An open door: use as little energy as possible. And indeed, it is not that simple. But through simple (and often cheap) energy-saving measures (simple insulation, taking shorter showers, turning off equipment you are not using, choosing economical electrical appliances) you can try to reduce your energy costs in the short term. In the longer term, you can think about further insulation of your house, solar panels and solar collectors. You can seek advice for this from the Duurzaam Bouwloket, from your installer or from the municipality via Erwin de Boer.

The national government has determined that the Netherlands must be able to do without natural gas by 2050. For Ameland that date is 2035.

That cannot be said with certainty. If you have a (very) well insulated house with underfloor heating and suitable radiators, then choosing a heat pump is certainly not unwise. If your house is not automatically suitable, it is wise to first tackle the insulation further. In the meantime, more is known about the feasibility of heating networks and green gas or hydrogen, the alternatives to a heat pump.

Unfortunately, that cannot be said yet. A heating network could be interesting, but we do not yet know whether it is feasible on Ameland. The municipality is now having the advantages and disadvantages of heating networks thoroughly investigated. Afterwards, it will be discussed in detail with the Amelanders.

Ask an installer for advice. If your boiler cannot be repaired, you can choose between a new (gas-fired) boiler, a hybrid heat pump or an all-electric heat pump. What makes the most sense depends on your situation. If your home is (very) well insulated and has underfloor heating and suitable radiators, then an all-electric heat pump might be interesting. If your home is not yet optimally insulated, a hybrid heat pump is the more obvious choice. If you want to wait until you know more about the heating options in your area, investigate whether you can rent or lease a new boiler.

You can find a lot of information about making your home or business more sustainable at Duurzaam Bouwloket. You will also find reliable information and good ideas on the MilieuCentraal site. Do you live on Ameland and do you have specific technical questions? You can send this by email to Erwin de Boer of the municipality of Ameland.

Sustainable Ameland is a partnership of governments, companies and institutions that support Ameland in making the island more sustainable in any form.