As the cost of living is rising so rapidly, sustainable living is a huge consideration for many families across the UK. There are a number of reasons for this shift in trend including financial constraints, environmental consciousness and personal well-being.
Firstly let’s explore financial constraints:
The Cost of Living is Rising
Swarming the media right now are stories about the cost of energy prices rising – and it couldn’t be at a worse time of year; temperatures are dropping quickly and dark nights are drawing which means we require lighting and heating at this time of year more than ever.
Recorded in January of this year the average energy bill was £1,042 per year and while no more up to date figures are available, we know that most recent price hikes will have lifted this even further. And as we all know, the cost of running a home does not stop there. There are many other items to consider including:
- Buildings insurance
- Content insurance
- Water
- Wi-Fi
- Landline
- TV License, &
- Council Tax
Consider those costs in a home that is too big for one person alone and you can see this may not be financially sustainable. It may not make sense to run a larger home like it used to with a larger family earlier in life.
When considering financial options it is making more and more sense to downsize; the opportunity of a granny annexe in the garden of a family member can seriously reduce costs.
Not only will you eradicate a number of bills – other bills such as insurance, council tax, water and Wi-Fi could be sought from the main property – with a smaller footprint to your living space, your energy prices (in addition to those of the main property) will be greatly reduced.
From a financial point of view, annexe living can be so much more sustainable. But there are even more important factors to consider…
Live Sustainably. Go Green.
It is no secret that the world is being damaged by human consumption. From overpopulation and a general “replace not repair” culture, as a human race we are creating issues with the planet that are irreplaceable.
At the time of publishing this post – it is approaching the end of COP26, the UN Conference that has a purpose of uniting the world on climate change. A greener, sustainable way of living isn’t simply big – it is global. One of the conference’s key objectives is to “Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach”.
World leaders are pledging to reduce carbon emissions which is a vital lifeline for the health of the planet.
It is the responsibility of us all to play a part in doing this. Being green and being responsible can make a huge difference to environmentally positive sustainable living by lowering our carbon footprint.
Sustainable Living at Home
There are a number of ways that you can help to reduce carbon emissions from your home including:
- Saving energy
- Using reusable alternatives
- Going paperless
- Using low or renewable energy
- Recycling and reusing where possible
- Growing your own produce
By transitioning to an annexe lifestyle you can help to move into these practices. We have already covered how reducing your living areas will reduce your energy consumption, but what about some of the others?
Using low energy products including LED lights as standard in your annexe build will reduce your energy consumption even further – a huge positive for a green way of living. There’s also the iHUS insulation, electric heating and green hot water systems that you will be using in your new home. All of these comforts can make a big difference without too much effort from you.
Growing your own produce can come from your newly found garden lifestyle as your annexe will be built on the property of a loved one. With so much green around, you will be sure to find those green fingers and even better – relax in the process and appreciate the work put into your new lifestyle. This can also do wonders for your wellbeing.
These are all positive ways in creating a sustainable lifestyle, and while they may seem like small steps – if everybody takes more of them, huge changes can be made. It is on all of us to help save the environment, including our team at iHUS.
Green Hus from iHUS
To reduce our own carbon footprint and to help you make a difference, we work hard to do our bit for the environment. That’s why we created our Green Hus commitment at iHUS.
From the very first annexe we developed, we set out to build in a cleaner, greener way. This included being aware of the environmental impact at every stage of construction. Green Hus is not the easiest way, nor is it the quickest way, but it is the right way for us morally and that is why we do what we do.
Our three core steps include:
- Preparing your annexe at our off-site factory. Doing so means we reduce 30% of greenhouse gasses. And the machinery we use also reduces these gasses by 50%. That’s a huge saving. Not only that, we’re keeping vans and other vehicles off the road.
- Providing a traditional solid timber frame – and as part of this, we ensure 95% of our timber is FSC or PEFC Certified from carefully managed and replenished stocks. We also choose Saige composite decking – an advanced, long-lasting material formed almost entirely from recycled plastic and recycled wood fibres. Finally, we use screw piles for our solid foundations rather than concrete.
- Energy-saving specifications – From the latest in radiator technology reducing consumption by over 60%, green electric heating and hot water systems to eliminate emissions to our special iHus insulation, the specification of our builds are created to help keep your build sustainable and long-lasting. Every iHus home also features modern LED lighting throughout.
What’s more, we’ll keep on building this way like we have from the start and continually assess how we can improve our annexe homes further as technologies and supplies evolve. We are currently working to evolve our insulation to ensure that we adhere to upcoming changes to building regulations part L. iHUS is proud to be ahead of the game in an industry where it is important to meet strict required standards.
Get in Touch
If you want to know more about a sustainable way of living and how iHUS can help you, get in touch with a member of our team today and we’ll be happy to help you on your way to an annexe way of life.
