OVO Energy has set out on a bold mission to cut its carbon impact by 90% – offsetting 10% of the emissions it can’t avoid or reduce, with the aim of becoming a net zero business by 2035. At the same time, OVO Energy wants to encourage (and help) its customers to do the same, supporting us all on the journey towards net zero living.
Transport may account for 24% of the UK’s yearly emissions, and OVO Energy is certainly helping us all to move more efficiently with its electrified fleet, its e-bike rideshare scheme and the world’s largest domestic Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) electric charger trial. But households still remain the highest contributor to overall UK greenhouse gasses at 40%1
Cutting carbon in the home is therefore a vitally important part of OVO Energy’s Plan Zero commitment, and that’s where working together really plays its part.
OVO Energy has always understood the power of community, believing that the more of us are involved, the greater our collective impact for a cleaner, greener planet. That’s why, partnering with Hubbub, OVO Energy is pioneering a brand-new trial to help residents on a street in Glasgow maximise their home energy efficiency and reduce their annual bills exponentially.
The concept: prove that with minimal modifications to our homes, instructive data and some helpful tips and tricks, we can all get more out of our energy for less. Let’s take a closer look at how this initiative is shaping up and the little changes employed in the trial that we can all adopt today.
Learn more about the OVO Energy Hubbub partnership
Powered by the community
OVO Energy has always maintained that if a customer understands the significance of their contribution, they’ll play a pivotal part in societal change. After all, OVO Energy has pledged to plant a tree for each and every customer, with over 1.8 million trees planted to date.
Equally, the choice of partnership can make a huge difference and for this campaign, OVO Energy looked to award-winning environmental charity Hubbub, which is inspiring new ways of living that are both healthy and progressive for the environment. Like OVO Energy, Hubbub isn’t afraid to disrupt the status quo – raising awareness, nudging behaviours, and shaping societal systems in any way it can.
“We’re really keen to discover what is possible when a community comes together to tackle energy use in the home,” says Gavin Ellis, co-founder of Hubbub. “This might include economies of scale by multiple houses on the same street carrying out the same work or be as simple as sharing ideas and information.”
Small changes; big difference
In the world of sustainable energy, small changes make a big difference. When you think that turning down your thermostat one degree can reduce your bills by up to 10%2 the opportunities are endless and this trial seeks to stress-test the merits of these behavioural and technical changes.
Participants involved in the trial are able to choose from a selection of home improvements, supported by OVO Energy's ECO Funding and additional government grants (where possible) to make smart energy efficiency upgrades, more affordable than ever. The vast array of options includes, insulation materials, heating system upgrades, window upgrades and energy efficient lighting, all designed to cut costs and carbon footprints.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, heating accounts for around 55% of a typical household's energy bills. That’s why solid wall insulation will be an integral part of this project: protecting homes from heat loss, and helping residents save up to 45% on their energy bills. Put in perspective, a detached home with solid wall insulation could save £4153 per year on its annual heating bills.
Draught-proofing is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to save energy, playing a small but important role in this project. Draught-proofing around windows and doors could net homes around £60 a year in savings4. Have an open chimney? Well, draught-proofing it during the summer season when it’s not in use could up the savings to around £90 per year4.
Lighting makes up 11% of the average UK household electricity consumption5, so just imagine how much an entire street could save with energy efficient lighting? According to the Energy Saving Trust, if you were to replace all the bulbs in your home with LED equivalents, you could reduce your CO2 emissions by up to 40kg a year, saving £55 a year on your electricity bills.
Driven by data; adding up to something more
Data is critical to the success of this initiative. After all, there’s no progress without the evidence to support it. That’s why all of this trial’s energy and cost-saving measures will be independently monitored throughout to ensure homes are making the most of the benefits offered by these upgrades.
Bespoke advice will be provided to residents with support from OVO Energy, Hubbub, local community groups, contractors, and other on-the-ground experts, but collaboration and conversation between residents is also critical to its success. For that reason, Hubbub has created an online group to encourage participating residents to interact and work together. That could be sharing real-world insights, fresh ideas, individual or group successes, or challenges that have arisen while making home improvements.
One thing is for sure, by the time this ambitious trial from OVO Energy and Hubbub comes to an end, we’ll know whether the power of community is more sustainable than green energy itself. The street powered by a passion for sustainable living is a go and it could be the first of many.
[1]https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/5CB-Infographic-FINAL-.pdf
[2] https://www.wwf.org.uk/challenges/turn-down-one-degree
[3] https://www.moneysupermarket.com/gas-and-electricity/solid-wall-insulation/
[4] https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/draught-proofing/