Over 1,800 Green Deal assessments in first month

Contracts worth nearly £27m have been awarded through scheme

Over 1,800 assessments on homes and office buildings have been carried out by Green Deal providers since the scheme was launched at the start of the year.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has released figures showing that, between the end of January and the end of February, 1,803 people had an assessment for a Green Deal package for their property carried out. Edward Davey, the energy and climate change secretary, says the scheme, which lets people take out loans to make energy efficiency improvements to their home, has gotten off to ‘an excellent start’.

Early figures do suggest that the Green Deal scheme is going well

(Image source - Which.co,uk)

‘We're seeing clear signs of a promising new market gathering momentum," he said. "In little more than a month, there have been 1,803 Green Deal assessments and that shows genuine interest from consumers. We have created the Green Deal to overhaul our inefficient housing stock and help people keep their homes warm, while also reducing their energy bills. And as the market builds and awareness of the Green Deal increases, I am confident that consumer interest will grow and grow’.

There were concerns that the Green Deal may fail, as experts claimed the scheme wouldn’t actually save people much money. There were also fears that the scheme hadn’t been widely advertised, as a poll held just days before its official launch found that 81% of people didn’t know what it was. Also, whilst these figures are encouraging, they don’t indicate how many of those who had assessments carried out actually went on to have the work carried out.

Japan extracts 'frozen gas' from seabed

First country to successfully produce methane hydrate gas offshore

Japan has become the first nation to successfully extract ‘frozen gas’ from deposits from under the sea.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced the news with images showing what they claim is gas flaming from a pipe at the project, which is located 50 miles off the coast of central Japan. This breakthrough of harvesting methane hydrate, a form of methane gas which is frozen below the seabed, could be a massive step towards commercial production of the gas for the country, which imports most of its energy due to its own scarce resources.

Commercialising the production of 'frozen gas' could help solve Japan's energy problems

(Image source - The Guardian)

The process of extracting the gas, which uses a technology developed to reduce pressure in the underground layers holding the methane hydrate 4,363 feet below the sea surface, is expensive compared to other forms of gas production. However, this hasn’t put off Ryo Minami, director of the oil and gas division at Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources, who believes they will find of way of lowering the cost of collecting ‘frozen gas’, telling the Financial Times, ‘Ten years ago, everybody knew there was shale gas in the ground, but to extract it was too costly. Yet now it's commercialised’.

Greenpeace ‘fracking’ protest outside Osborne’s office

Mock equipment set up to highlight impact of gas-drilling practice

The environmental group Greenpeace has launched a protest against the Government’s push for ‘fracking’ outside the Cheshire constituency office of George Osborne.

A team of members has set up a fake drilling rig on a grassy area outside the office following news that fracking companies have issued licenses to start the gas-drilling practice in the area. The group also erected a sign on top of the sign for the local Conservative headquarters which read ‘Frack & Go’, along with signs on the road saying ‘We apologise for any inconvenience while we frack your town’.  

The site of the Greenpeace protest, complete with fences and men in hi-vis vests

(Image source - BBC News)

Greenpeace say they have conducted a poll for residents and found that around 72% are worried fracking will have an impact on their lives, be it through noise, pollution or by affecting housing prices. News that will alarm the Conservative party is that the poll also found that 12% of Tory voters will likely change allegiance if fracking is introduced to the area.

There have already been protests over the possibility of fracking sites elsewhere in the UK, including Blackpool, where an existing site was forced to close following claims the practice had caused two small scale earthquakes in the area. The EU has also criticised Osborne and the Coalition for what they see as a manic ‘dash for gas’.

The future of solar power?

Improved 3D printing can ‘revolutionise’ industry

Following the news that a company has been given £2m funding to develop ‘solar glass’, technology that allows buildings to produce their own low-carbon electricity through their windows, the future of the solar industry looks even brighter thanks to the potential of 3D printing.

