Being sustainable

Last updated: June 2, 2026

Sustainability can feel overwhelming when you are planning home improvements. There is a huge amount of advice, new terminology, and conflicting information - and it is not always clear what actually makes the biggest difference.

Much current thinking is based on relatively new and evolving science, particularly around measuring carbon emissions. Calculating carbon accurately involves many variables, and industries are still agreeing on consistent methods and standards.

At the same time, we are in a climate emergency. Many homeowners want to make responsible choices and reduce the environmental impact of their improvement projects, but it can be difficult to separate genuinely sustainable decisions from marketing and greenwash.

So, how do you know if you are really being sustainable? With so many issues to consider, where should you begin?

Research consistently shows that the largest proportion of energy used in most UK homes is for space heating, typically around 60-70% of total household energy consumption.

Because heating forms such a large part of household energy use, relatively small improvements can make a significant difference. Improving insulation, reducing draughts, and upgrading to a more efficient heating system can reduce both energy bills and carbon emissions.

Simple behavioural changes can also help. Before installing additional heating appliances, it is worth asking whether lowering the thermostat slightly, wearing warmer clothing indoors, or improving insulation could achieve similar results with less cost and environmental impact.

Homes are also changing because of climate change itself. Hotter summers are increasing demand for cooling through fans and air conditioning, which can increase energy use further. This creates a difficult cycle: the more energy we use inefficiently to heat and cool our homes, the greater the environmental impact becomes with the climate heating up, and the more we need to cool our homes.

This kind of cycle can sometimes feel discouraging. However, the most useful approach is often to break sustainability down into manageable parts and focus on practical improvements that genuinely make a difference.

A useful way to think about sustainability in a home renovation or self-build project is to consider two key ideas used by architects and other professionals in the building industry:

• Operational Energy
• Embodied Carbon

Operational Energy is the energy used to run your home once it is occupied. This includes:

• Space heating
• Hot water
• Lighting
• Appliances
• Ventilation and cooling

As explained, in most homes, space heating is the largest contributor.

Embodied Carbon refers to the emissions created by manufacturing, transporting, and installing the materials used in your project.

• The production of building materials
• Transport and supply chains
• Construction processes on site

Calculating embodied carbon accurately is complex, but the principle is straightforward: every material and product used in a project has an environmental cost or footprint.

A useful analogy is to think about a car. The embodied carbon is everything involved in manufacturing the car itself. The operational energy is the fuel or electricity used to drive it over time. Buildings work in much the same way.

There is no single answer - both operational energy and embodied carbon matter.

Operational energy accumulates over many years as you heat, cool, and power your home. We know that the way you heat your home is usually the largest contributor.

However, the sources of operational energy are gradually changing. Electricity grids are becoming cleaner as renewable energy generation increases through solar, wind, and other low-carbon technologies.

Embodied carbon is different because most of those emissions happen immediately, or have already happened. The emissions associated with manufacturing materials, transporting them, and constructing a building are created at the start or during the build of the project.

For this reason, many people argue that reducing embodied carbon can have the most immediate impact on climate emissions. In reality, sustainable design needs to consider both.

A Net Zero construction project aims to balance operational energy and embodied carbon so the project reaches net zero carbon emissions.

In practice, achieving true net zero carbon is extremely difficult. Almost every activity involved in construction creates emissions, from manufacturing insulation to transporting materials or powering tools on site.

A practical definition of a net zero home for small-scale projects is a home designed, built, and operated to generate as much renewable energy as it uses over the course of a year, while also minimising the carbon emissions associated with construction.

This usually involves creating a highly energy-efficient building that requires very little heating or cooling, combined with renewable energy systems such as solar panels.

For most homeowners, the realistic goal is to reduce emissions as far as possible through:

• efficient design
• careful material choices
• reduced energy demand
• renewable energy generation

A practical sustainability checklist for home owners planning their own improvement project:

Fabric First Approach

Prioritise insulation, airtightness, and reducing heat loss before investing in complex heating systems or technology. Improving the building fabric usually provides the greatest long-term benefit.

Reduce Operational Energy

Design and upgrade your home to minimise the energy required for heating, cooling, lighting, and appliances.

Use Renewable Energy

Where practical, consider technologies such as:

• Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels
• Air source heat pumps (ASHP)
• Solar thermal systems

Reduce Embodied Carbon

Choose materials with lower environmental impacts where possible, such as:

• Timber construction
• Recycled materials
• Locally sourced products
• Durable materials with long lifespans

Minimise Fossil Fuel Use

Where possible, reduce reliance on oil and gas systems and move towards low-carbon electric systems as the national grid continues to decarbonise.

Sustainability also includes:

• Reducing construction waste
• Reusing materials where possible
• Lowering water consumption
• Designing durable, adaptable spaces
• Planting trees and increasing biodiversity
• Considering green roofs and sustainable drainage

None of these measures solve the problem on their own, but collectively they all contribute to a more sustainable project.

Sustainability is a complex and evolving subject, and there are rarely perfect answers.

The most useful approach is to stay thoughtful, informed, and practical. Often, reducing waste and unnecessary expenditure, being frugal, also reduces environmental impact.