This month’s column is written by climate campaigner Edwina Evans.
AS THE weather has turned noticeably colder on my daily stroll with the dog, my thoughts have turned to the prospect myself and most people are facing – much higher energy bills that will inevitably come as a result of keeping homes adequately heated.
What remedies can be taken to ensure that heat is not wasted?
It is important to have adequate loft insulation for starters and there are schemes for lower income families – check with your energy company.
Draught strips can be put round both door and window frames.
Another solution I have found helpful is the purchase of insulated black out linings for behind curtains and also making sure curtains are tucked behind the radiators preventing heat escaping through the windows, which has certainly kept the house warmer.
It also has the added bonus in summer months to make the bedrooms dark at night and by keeping them closed during the day kept the rooms cooler.
Check central heating settings as well to keep costs down and install thermostatic valves on radiators so you can control the heat in individual rooms.
Obviously for those with young children and also the elderly, it is very important they have adequate warmth over the winter months and wearing warmer appropriate clothing can also help reduce the need for turning the heating up that extra one degree.
Winter and energy demands put a strain also on the energy companies so think about where your energy is coming from.
Drax – one of the biggest producers of energy in North Yorkshire – for instance, produces energy by burning mind-blowing quantities of timber (that comes in pellerted form from North America, Canada, Baltic States and other European nations) to produce electricity.
They supply electricity to energy companies on the wholesale market – these include British Gas, EDF, Eon and Octopus.
It emits about 12million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year but, under international law, the UK doesn’t have to count these emissions.
This really leaves me with the question: ‘Why?’
The BBC programme in early 2024 was a shocking revelation – 50 per cent of our gas comes from the North Sea and the rest from Norway with some also from the US.
Heating our homes accounts for around 20 per cent of our country’s carbon emissions.
Do we think where exactly our energy is coming from and at what cost to the environment every time we turn our heating on and what steps are we all prepared to take to reduce our consumption?
Just food for thought.
Click here for more from Bromsgrove Climate Action.
4th Jun, 2026
