Extreme house insulation

[calorific]

Trying to persuade people to wear warmer clothing indoors seems an obvious solution. I suspect that many of us on here are wearing a light shirt and relying on the ambient heat from the heating systems to keep us warm, possibly with the house doors open and maybe a window or two open to allow fresh air.

I suspect like a lot of people if the government were to try and persuade me to do any thing I'd do the opposite,turn the heating up,the gas is not rationed yet.

If fuel became prohibitively expensive then I suspect you'd put a jumper on. Anyway, it's about educating the masses. A bit like nobody smokes anymore due to a persistent cough, er, campaign and there's no complaint over that

 

[enyam]

If fuel became prohibitively expensive then I suspect you'd put a jumper on. Anyway, it's about educating the masses.

Good idea give more money to the treasury.Would that be the masses of Romanians about to arrive.

 

[Brigadier]

Trying to persuade people to wear warmer clothing indoors seems an obvious solution. I suspect that many of us on here are wearing a light shirt and relying on the ambient heat from the heating systems to keep us warm, possibly with the house doors open and maybe a window or two open to allow fresh air.

To a point I agree, but I am only here once, and I want that to be a life, not a wretched existence.

Besides, I spent good money buying a place to keep me warm(ish - among other things) - keeping the heating off, I'd need the windows wide open most of the time to keep the mould at bay!

 

[calorific]

To a point I agree, but I am only here once, and I want that to be a life, not a wretched existence.!

Would wearing an extra layer or two really make life so wretched?

 

[AronSearle]

What do you mean by wear an extra layer though?

Turn the heating off completely, and wear fur.

Or maintain a 16-18c temperature instead of 21c.


I've heard a lot of people use the "wear more clothes" argument on the latter, but it doesn't deal with the overall issue of extremely poor (by modern standards) thermal performance and so energy consumption.

So you are still wasting energy, just less of it.


Better to properly insulate the buildings, maintain a 21c temperature and use less energy.

 

[calorific]

What do you mean by wear an extra layer though?

Turn the heating off completely, and wear fur.

Nope. maybe a vest or a jumper or a cardigan.

Or maintain a 16-18c temperature instead of 21c.

Possibly - after all this is the recommended temp for bedrooms

I've heard a lot of people use the "wear more clothes" argument on the latter, but it doesn't deal with the overall issue of extremely poor (by modern standards) thermal performance and so energy consumption.

True and I haven;t claimed that it would. However, as you have stated, the housing stock is as it is and upgrading it would be prohibitively expensive.

So you are still wasting energy, just less of it.

which is better than nothing. It's all to do with the rate of heatloss on the exponential curve

Better to properly insulate the buildings, maintain a 21c temperature and use less energy.

But why 21 degrees?

 

[Brigadier]

Which is why I said "to a point"......

Is a layer a tracksuit, or a parka?

 

[Whitespirit66]

I suspect like a lot of people if the government were to try and persuade me to do any thing I'd do the opposite,turn the heating up,the gas is not rationed yet.

Won't we have all the gas we can use soon from shale? The US has gone from zero to 20% of it's gas requirement coming from shale in 10 years.

Our gas will soon be so cheap, you won't bother turning the heating down, just open a window or two.

So, as we're sitting on decades, if not 100s of years of shale gas and the extraction technology is getting better all the time - surely Cameron and his cronies will stop parading all this green bull? Surely they'll do what the Yanks are doing for their people and give them cheap energy - maybe even stop pensioners dying in their unheated homes?

No fracking chance!

 

[ajstoneservices]

Won't we have all the gas we can use soon from shale? The US has gone from zero to 20% of it's gas requirement coming from shale in 10 years.

Our gas will soon be so cheap, you won't bother turning the heating down, just open a window or two.

So, as we're sitting on decades, if not 100s of years of shale gas and the extraction technology is getting better all the time - surely Cameron and his cronies will stop parading all this green bull? Surely they'll do what the Yanks are doing for their people and give them cheap energy - maybe even stop pensioners dying in their unheated homes?

No fracking chance!

I thought you were dreaming until I read

No fracking chance!

Fracking is going to go tits up big time

 

[r.bartlett]

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 1:42 pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ladylola wrote:
The one key element in this or any energy crisis is always pretty much ignored and that is levels of consumption. To provide a "solution" involves at worst not raising consumption and better still reducing it, we have higher levels of energy production now than we did 30 or 60 years ago and we have a crisis looming now .

Reducing consumption means either turning things off or increasing efficiency. There was a massive hoo ha when std 100w bulbs were banned but that was needed to force the improvement of led both for quality and price. IE a market had to be made in order for the led manufacturers compete. This is what governments do best. Enforce change despite the fuss. They don't get it right very often but in a few years when everybody has gen 10+ lamps there will be no fond memories of filament bulbs

Where they are getting it wrong is 20 years ago there should enforced government assisted insulation upgrades to all homes below a certain energy rating to bring them within acceptable limits. No opt out allowed. All UK homes must comply irrespective of size or age.

Those who refuse will have their homes reassessed and their rates will go up accordingly (ie the cost of not complying)

Our home build quality is dreadful. I remember driving to work a way back and watching a drive through car wash and further on a block of flats being built.
The car wash had 100mm blue celotex in the walls and the flats cheap 50mm fibreglass...

Read more: //www.diynot.com/forums/general-discussion/petrol-from-fresh-air.341301/#ixzz2Fmkbl3KC

 

[enyam]

A very good point but because of ever increasing energy prices the benefit will never be seen.

What happens in a few years time when every thing has reached saturation point of save this save that and no more saving's can be made?

 

[r.bartlett]

We have had 200 years of progress through excess. We now need to temper progress with moderation.

The one and only reason for reducing consumption is cost. Increase cost and the market looks for ways of reducing consumption. The government with it's green tax is artificially doing just that so now the market can look for the reductions in a cost effective way. LED's are considered the way to go at the moment but they will have their day and something else will come in to replace it.

whilst I remain a firm plasma TV user and wouldn't consider a LED TV the next gen of TV's such as OLED and FLED -eventually- will smash both out of the market

 

[anobium]

Scuse my ignorance, I've heard of OLED telly screens but not FLED, what are they?

 

[Mikefromlondon]

We have had 200 years of progress through excess. We now need to temper progress with moderation.

The one and only reason for reducing consumption is cost. Increase cost and the market looks for ways of reducing consumption. The government with it's green tax is artificially doing just that so now the market can look for the reductions in a cost effective way. LED's are considered the way to go at the moment but they will have their day and something else will come in to replace it.

whilst I remain a firm plasma TV user and wouldn't consider a LED TV the next gen of TV's such as OLED and FLED -eventually- will smash both out of the market

It is a terrible shame that our forefathers inventions have been laid to rest by this new technology, the first thermionic valve and as a result of which we were able to hear radio for the very first time, and then came the CRT black & White tele, followed by colour tv, both using cathod ray tubes, marvelous invention of 20th century, without which I am sure the TFT, and LED screens wouldn't be here and so on wouldn't be here.

I think the FLED must stand for flexible LED screen, one that you can roll into a cigarette and smoke!

 

[AronSearle]

But why 21 degrees?

Nobody achieved progress by setting their standards lower.

We have the technology to make houses that can stay at such a comfortable temperature with almost no energy input.

Why not 21 degrees?

Why not read a novel and have a few meals on a boat, than invent a plane.