Printing 3D solar cells has an advantage over the standard method of PV models because they are less complex to create, weight less and do not need direct overhead sunlight to absorb the UV energy. Studies have also shown that 3D cells can be 20% more efficient than standard flat solar panels, according to researchers at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

With 3D printing, solar panels like this would just be one way of using solar cells

(Image source - Wired.co.uk)

Another benefit of 3D solar cells is cost. It has been estimated that production of 3D cells would be 50% cheaper than traditional panels because it would eliminate inefficiencies associated with wasting materials. Also, as 3D printing can take place anywhere, shipping costs will be reduced considerably. 

On top of this, 3D printing of solar cell is not limited to one form. Solar cells can be added to things ranging from glass, paper and even fabric, meaning that solar cells creating by 3D printing can be used in more advanced ways compared to traditional methods of creating solar panels.

With the potential of 3D printing starting to gain momentum within technology circles, it seems that solar power, something that has stuttered somewhat in recent years, could finally have a way of becoming a major player in the renewable energy industry.

Government home energy ‘dithering’ could damage UK housing industry

Plans were supposed to be launched in April but have been delayed until the autumn

Experts have warned that delays to schemes to make new homes in the UK more energy efficient could damage the housing industry in the long run.

A timetable was drawn up to make sure all new homes were ‘zero-carbon’ by 2016, with an ‘uplift’ to current energy efficient was due to be introduced in April. However, those proposals have been delayed until the autumn, leaving workers in the construction industry in the dark over new housing projects. Many companies fear that money used to purchase new equipment and training will be wasted if the government doesn’t confirm its intentions and stick to its home energy efficiency targets.

Housing experts fear Government delays in home energy proposals are damaging the industry

(Image source - Telegraph)

Andrew Warren, director of the Association for the Conservation of Energy said companies and investors were growing increasingly concerned about the silence from government. "Companies have been going to the City to get investment, to enable them to meet the targets, do the training they need and create jobs, and they were doing so based on the timetable set out. If it doesn't happen on time, companies are vulnerable," he said. "This is the real world and I'm getting bored of explaining this to ministers. Business will waste time and money unless government delivers."

This lack of clarity and silence from the Government over the 2016 target, despite still official being dedicated to achieving it, is preventing the construction of new homes, as well as putting off new potential investors in the UK housing industry. A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said the government's timetable had always been to publish the regulations in spring and introduce them in the autumn, but industry experts said the original timetable had been an April introduction.

'Solar glass' lets buildings generate own power

New invention adds solar cells to glass panels that can produce low-carbon electricity

An energy company has been given a £2m funding boost after developing a form of glass that can absorb solar energy.

A University  of Oxford spin-off, Oxford Photovoltaics, believe the funding will help them take the remarkable product to the commercial market. The ‘solar glass’ works by adding a very thin layer of transparent, solid-state solar cells to glass, which can then turn up to 12% of solar energy into low-carbon electricity. This means that a new building can use this glass for all of their windows and run a large portion of the building’s electricity needs from it. 

The 'solar glass' can be dyed with numerous colours, giving building designs countless design options

(Image source - The Guardian)

This is why Kevin Arthur, the company’s founder and CEO, believes the product can be a commercial success. ‘What we say here is rather than attach photovoltaics to the building, why not make the building the photovoltaics? If you decide to build a building out of glass, then you've already decided to pay for the glass. If you add this, you're adding a very small extra cost, no more than 10%’.

Glass panels for buildings usually cost about £600 to £1000 per square metre, and adding the solar glass would only cost about £60 to £100 extra. This would only be a small additional cost, as the glass would then generate electricity for the new building. The company is mostly targeting customers creating new buildings throughout 2013, but can also retrofit existing buildings with their technology.

Can Scotland reach their energy targets if they gain independence?

Target of 100% renewable energy may fail without UK help

If Scotland votes to become independent it may result in plans to become totally reliable on renewable energy being scrapped.

This warning comes from academics from four UK universities, who believe that the country won’t be able to fund Alex Salmond’s ambitious plans for 100% of Scotland’s electricity to be generated from renewable energy sources by 2020 if they break away from the UK. Scotland would have to spend billions to fund projects such as offshore wind farms and tidal devices on their own, as they would lose all financial support from the UK government. 

