Finding new ways to heat our homes

Contents

  1. Overview
  2. How this affects your home
  3. How you can help

Overview

The Council is aiming to become net zero by 2050.

This means that we plan to balance the greenhouse gases we put into the atmosphere by removing the same amount.

We are looking at new ways to heat our homes, as 27% of greenhouses gases come from our homes.

This fits into the Council's Sustainable South Tyneside 2020-2025 strategy.

For more information on why becoming net zero is important, visit: National Grid: What is net zero?


How this affects your home

Houses built after 2025 are banned from having gas boilers.

We are now looking at new ways to heat our homes in line with government guidelines. This involves looking at technology such as electric heating and hydrogen boilers.

We will let our customers know about changes and updates through our website and social media platforms.

To find out more information about different heating options, visit:

Energy saving trust: Electric heating

Electric radiators direct: How do electric heaters work?

Worcester-bosch: Heat pumps explained

Worcester-bosch: Hydrogen boilers

These are for educational purposes only. We are still researching technologies and have not made any decisions yet.


How you can help

At home, you can help by:

  • Using low energy lighting (LED)
  • Using heating controls. For example setting your thermostat between 18 - 21 degrees Celsius
  • Using energy efficient appliances if possible
  • Using draught excluders on windows and doors
  • Reusing things such as carrier bags and bottles
  • Recycling your paper, cardboard, food waste and plastic products

You can also calculate and find out ways to reduce your carbon footprint by visiting: WWF: Footprint Calculator.

To find out more information about what your carbon footprint is, visit: National Geographic: What is a carbon footprint?.