Archive for February, 2010
The Energy Saving Trust (EST) has recently reported that most customers are motivated to make their homes more energy efficient due to the way in which these improvements can reduce their outgoings on monthly fuel bills.
According to the head of knowledge services for the EST, Dr Paula Owen, more than three quarters of those asked said that cheaper bills are the reasons why they would want to reduce carbon emissions.
She also pointed out that there are a number of different energy saving measures which can help to cut down on emissions. This includes replacing old boilers, such as with the new boiler scrappage scheme, or replacing windows with energy efficient double glazing which can help to make homes naturally warmer.
However, despite so many choices available to homeowners, large amounts of money are still being wasted each and every year according to the EST.
It has been estimated that around £8 billion worth of energy each year is wasted, thanks to poorly insulated homes or poorly controlled heating systems – or even wasted electricity usage (such as leaving appliances on standby).
Earlier in the month, Alistair Buchanan, the chief executive of Ofgem, warned that the sustainability of power supplies in the UK could be in doubt in the future. Speaking to the BBC news, he stated that fuel bills are likely to rise by around 20 percent across the next ten years as a result of this fact.
The central government has teamed up with nine local authorities around England to test out new measures that will help to improve energy efficiency in homes.
The councils taking part include Manchester, Bristol and Northumberland – who will offer insulation to local residents, and encourage them to install renewable energy in their homes as a way of saving money on energy bills and reducing carbon emissions.
For example, double glazing will be recommended as a way of reducing the amount of heat lost through the windows, helping to make homes warmer and reducing fuel bills by an average of over £100 a year. Coupled with insulation and renewable energy, homeowners could see far lower fuel bills in the future.
On top of these measures, councils will also be laying out a framework to help them cut down emissions over a period of years to help set out what has been called a ‘route for progress’.
The housing minister, John Denham, said that the local authorities ‘are uniquely positioned to use their role and influence to drive and shape a low carbon economy’. This will come through the areas of planning, housing, waste and transport.
Denham added that this is the kind of change that is needed for the UK to meet its emission targets by the year 2020 – a planned 34 per cent reduction in emissions from 1990 levels.
The European Union has recently taken a pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent, compared to levels in 1990.
This new commitment has come as a result of the formalised support for the Copenhagen climate change conference – which was held last month with the purpose of bringing together world leaders and making global decisions about climate change.
A statement was released recently stating that the EU may increase its targets to 30 percent from the original 20 if other countries agree to do their part and to take on enough carbon emissions. This work will be necessary to tackle climate change.
The English government will be working closely with local authorities, for example, to make sure that these targets will be met. Measures include encouraging homeowners to install double glazing in windows, to help keep homes warmer and save on energy bills. There will also be encouragement to install renewable energy technology, with rewards and payments for any excess energy sold back to the grid.
President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said that the EU is ‘determined’ to move quickly to implement the Copenhagen Accord. The pledge is in place to make sure that global warming is held below two degrees C.
He also urged all countries to associate themselves with the Accord and to set their own emission targets and plans of action.
According to latest reports, British gas has done its best to win over residential property owners by providing the cheapest deals for gas, electricity and online billing, according to uSwitch.com.
The comparison service has stated that prices at British Gas have been cut by an average of £55 a year – or seven percent. This means that simply switching your provider to British gas could benefit eight million households.
A new online tariff has been unveiled, costing £899 a year. Energy expert at uSwitch, Emma Bush, stated that online plans are generally the best way to get the best deals on energy, and that it could help to save around £300 each year.
In addition to these factors, more long term, guaranteed savings can be seen from making energy efficient improvements to your property. Double glazing, which stops so much heat from leaking through windows, can cut off around £135 each year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
On top of this, it is recommended that homeowners install cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and take advantage of other measures that will help to reduce energy usage.
British customers are set to experience the most expensive winter on record, according to a number of recent reports. Making energy efficient improvements to the home is the best way to secure your property against future price rises or cold snaps, though changing your tariff is a great way to save money in the short term.
Households making effort to make green home improvements will soon be able to claim payments for generating low carbon electricity, the government has recently announced.
People with plans to install solar panels, wind turbines or similar measures will be eligible for the scheme, according to the latest announcement.
Minister of energy and climate change, Ed Miliband, said that from April 1st, property owners and communities will be able to claim this money even if the energy they create is purely for their own use.
If the communities or property owners then feed energy back into the grid, they will be eligible for additional payments.
The scheme will also apply to low carbon energy installations that have been commissioned since July 2008.
Measures such as solar panels will be eligible for up to £900 each year, on top of the £140 they will save on annual energy bills. Combined with measures such as energy efficient double glazing, which can keep more heat in the home, householders can create eco friendly properties that really pay for themselves over time.
Ed Miliband said: ‘The guarantee of getting an income on top of saving on energy bills will be an incentive to householders and communities wanting to make the move to low carbon living.’
Last year it was also announced by housing minister John Healey that homes in the UK will need to be zero carbon from 2016 onwards.
The Veolia ES Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust is providing funding to the scout’s hall to allow the Pitsea and Vange Scout Group to carry out its activities in an energy efficient building. The new hall will be built using a number of energy efficient materials, including double glazing in windows, and cavity wall insulation.