Alex Salmond's plans for a 100% renewable-powered Scotland may have to be put on hold

(Image source - Telegraph)

Academics from universities in Cardiff, Birmingham, Robert Gordan and Queens in Belfast, who worked on the report, titled ‘Delivering Renewable Energy Under Devolution’, believe that this increased cost will result in the target either being postponed to a later date or being scrapped completely. ‘Gaining greater control over energy policy is likely to be an inferior option as far as getting renewables funded is concerned, in comparison with the prospect of achieving a scheme organised by Westminster in which the costs are shared across the UK’, states their report, to be published this week in the journal Political Quarterly. ‘This is because, in practice, funding a significant expansion of Scottish-based off-shore renewables under independence would lead to considerable increases in Scottish electricity prices, something that a Scottish government would find hard to sustain politically’.

For Scotland to meet their energy target requirements, they would have to replace the amount of energy generated from fossil fuels and nuclear power, which is currently 50% of the country’s total energy output. They will also have to deal with the higher costs of developing off-shore wind farms in Scotland, as seas are rougher and deeper, making it harder to build, as well as the fact that off-shore wind farms in England and Wales are cheaper and already more advanced. Also, Scotland will likely lose business from the UK, as the UK will be unlikely to continue to support Scotland’s renewable energy projects with subsidies if they gain independence, as there are cheaper energy alternatives in Ireland.

'Green Deal' won't work, experts warn

Flagship scheme ‘not guaranteed’ to save consumers money

The government’s ‘Green Deal’ home insulation project that launched today has faced criticism from experts who believe the scheme won’t achieve its goal of getting people out of fuel poverty.

Despite reassurance from government officials that the savings that will come with lower energy usage will outweigh the cost of the ‘green’ loans needed to install the energy-saving features, many experts believe that factors such as the interest rate of the loans (set at just under 7%), along with the cost of initial assessments of the property, set-up fees and operating charges, will put people off investing in the scheme. There are also worries that potential clients will be put off by the fact that the loan repayments are left with the house, meaning that someone moving into a property that has had energy-saving work done to it will have to take over the loan repayments.

The government's energy-saving scheme has been heavily criticised by experts

(Image source - www.bbacerts.co.uk)

Alan Milstein, chairman of the Residential Property Surveyors Association, said ‘For many consumers, taking on a green deal loan may not be the most cost-effective mechanism to fund any green improvements to their property. With early repayment penalties and the uncertainty surrounding how having a green deal loan attached to your property will impact on its future saleability, for many homeowners it may be advisable to look at alternative ways to fund energy efficiency measures’.

This news has put a dampener on the launch of the ‘Green Deal’, although according to a poll published last week, over 80% of people had never heard of the scheme.

'Green Deal? What's that then?'

Over 80% of people haven't heard of new government energy-saving scheme

Just days before a new scheme designed to help people deal with energy costs launches, a poll has discovered that 4 out of 5 people have never heard of it.

The ‘green deal’ works by offering loans to pay for home improvements such as roof insulation, new boilers and draught-proofing, which will help lower the overall cost of energy bills. However, a YouGov poll of 5,071 UK energy customers found that 81% hadn’t heard of the new scheme, with 51% citing that the initial cost of upfront ‘assessment fees’ of between £85 to £150 was a major obstacle for them.

The cost of things like roof insulation is putting people off making their homes energy-efficient

(Image source - solar-renewable-energy.co.uk)

The climate minister, Greg Barker, isn’t worried about the findings, as the scheme is still in its infancy, so people shouldn’t expect a ‘big bang’. He said, ‘We're right at the beginning of the green deal journey, and the report is right to identify there is relatively low consumer understanding around the green deal. It's as you'd expect, as it's yet to be rolled out. I expect that to change over the coming year’.

However, the shadow climate minister, Luciana Berger, has slammed the Coalition’s handling of the scheme, saying ‘It's very worrying that so few people have heard of the green deal just days before it finally goes live’. She added that the interest rates on the loans will leave people paying back more than twice the upfront cost of the measures they have installed, which she thinks will leave many people saying ‘no deal’ to the ‘green deal’.

