Under rules announced by the government last year, all new homes and buildings in England will have to produce significantly less CO2 - around 30% lower than current standards.

This will be an important step towards a cleaner greener built environment, paving the way for the Future Homes and Buildings Standard in 2025, which will mean all future homes are net-zero ready and will not need retrofitting. However, for the rest of the UK’s housing stock, this leaves some 29m properties needing to be brought up to net-zero carbon standards in order to meet the government’s 2050 target.

Operating the typical kitchen represents a concentration of home energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and threats to indoor air quality. Fortunately, there are energy-efficient, air quality friendly options for every function in the kitchen, allowing you to reduce your home’s energy needs. 

When designing any kitchen, bathroom or utility space, at Exact we always have sustainability at the forefront of our minds. Here are just a couple of things we would recommend in the design and planning phase of a new kitchen to make your space meet the net-zero carbon standards:

2. Use LED Lighting

People who cook frequently use more lighting in the kitchen than in other rooms of the house, so the kitchen is the ideal place to use LED bulbs. LED lights run for a longer period of time, and when combined with enhanced natural lighting through clever kitchen design, you can save a significant amount of money and energy.

3. Select an Eco-Friendly Tap

Save on water using BLANCO EVOL-S Volume tap, which comes with an integrated measuring cup function, ensuring you always run the exact amount of water you need and never waste a drop. Or, opt for a Quooker tap, which is another sustainable purchase, allowing you to instantly get the exact amount of boiling water you need, rather than boiling a whole kettle and wasting energy (and time) boiling unused water. Plus, with a Quooker CUBE, you can reduce the use of disposable plastic bottles, giving you instantly chilled and sparkling water. 

For the bathroom, using a flow restrictor tap allows you to limit water consumption by setting it to either 8, 6 or 5 litres, further saving water and your money! 

4. Use Sustainable Materials

By choosing natural materials, you can make your home more eco-conscious. With a wide range of colourways and materials from leading brands with the highest quality products, we have a wide offering of sustainable choices for your kitchen or bathroom, design. One of our favourites for their commitment to sustainability is SPEKVA, who have over 50 years experience in manufacturing the highest quality timber worktops, breakfast bars and free standing furniture and are industry leaders in their innovation and construction. All of their wood comes from FSC® certified forests, meaning that they contribute to responsible logging and improved living conditions for the local population in forests around the world.

5. Wash Sustainably

Not only can you buy sustainability, but wash more sustainably too! Bosch i-DOS washing machines know the exact water and detergent dose needed for each load, mitigating the need for unnecessary rinse cycles and too much detergent, saving up to 10 litres of water per cycle. Bosch’s PerfectDry dishwashers also use 20% less energy than normal dishwashers, using sustainable patented Zeolith drying technology turns the humidity of the cleaning phase into hot air to optimally dry all the dishes.

Whether you are in the planning stages of a new build, or have an existing kitchen or bathroom that needs redesigning and updating, with the move to net-zero carbon eminent, it is essential that you think green and create a space that meets sustainability standards. At Exact, we are experienced in designing kitchens and bathrooms that are practical, aesthetically pleasing, while integrating sustainability into the entire space to ensure it is long-lasting, eco-friendly and makes your time in your home more enjoyable. 

Get in touch today or book an appointment at our showroom to discover the spaces we can create.