Eco-friendly

We 😍 this brand as their tagline is “what’s good for the planet can also be good for your bum”🙂. They claim their loo roll feels good on more than your conscience, and we certainly agree.

Renewable Energy & Water

1. What We’ve Done

• Soon after moving, we chose an electricity supplier that offered green energy sourced from wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass was a crucial first step.  To ensure transparency, we asked to see their Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and Guarantees of Origin (GOs) as proof of their commitment. RECs and GOs demonstrate suppliers have offset non-renewable energy by supporting an equivalent amount of renewable energy generation.
• Then we replaced all light bulbs with LED alternatives, aiming to save 50% in lighting consumption, which should help reduce our environmental impact and eye-watering energy bills.
• For summer, we also installed a few solar powered lights in the communal garden area for mood lighting, when sitting out or coming home after dusk.
• The old night storage heaters in every cottage have now been replaced by more efficient modern wi-fi-enabled ones with thermostatic control.
• Instead of fresh water to irrigate the gardens, we’re are using the rainwater stored in butts beside Long Barn and Hopstore.
• Our web-site is now hosted by Krystal, a b-corp powered exclusively by renewable energy. 
• We’ve signed a pledge to help achieve the vision of a net zero-carbon and nature-rich Herefordshire by 2030.

2. What we plan to do

While that’s some way off…..

• Subject to planning approvals, we will be switching to solar (slate panels) and battery storage by the end of 2024. We’ve had our grant application approved and will apply for planning permission this summer.
• We also want reduce energy consumption in the bathrooms. Last November we upgraded the hot water storage system, replacing ancient cylinders with super-efficient unvented new ones (compatible with solar PV & battery).
• We’ve sought feedback from our guests in Kiln, HopStore and Welsh how important a “shower over bath” is; a walk-in shower would reduce water consumption, and more than 85% have told us they would welcome this, provided there is decent water pressure for showers.  We have not added flow restrictors, but may do so to reduce water use.
• We have commissioned Voltshare, the payment-integrated EV charging solution, to do a site survey. Subject to grant approval, we hope to install EV charging before the end of summer 2024.
• We’ll then look making it easier to control room temperatures via smart home automation, using the new smart heaters. Our preferred solution is ResiAir.
• The “wood-burner” stoves use LPG. Energy consumption isn’t high, but we want to look at this in 2025.
• Last but not least, like so many other older country properties, our home uses oil. We want to find a better long-term solution, as & when budgets allow. 

Have a look at the Greener Footprints campaign – an initiative by Herefordshire Climate & Nature Board, working in partnerships with Herefordshire Council.

We have plans to do more in future, so will keep you updated.

Have a look at the Greener Footprints campaign – an initiative by Herefordshire Climate &Nature Board, working in partnerships with Herefordshire Council. We’ve signed up and have made our pledge on food waste, energy, and travel.

Cleaning & Laundry

We are doing our best to eliminate single-use plastic in our home and cottages.

You will find environmentally friendly Ecover  and SMOL cleaning products, and Who Gives A Crap Dream cloths under the kitchen sink and beside the toilet.

Wildlife and Protecting Diversity

As proud supporters and members of The Herefordshire Wildlife Trust (HWT), we are trying to “Act Local” and doing our small bit to tackle the loss of nature and climate crisis. There’s a HWT shop in Ledbury where you can find out more.

We all need nature to thrive, but as a society we are increasingly disconnected from the natural environment and our habitats are under threat.  

We are very lucky at White House Cottages to have a wide range of habitats and countryside on our doorstep. Our trees provide varied habitats for wild birds and insects, while around us there is a rich mosaic of small fields, hedgerows, wooded lanes and streams. We are also close to Woolhope Dome, home to six of the county’s 65 nature reserves and a lovely Butterfly Trail , with over 600 types of moth and butterflies. Here you can enjoy a picnic as you look out for species such as the Wood White, Speckled White, and various types of Fritillary butterflies.

After a restful sleep, you may be woken by birdsong – starlings, crows, owls, blackbirds and in different months perhaps a cuckoo or a Skylark. Our neighbour has 🐔🐔🐔, and a late rising 🐓, Fluffy. There are pheasants aplenty, and we often see geese and ducks. You may also catch sight of moles, voles, foxes, and badgers within our community.

You will see a couple of hedgehog boxes and bird feeding stations around our site; and of course, sheep and baby lambs graze in the adjoining fields. 

We also want encourage our guests to not only appreciate the nature here, but also play their part of preserving our beautiful surroundings. 

Why not record any wildlife you spot while you’re here? You’ll have most luck in the early morning. One request: please don’t leave out food that might be sampled by door-mice or encourage animals into your cottage! Milk especially is not good for hedgehogs so if you see any, please don’t be tempted to leave that out for them.

As well as all the good stuff, such as beautiful scenery, birdsong, fresh air and starry skies, the countryside is full of life and different seasons and weather bring different visitors – spiders, flies, ants etc. There may also be occasional agricultural smells and noise, but it’s all part of this wonderful part of the world!

So, on behalf of nature, thank you for doing your part in helping to preserve the world for our wildlife and our future generations.

 

Sustonica Accreditation

Sustonica is the first sustainability badge & recognition specifically for short-term rentals or furnished holiday lets.

 Focused on four key areas: energy conservation, promoting inclusiveness, waste reduction, and water conservation. Its mission is to establish the most widely recognised sustainability standard for vacation rentals, serving as a catalyst to: reduce emissions of 10 million global vacation rentals influence 450 million annual guests to reduce their own household consumption.

As part of our own commitment towards becoming nature positive and avoiding “greenwashing”, all our properties have registered to be independently verified.

Sustonica’s external auditor has reviewed the documentation provided and will gives Sustonica the go-ahead to issue our badge. Vacation rentals need at least 20% of the total points to receive the badge and we will far exceed this threshold, but have committed to increase this percentage every year in order to renew.