Jane’s Story – A Journey to a climate friendly home

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This blog was written by Jane, a participant in our climate-friendly homes project. Following the advice she received from Cosy Kingdom, Jane was so enthusiastic about her experience that she now volunteers with us as an energy champion, keen to share her story with others.

 

My climate concern and the search for solutions 

Like many, I’ve become increasingly concerned about our changing climate. For me, one of the most direct connections I could see was the gas central heating in my own home. Knowing it was contributing to climate change and air pollution really bothered me. 

I’d heard about air source heat pumps from friends – how effective they were at keeping homes warm. Having some savings set aside for house bits and bobs, I decided to look into the possibility of a renewable energy setup: solar panels, battery storage, and a heat pump. 

My initial foray into this world wasn’t the most reassuring. Contacting a couple of renewable energy companies felt overwhelming. I was immediately hit with sales pitches and a real pressure tactic – the idea that government grants were about to vanish, urging me to “act now!” It left me feeling uneasy. 

Then, I remembered Cosy Kingdom. I’d come across them at a charity event in Leven and knew they offered free, impartial advice. That sounded exactly like what I needed. I gave them a ring and arranged a visit a couple of weeks later. 

 

How Cosy Kingdom provided guidance 

The Cosy Kingdom advisor was fantastic. It turned out he lived nearby and had actually installed a similar heating solution in his own house. He was brilliant at answering all my questions and addressing my concerns openly and honestly. There was absolutely no pressure to make a decision, although he did admit he was a bit of an enthusiast for the technology! 

One of my worries was whether I’d need to replace all my radiators. He reassured me that they would probably be okay, but he also explained that bigger radiators with wider pipes would likely perform even better. He also highlighted that the heating approach with a heat pump is different to gas. You need a larger hot water cylinder because the pump can only heat either the radiators or  the hot water tank at any one time. He also explained that the system wouldn’t be as instantly responsive as gas, meaning I’d need to plan my heating schedule rather than just turning it on when I felt a chill. 

He asked all the right questions about my home’s insulation, and I was relieved to hear that there didn’t seem to be much to do there. The previous owner had clearly already done a good job of minimising heating costs, even with a gas boiler. 

By the end of our discussion, I felt confident that installing a heat pump was the strategically sensible and right decision for me. I’d be eliminating my gas usage, which felt like an important step for the climate. I also felt it was a change that would be needed eventually, so sooner rather than later seemed best, both for the environment and for the future saleability of my house. 

Cosy Kingdom then took the initiative to connect me with Home Energy Scotland (HES) to arrange a technical feasibility study and get information about the financial support available. The very next day, I received an email from HES with details about speaking to their technical team in a few weeks and all the information I needed to get started. 

Thanks to the excellent briefing from Cosy Kingdom, I went into those discussions with HES feeling confident about what was involved and what I wanted. There was one HES technical recommendation that gave me pause – insulating under the floor. So, I reached out to Cosy Kingdom again. We talked it through, and I decided that the difficulty of installing that insulation probably made the advice impractical for my situation, and that not doing it wouldn’t prevent me from getting the government grant. 

Next came the stage of finding a contractor. By this point, I had a good understanding of what I needed and had made a personal decision to prioritize the quality of the solution above all else. It was a significant investment, and I wanted it to work well. My assessment of contractors went beyond just the technical solution they offered. I also considered how confident I felt in their ability to explain technical issues clearly and fairly, and how ongoing maintenance would be handled. 

 

Comfort, Confidence and a Lower Carbon Footprint 

Interestingly, I had three Ukrainian guests living with me at the time. They were quite taken aback to hear I was having the gas removed! They couldn’t quite grasp how cold winter air could possibly heat a house sufficiently. I was able to confidently reassure them that it would work and that we wouldn’t be cold. To be sure, they even checked with Ukrainian experts they knew, who gave the heating solution “ringing endorsements.” 

Ultimately, I decided that making the long-term switch to a heat pump was the best investment I could make to reduce my house’s carbon footprint with the technology available, even considering the initial installation costs. 

Overall, I was able to move forward with confidence thanks to the invaluable support I received from Cosy Kingdom. The project has been a complete success, and I haven’t had a single second thought about my decision. 

Jane with her new heat pump

Want to see if you could make changes like Jane?

Cosy Kingdom provides free & impartial energy advice to anyone living within Fife. If you’d like to part and find out how you can make your home more climate friendly get in touch.

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Have you already made similar changes to your home and would be willing to share your experiences in a blog? Please email michael@greenerkirkcaldy.org.uk.