Home Files Podcast Episode 5: Save the Planet & Your Hip Pocket

by Carlisle Homes

In episode five of the Home Files Podcast, we look at how eco-friendly home design and smart-home automation can make life easier and less costly, while being kinder to the earth.

Building a sustainable home is more than just good for the environment – it can save you thousands in running costs, which is good news with gas and electricity prices rising. 

Sustainability is something we’re passionate about here at Carlisle. All our homes achieve an impressive six-star energy rating, and we offer a range of upgrades to boost your home’s efficiency further.

In episode five of our Home Files Podcast – which you can listen to here – our panel of experts explain exactly what sustainable home design is, the key elements to consider, and how smart-home automation can help you live a greener life. 

Read on for the episode highlights.

What is a sustainable home?

It is a home designed with long-lasting, high-performance materials that have a minimal impact on the environment. It is also designed to be energy-efficient, with features such as insulation, double glazing and an orientation that optimises natural cooling and heating to reduce power consumption.

What sustainable features come with your new home?

Building your home is the best time to integrate eco-friendly features, which is why all our new homes come with the following standard features:

• Double-glazed windows to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss.
• Insulation and sarking with a higher R-value.
• Solar panels or a rainwater storage tank.
• Energy-efficient appliances.
• High-performance, energy-efficient Hebel Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC), which is kinder to the environment than brick and concrete and boosts your home’s thermal comfort (subject to your chosen façade design).

We also design homes to optimise comfort and complement your lifestyle, with features such as:

• Orienting your home in a way that maximises the sun’s energy.
• Positioning living areas, bedrooms and windows to optimise natural light.
• Installing internal doors so you can close off zones and only heat or cool the spaces you’re in.

You can further upgrade your home with other features including:

• Battery storage for your solar panels.
• Higher-rated insulation batts.
• Zoned heating and cooling.
• Draught-proofing.
• Low-VOC (volatile organic compound), low-toxin paint finishes.
• Additional solar panels.
• All-electric smart home.

How automation can help

The right smart-home solutions can save you money and make running your home more convenient.

For example, the Powermesh connected smart-home system, an optional upgrade to your new Carlisle home, allows you to control elements like lights, ceiling fans, power points, security cameras, appliances and garden-watering times – all from an app on your smartphone. It can also be connected to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa so you can control everything via voice command.

Powermesh lets you track your home’s energy consumption so you can ensure it is running efficiently. Switching off devices that are normally left on standby and setting your lights to go off at set times can reduce electricity wastage and add up to significant savings, allowing you to focus on doing the things you love.