🏡 Household Footprint Lab

About this simulation

This model shows a simplified home whose walls leak visible "heat particles" and whose chimney emits visible "carbon particles" — both driven by everyday choices. A live bar chart alongside the house adds up an illustrative annual CO₂ estimate across heating, electricity and transport, so you can see which choices move the needle and which barely register.

How it works

• Insulation — poor insulation lets heat escape quickly (dense orange particles through the walls); better insulation keeps it in, cutting the heating demand needed to hold the same indoor temperature.
• Thermostat setpoint — every extra degree above outdoor temperature increases the heat that must be replaced, exaggerated here for clarity (real homes see roughly 5-10% more heating energy per degree).
• Heating source — a gas boiler burns fuel directly at the chimney (higher carbon intensity); an electric heat pump moves heat instead of burning it, so its emissions depend on how clean the electricity grid is, and are lower in this model.
• Solar panels — rooftop panels supply some of the home's own electricity, cutting the grid-electricity slice of the chart.
• Car use — weekly driving distance scales the transport slice and the speed of the car looping the street outside.

Controls

• Insulation quality — 0% (draughty, uninsulated) to 100% (well-sealed, modern standard).
• Thermostat setpoint — target indoor temperature, 16-24°C.
• Heating source — switch between gas boiler and electric heat pump.
• Roof solar panels — toggle panels on or off.
• Car use — weekly driving distance, 0-300 miles.
• ↺ Reset defaults — restores the starting scenario. Drag to rotate, scroll to zoom.

Did you know?

In most UK homes, space heating is the single largest slice of the household energy bill and carbon footprint — often larger than all electricity use and driving combined — which is why insulation and heating-system choices tend to matter more than most smaller everyday habits.