Tackle the climate emergency

To safeguard the planet for future generations, it’s vital that we reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. 

Currently, most home heating in Scotland involves burning fossil fuels like gas, oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Burning these fuels produces CO2, which builds up in the atmosphere and increases global warming. 

In Scotland, the energy we use at home makes up 13% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, retrofitting is one of the most significant contributions we can make to the livelihoods of those who come after us. 

Retrofitting reduces carbon emissions in two major ways. 

Firstly, insulating our homes means that less heat energy is lost through the building’s fabric – the walls, floor and roof. This means we don’t need to run our heating for as long, so we use less energy. In other words, our homes become more energy efficient. 

Secondly, retrofitting reduces our home’s greenhouse gas emissions by installing low carbon technology. Most of the energy we use in our homes comes from burning fossil fuels, which creates carbon dioxide. 

By switching to systems which use a renewable source of energy, we burn less fossil fuels. 

For example, most of the energy needed to run an air source heat pump comes from the air outside. The rest comes from electricity. If the electricity for the heat pump comes from a green source, then it will heat our home without producing any carbon emissions. 

This is better for both the planet and your pocket.