The hall was the first for scouts in the area, and has not been refurbished since it was first built, meaning that new changes will make a huge difference. The insulation through double glazing will mean that the hall is a far more comfortable environment for the Scouts to meet in. Double glazing can greatly reduce the amount of heat that is lost through windows, and will also save the club on energy costs.
The hall is used by 60 scouts, cubs and beavers each and every week. It is also helped that the new changes will encourage new groups to the hall when the Scouts aren’t there.
The refurbishment work has already started with the installation of uPVC windows and cavity wall insulation, and should be completed within the next few weeks.
Once all of the work has been completed students will be decorating the building as part of the post-16 educational program Skills for Life.
The involvement of local groups in the project shows just how much of a role the Scout’s hall has for young people in the Pitsea and Vange area.
Ofgem have recently released a report into the future of Britain’s energy market, stating that there is a risk energy bills will continue to rise up to 25pc over the next decade unless action is taken.
The rise is put down to a combination of the financial crisis, increasing dependency on gas imports, environmental targets and the closure of power stations – this leads to doubt as to whether current energy supplies are secure and sustainable.
Ofgem Chief Executive spoke on BBC Radio Four, stating that energy bills could rise between 14 and 25pc by 2020.
Earlier this week, the price comparison website moneysupermarket.com also stated that energy bills have doubled since 2003, and that winter bills have increased by 20 per cent (£104) to £616.
The report stated that an increasing number of consumers will be left unable to afford the energy that they really need. It claims that radical changes are needed in the way that Britain generates energy, and that billions of pounds need to be invested into cutting down carbon emissions.
Homeowners can also take measures to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. By increasing insulation, hundreds of pounds can be knocked off the yearly energy bills. Double glazing can effectively reduce heat lost through windows to reduce bills by an average of £135, and measures such as loft insulation or cavity wall insulation will help keep costs down over time.
A Newport councillor has recently warned that people are far less likely to move homes in the current economic climate, preferring instead to stay in their current home and make improvements. The warning is that this could create problems for first time buyers in the future.
Town and borough councillor Adam Stanton said that Newport Town Council has recognised a ‘noticeable increase’ in applications to extend and modify homes, rather than for new properties.
This trend appears to be mirrored across the country, where fewer people are taking out mortgages, and more and more are improving current properties.
Patrick Beach, from Patrick Beach Mortgage and Financial Services, said ‘The housing market last year was turbulent but it is picking up. I think people are tending to stay where they are and improving properties, they can’t sell so they extend the property or put double glazing in.’
If you are looking for ways to improve your home, double glazing is a fantastic investment. By reducing the amount of heat lost through the windows, your home will be naturally warmer, allowing you to turn down the thermostat and save money on energy bills.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, installing double glazing can ultimately end up saving you money, by knocking an average of £135 from your annual energy bill. Combined with measures such as energy saving light bulbs, loft and wall insulation and draught proofing, this will also greatly help to reduce the carbon emissions that come from energy use in your home.
The Warm Front Scheme, which was designed to ensure that energy efficient improvements can be provided to the most vulnerable, is to be examined by the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee after a number of failings have been seen.
The BBC has stated that dozens of people who rely on the scheme have been left without any heat this winter. Many people use it to find trained plumbers to repair their boilers.
Other measures that the Warm Front scheme helps to provide for includes improving energy efficiency of properties, through measures such as insulation and double glazing totalling a value of up to £3,500. Those eligible for the scheme are people who are already in receipt of certain benefits.
The budget may rise to £6,000 in cases where the assessment recommends low carbon, oil or renewable technologies to be installed.
Throughout the past ten years it is estimated that around two million people have benefited from the Warm Front Scheme.
However, complaints arose after many Warm Front customers were told that it could take up to six months before any work is carried out on their property. Others have stated that the work they did receive was substandard. These complaints were sent into the BBC. Some households were even left without any hot water or heating after their boilers stopped working.
Sherwood MP Paddy Tipping has stated that the situation is unacceptable, and MPs will be looking into failings of the scheme.
Extreme weather conditions and freezing temperatures have led to more homeowners improving their properties with insulation, according to home improvement website ratedpeople.com.
In the past many homeowners would have failed to see the need for protection against cold weather. However, such freezing temperatures now mean that a record number of homeowners have been installing measures such as double glazing in their windows to help keep the property a little warmer.
Other improvements being made in homes include loft insulation and draught proofing. DIY measures are extremely popular, though more and more people are also turning towards the help of professionals.
Homeowners are also looking to improve their heating and plumbing systems to make boilers more energy efficient – especially with the recent introduction of the boiler scrappage scheme that will give homeowners £400 towards the cost of an energy efficient boiler if they get rid of their G-rated model.
These home improvement measures can help homeowners not only to decrease carbon emissions, but also to reduce their monthly bill payments. Measures such as double glazing can help to reduce energy bills by around £135 per month, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
Founder of Ratedpeople.com, Andrew Skipwith, said: ‘the recent flurries of heavy snowfall have led to homeowners recruiting tradesmen such as heating engineers and uPVC window specialists’.
Ratedpeople.com help to match up homeowners with local tradesmen.
