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Copyright Create The Future 2021
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The Future of HOUSING AND ENERGY

Postcards for progress / Housing and energy

Our homes and how we use energy are key to tackling the climate crisis. The way houses are built, how much energy they use, and where that energy comes from all affect our carbon footprints and sustainability. Using clean energy and building homes with eco-friendly materials can help lower pollution and resource use. A better future means cities powered by renewable energy, houses made with green materials, and communities that focus on saving energy. This will cut carbon emissions and create a healthier planet.

Take a moment to imagine an ideal future for your local area. What if…

  • Homes were powered entirely by renewable energy like solar and wind?
  • Every house was well-insulated, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer while using less energy?
  • You paid much lower energy bills because your home was so efficient?
  • You could capture and reuse rainwater for watering plants?
  • New buildings were constructed with sustainable, eco-friendly materials?
  • Rooftops were covered with gardens and solar panels, producing food and energy?
  • Your neighborhood had plenty of green spaces and community gardens?
  • Charging stations for electric cars were everywhere, making clean transportation easy?
  • The energy grid was stable and resilient, even during extreme weather events?
  • You could track and manage your energy use easily with smart technology?
  • The air quality was excellent because renewable energy replaced fossil fuels?

Did you know?

Renewable energy

  • In 2020, over 80% of all new electricity capacity added globally was already from renewables, with solar and wind accounting for 91% of new renewables.
  • Renewable energy could contribute to a 70% reduction in global energy-related CO2 emissions by 2050.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) links air pollution to 7 million premature deaths annually. Cleaner energy sources can reduce this toll and improve overall public health.
  • The cost of renewable energy is already reducing and many newable energy sources are now cheaper than new fossil fuel-based power plants.

Building insulation and future homes

  • In 2023, an estimated 13% of households in England were living in fuel poverty – unable to afford to keep their homes warm.
  • Adding insulation to homes could help reduce electricity bills by 15% (and will also reduce carbon emissions as we will need less energy to heat our homes in the first place!)
  • There have already been many programmes to help people afford home insulation and adaptation measures. For example, the Green Homes Grant in the UK offered homeowners vouchers to cover up to two-thirds of the cost of their energy-efficient home improvements… but this scheme was closed in 2021.
  • It is generally more cost-effective to incorporate energy-efficient and sustainable features during the initial construction phase of a house rather than retrofitting them later.
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Who to write to:

To advocate for a shift to clean energy and warm, safe housing for all, you could write a postcard to…

  • Your local MP or election candidates. Ask your local MP or candidate to commit to ending new oil and gas licences and instead to support renewable energy projects and commit to more funding for renewable energies and home insulation programmes. You could also ask for a return of funding initiatives to help people who are living in fuel poverty to insulate their homes and find efficiencies to reduce their heating costs.
  • The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. You could ask the Secretary of State and other department leaders to commit to funding and policy for national energy efficiency initiatives and to commit to ending all new oil and gas licensing.
  • Your Local Councillor or local authority leaders. Ask local government leaders to start local community energy projects (e.g solar panel buying schemes) and funding for local insulation programmes.
  • Your local utility providers (energy companies / water companies). Ask your local providers to switch to renewable-only energy and to run energy efficiency programmes to help their customers.

The future of housing is homes that feel wonderful, use minimal resources and have water recycling.

Angela Terry Founder CEO of One Home

Next steps

  1. Download the postcard template (or create your own!)
  2. Imagine a world with safe, warm, well-built housing and energy sourced from renewables, then think about how we could act today to make it happen.
  3. Draw or doodle something that represents your ideal, sustainable future on one side. (Have fun with this – you don’t have to be an artist! Or feel free to write a few key words.)
  4. Write a short postcard letter to your chosen changemaker on the other side. Try to include a ‘call to action’ to help make your better future a reality.
  5. Take a photo and submit it to our postcard gallery.
  6. Send the postcard to your chosen changemaker!