Going Green: ​Crucial steps to take to stop flooding in your home

Meanwhile, the minister for flooding, Emma Hardy MP, recently said flood defences are in the lowest state of repair since records began, so unfortunately, as we head into another wet winter, it’s crucial to take steps to protect your home.

If you’re at risk then check your home insurance policy to ensure that you’re fully covered for flood damage for contents and sign up to the Environment Agency’s flood alerts as this will help give you warning to act. Flood preparation is key, and while traditional sandbags remain popular, they’re very heavy to carry, hard to dispose of and pretty poor at stopping floodwater.

The good news is that there are much more effective alternatives you can buy online or at hardware stores. Which equipment you choose, depends on your circumstances and as I discovered recently, availability, so purchasing property flood resilience equipment (PFR) in advance of stormy weather is a good idea. Where possible, choose products that have British Standards Institute kitemark and have them installed by a qualified professionals, if needed.

• Unlike sandbags, HydroSacks or snakes are a fairly easy-to-carry option that cost around £15/ sack from Wickes. They’re filled with a substance which expands upon contact with water, creating a tight barrier when they’re stacked.

• Flood-proof doors can hold back water when normal doors can’t. They are expensive but will work even if you’re asleep, at work or on holiday.

• Air-brick covers can prevent water from rushing into your home through air-bricks in your walls. They come in various designs but the most effective are self-closing air-bricks, which self-activate when they come into contact with water, which means they’ll work even when you’re not at home.

• Floodgates can be very effective at holding flood water back. They’re sturdy barriers which are activated by attaching them or sliding them in front of a doorway, or stairs.

• For protecting larger areas, flood barriers are another option. Their strength and interlocking design mean they can be quickly configured into the shape of barrier you need, and after use they can be power-washed and stored.

• Permanent concrete or brick barriers are sometimes needed to protect a home from flooding repeatedly at its weakest point. They create a solid dam between the water and the point at which it will enter the house.

Visit the Flood Mary website – https://floodmary.com – run by Mary Long-Dhonau OBE, which will give you expert advice on flood resilience and recovery and in addition you can watch Mary’s video on steps you can take to help protect your home.

Celebrity spot

Actor Mark Ruffalo is best known for playing The Hulk in Marvel movies, but he’s a ‘green’ superhero in other ways too. Ruffalo is a champion of many environmental causes. He campaigned fiercely against ‘fracking’ and has spoken out against the oil and gas industry and the construction of pipelines across native American land. In 2019 he also starred in and co-produced Dark Waters, about a lawyer seeking justice for victims of pollution caused by a chemical company.

Green swap

Why not switch to a loo roll subscription? Companies like Who Gives a Crap and Boono offer affordable, eco-friendly bamboo loo paper which is fully biodegradable and delivered straight to your door.

Eco-investment is way to keep yourself green

Do one thing: sustainable investing.

Talk Money Week runs from November 4 to November 8, and it’s a great opportunity to organise your finances and investigate ethical ways of saving and investing. This Money and Pensions Service initiative encourages people to talk about budgeting, saving, debt management and financial planning.

This year, they are asking people to ‘Do One Thing’ to improve their financial wellbeing, and it’s a perfect chance to investigate some sustainable and ethical investment options.

https://maps.org.uk/en

Investing sustainably is a great way to bring about the transition to greener energy and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. The good news is sustainable investing is still ‘for-profit’. With the right strategy, you can still expect to make a healthy return on your capital, while helping the planet and society at the same time.

Organisations like Ethex and Abundance Investment help people make responsible investing by championing community projects. There are a wide range of investment options – from solar and wind power companies to affordable housing projects and ethical bond offerings on their platforms.

[https://www.ethex.org.uk/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADDwnrX9383Kv1TbAmuJ_QpKpLJDK&gclid=Cj0KCQjwu-63BhC9ARIsAMMTLXRqtGoIiFH41ddXeIYW9EKH2BStkfjLX54dPGAXlPilp848vKgXle8aAmViEALw_wcB]

https://www.abundanceinvestment.com

Community energy schemes have been around for decades. They raise money for clean energy projects owned by the community rather than big corporates. Profits can be paid out to investors from selling the energy generated. In addition, the projects often run campaigns to help local residents save money on their energy bills and other community benefits. Community Energy England lists several different community energy share offerings on its website.

https://communityenergyengland.org/pages/share-offers#:~:text=You%20can%20invest%20any%20amount,interest%20rate%20is%20currently%207%25

If you’re serious about investing sustainably, it’s a good idea to steer clear of companies which are heavily involved in fossil fuels, air travel, or planet-damaging industries. Also, it’s best to avoid financial institutions, which are still financing oil and gas companies and haven’t announced a credible plan to stop doing so soon.

Before investing, always check a company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy. A company’s ESG achievements and ambitions are a good indication of the importance it places on the environment but be aware of green washing where corporations claim to care about climate change but continue to invest in pollution and deforestation.

If, understandably, you don’t have time to do the due diligence yourself, many investment firms offer ethical funds. These provide a way to invest in a basket of companies whose ESG credentials have been vetted before being included in the fund. However, do check their criteria for ‘ethical’ investment as some can be quite shockingly broad. Alternatively, there are funds which invest in specific sectors like wind and solar infrastructure, or electric vehicle production.

There are lots of guides such as Ethical Consumer, Which and Good with Money to help you on your journey https://good-with-money.com/2024/10/03/top-7-platforms-for-a-green-stocks-and-shares-isa-in-2024/

As with all investments, your money is at risk as you have a chance of losing money as well as making it. It may be a good idea to get advice from an independent ethical financial advisor before parting with your cash.

Fact or fiction

“Old electronics can be put in the household recycling bin."

FICTION.

Electronic goods contain dangerous metals and chemicals. Old devices should be taken to a proper e-waste facility and should never be discarded with domestic rubbish or with household recycling.