate — but for those looking to build a green kitchen, recycled countertops offer an alternative to stripping stone from the earth. Countertops using recycled paper, glass and aluminum offer a variety of looks and price levels. Another alternative is a concrete countertop, which can be tinted and is popular for its durability.

Compact fluorescent bulbs
Compact fluorescent bulbs are getting plenty of attention these days as the light bulb of the future. But in fact, they’re not a new idea at all — they’re based on regular fluorescent bulbs, which cut energy costs during the 1970s oil crisis. Compact fluorescents are reshaped to fit most standard lamps, and some are even housed in traditional-looking bulb casings that are designed to counter the bluish tint that many people dislike about fluorescent lights. Compact fluorescents use a quarter of the electricit­y of incandescent bulbs and can last 10,000 hours (versus 800 to 1,000 for regular bulbs), which sounds great — until you get to the hardware store and discover that they can cost $5 to $10 per bulb. Home Energy magazine advises trying out a few fluorescents in prominent places, like the kitchen. If you’re OK with the lighting, you can convert slowly to avoid one big investment, or you can buy in bulk to lower the cost per bulb.

IMPACT OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE REGULATION…  A WARNING!

Here at BuilderScrap we think it’s possible, if not probable, that plant and equipment will need to be replaced even where it is not beyond economic repair, as a result of the new regulations. Service charge provisions in leases will not generally allow a landlord to recover the cost of works which amount to improvement. As with the Asbestos Regulations, it may be possible for the landlord to recover the cost of compliance through service charge provisions or the statutory compliance clauses.

In an FRI lease, the provisions will have an effect upon terminal dilapidation claims where plant and equipment must be replaced rather than repaired. There will be no obligation upon a tenant to fund the cost of replacement of any item that is not in disrepair and therefore serious concentration upon statutory compliance clauses and service charge clauses will be necessary.

The testing of equipment is bound to lead to conflicts over liability for failure in design and construction, leading to claims against Architects, Project Managers and Contractors. Standard warranties will need to be reviewed.

Reputation is all important. Investors have already announced they may boycott companies that fail to meet socially responsible standards in energy efficiency. Directors reporting duties are becoming increasingly focussed towards environmental issues. Companies providing services to the public sector are often already required as part of the tendering process to demonstrate carbon neutral status.

The Property Industry will not be able to ignore this particular bundle of red tape. In time, it will have an effect on the bottom line if it is not addressed seriously and quickly.

Why not try and source materials free of charge on our website http://builderscrap.com