Bright Idea!
After a year spent on a tropical island, Brighton man
Alex Hunt returns with his local solution to a global crisis
Most people go travelling the world and come back with deep tans, hair braids and a love of spicy food. But 34-year-old Brighton man and recently-returned tropical island resident Alex Hunt has brought back something completely different – a passion to green the city’s homes.
He has set up Bright Green Homes after seeing at first hand the damage to ecosystems by climate change during his one year stint on the island of Utila off the coast of Honduras, including coral reefs harmed by rising temperatures, and a local government and population “worrying too much about economic growth and too little about their main asset – their local environment”, says Alex.
After completing an MA in Environment, Development & Policy at Sussex University with a focus on environmental (and ecological) accounting Alex realised that unless we change our lifestyles in the UK and set an example, there will soon not be reefs to dive anywhere in the world on any more. So he returned to Brighton wondering what he could do to show people that “being ecological need not be uneconomical” and “doing your bit can pay you back in spades”.
Alex has teamed up with Fran Hunt, a partner in a local architectural practice (Clifton Design Associates) which recently completed a local ‘Grand Design’ featured in the Channel 4 series, to help people design suitable ‘whole-house’ solutions for their homes in the Brighton & Hove area to reduce their energy consumption, improve their comfort levels, save CO2 and add value to their homes.
“being ecological need not be uneconomical” and “doing your bit can pay you back in spades”.
Alex points out that there are 120,000 homes in Brighton & Hove and of these 35% are classified ‘non decent’ with poor thermal efficiency, lacking modern facilities and in need of repair (Brighton & Hove – Housing Strategy 2009-2014), but almost all of them fall short in the energy efficiency stakes. The average UK household uses 22,092 kWh of energy each year, equivalent to 5,663 kgCO2 or £1,520 per year (DEFRA). Even if each home saved just 10% or 566 kgCO2 per household or 67,920 metric tons of CO2 saved from being released into the atmosphere from Brighton & Hove each year (and save each homeowner £152 per year) – or to put it into context the same as flying 234 million miles in an aeroplane or 22,075 flights from London to Sydney.
Bright Green Homes will perform an audit of your homes energy use – “if you measure it you can manage it”, provide advice on the things that householders can do for themselves, outline the options that suit their own home (not just the generic advice available online) – and then for people serious about making a difference in their every day lives Bright Green Homes can design and implement the ‘best-fit’ solution that suits each individual situation.
Alex Hunt says: “Being an environmentalist isn’t about being fanatical – it doesn’t mean you have to wear sandals, dreadlocks and chain yourself to trees – there are things that all us can do at home that would have a positive effect on the carbon emissions of the UK, and help us to save some of the most sensitive and beautiful ecosystems on earth, oh and ultimately save you money while you do it. It’s win-win, who can say that it is not worth doing?”
Bright Green Homes will be at the Eco Energy Fair in Hove Town Hall – October 17th 10am – 4pm – organised by Transition Towns Brighton & Hove www.transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk
For more information contact Alex Hunt.
Telephone: 01273 906572 Mobile: 07900 172742
email: alex@brightgreenhomes.co.uk
