We know when we talk about energy efficiency projects there might be a few words or phrases that you’ve not heard before. Check out our jargon-buster which will hopefully make things a bit easier to understand.
A piece of equipment that heats your home through your radiators and can also heat water stored in a hot water cylinder, without the need for gas. It works by using heat stored in the air, and electricity is used to boost the heat when necessary. It works a bit like a fridge but backwards. Air source heat pumps are efficient to run, could save you money and have a lower impact on the environment than other heating systems.
This is a measure of the amount of CO2 that’s released into the environment by your home. Reducing the carbon footprint of your home is good for the environment.
Specialist companies we bring in to help us deliver our energy efficiency projects, mainly carrying out things like the construction and installation work.
Carbon dioxide (or CO2 for short) is an odourless, colourless gas that’s harmless at the kind of levels we have in our homes. You’ll maybe have heard people talk about how increased levels of CO2 (sometimes people call this carbon emissions), are contributing to global warming and damaging the environment.
DEA stands for Domestic Energy Assessor. This is someone who’s qualified to carry out a survey of your home to decide what Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band it gets. The higher the EPC Band, the more energy efficient your home is, and the lower your running costs are likely to be.
This stands for Distribution Network Operator. These are companies that are licensed to distribute electricity and gas in the UK. They’re responsible for looking after the cables, pylons and pipes that bring electricity and gas to our homes.
These are things we do to your home to make it warmer, and reduce the amount of energy you use (some people call this kind of work ‘retrofit’). Energy efficiency upgrades can include things like installing smart heating controls, replacing windows and doors, upgrading insulation, and using low carbon heating solutions like air source heat pumps.
Small pieces of equipment that capture information on the temperature, humidity and CO2 in your home.
Every home has a SAP Band EPC, which stands for Energy Performance Certificate. These range from A at the highest to G at the lowest. The higher the EPC Band, the more energy efficient your home is, and the lower your running costs are likely to be. You’ll have seen similar EPC ratings on household appliances like fridges and washing machines.
Also known as GHGs, these are gases in the earth’s atmosphere that trap heat and act like the walls of a greenhouse. They include gases like CO2 and methane, and contribute to climate change and global warming (the increase in the world’s temperature).
Insulation is anything that helps to reduce the amount of heat you lose from your home. It includes external wall insulation (which is basically like wrapping a big blanket around the outside of your home), well-fitted double glazed windows and doors and laying material in your loft that traps heat and stops it from going out of the roof.
A kilowatt hour (kWh) is a measure of how much energy you're using each hour, and a kilowatt (kW) is a measure of power. kW is a standard way of measuring electricity. Your electricity provider charges by how much electricity you use per kilowatt hour (kWh).
The grid is simply a network of things like powerlines, pylons and gas lines that make up the country’s electricity and gas systems. National Grid is the company that distributes the electricity and gas that powers all our homes.
This means cutting greenhouse gases to as close to zero as possible.
The person who’s there to help you if they’ve got any questions or concerns. A big part of their job is to make sure you’re kept informed about what’s happening during a project.
This is the person that carries out surveys and collects information to help us plan and decide what works are most suitable for your home. This can include asking for some of your energy bills to see how much energy you’re using, looking at the energy performance certificate for your home, and asking you some questions about how you live (things like how often you turn the heating on and how many people live in the home.)
This is a person who provides technical oversight of any energy efficiency works to ensure they are done to the correct quality standards. They will monitor the works before, during and after a project.
You might also hear us talking about retrofit advisors. These are people who give support and advice about energy consumption, how to use the technology in your home, and general energy efficiency measures.
This stands for ‘Standard Assessment Procedure’ and is the official, government-approved system for assessing the energy rating of your home.
These are sometimes called solar PV or solar photovoltaic. They are fitted to the roof and generate electricity whenever there’s daylight. Each panel is made up of tiny cells (these are called photovoltaic cells). The electricity the cells produce travels through a cable before it’s collected and converted into electricity that can be used in your home. Solar panels will reduce the carbon footprint of your home and could cut your energy bills.
This is the process of bringing outdoor air into a building, or removing indoor air from a building. Controlled ventilation, like air vents on windows and extractor fans, is important to stop condensation, which can cause damp and mould.