Watch your energy usage this Christmas

Three tips on saving on your bills over the festive period

That time of year has come around again. Christmas is just a few days away and will be a time for everyone to forget the troubles of the past year and just enjoy the day with their families. But by indulging at Christmas, many people forget to budget and spend loads of presents, food and also energy bills, leaving them going into January with less money than they were expecting.

So here are a few tips on how to make sure you don’t go overboard with your energy usage this festive season –



1. Go easy with the Christmas lights

Do you really need to light your house up like an airport runway?

(Image source - Telegraph)

Decorations are one of the best parts of Christmas. The day you go into the attic, bring everything down and put up the tree is the day Christmas really begins. Families, especially ones with young children, put up all the decorations they can fit in, and on, their house. But although the mass of lights does look pretty when you look at them, it can cost a bomb in electricity bills when January comes around, especially if you’ve had them up since late November, so think about how many lights you really need up. Also, a lot of people will keep their lights on constantly throughout the day and night. Do you really need your lights on through the night? Your neighbours aren’t going to notice them because they’ll be in bed as well. Turn them off when you aren’t there/awake to enjoy them and save yourself money on your electric bill!



2. Turn off the TV

You've probably seen all the stuff on TV before, so turn it off and just enjoy being with your family

(Image source - Telegraph)

A recent study found out that, on Christmas Day, families will watch on average 8 hours of television. Considering the day consists of opening presents (and building the presents for the kids), and having dinner, that’s a lot of TV. But how many people actually pay much attention to the TV when it’s on, especially when the kids are playing with their new toys and the adults are relaxing with a sherry or glass of wine? For most of the day, the TV is just background noise. Another study found out that you can save £100 a year just by adjusting the settings on your TV. So using that logic turning it off Christmas Day might help you save money, even just a little bit.



3. Wear those Christmas clothes

You got one as a gift, so you may as well it wear it

(Image source - BBC)

For a lot of people, Christmas means getting another year’s supply of socks and jumpers. But how many people wear those new clothes on the actual day? Most people just smile at Grandma and put them to the side. But by simply wearing that jumper and those socks you can stay warm for the day, meaning you can turn down the heating, which means saving money on the energy bill.

These ideas aren’t going to save you hundreds of pounds, but they will help in their own way and will get you thinking about how you can save money on your energy bills.

Changing TV settings can save you money

Adjusting brightness level can reduce electricity bill

As we’ve said before on this site, there are so many simple, easy ways for people to save money on energy bills. Some methods, like turning the heating down and wearing a jumper, seem pretty straightforward, but there is something else you can do to save money that you would never have thought of.

Experts have carried out tests and have concluded that by simply turning down the brightness of our television can reduced your electricity bill by around £8 a month, which works out as nearly £100 a year. Vincent Teoh, editor of HDTVTest, which carried out the tests, said “Calibrating your TV is similar to washing at 30 degrees or only putting the right amount of water in the kettle - it’s more environmentally friendly and more cost effective”. 

Something as simple as pressing a few buttons on your remote can reduce your energy bill

(Image source - Daily Mail)

The reason most people have never thought of this before is because all televisions are pre-set to be display a brighter picture, as display models in a shop have to be brighter to attract customers. But when customers set them up in their homes, most don’t think to adjust the picture from its factory settings. The test found that for many HD televisions, energy consumption was reduced by as much as 40% when the settings were adjusted.

Teoh also stated that, by keeping the picture overly bright, the overall picture quality was actually reduced. He explained, “Not only is it unnecessary [the default brightness setting], but it distorts the true performance of the television, both visually and economically.’

Wales tackling climate change

Talks in Doha highlight Wales as first country to introduce unique climate law

The climate change talks in Doha, Qatar are well underway and have brought up an interesting fact. Wales, out of all the 194 countries with representatives at the talks, is the only  one to be preparing to introduce a new law that requires all public bodies, such as schools and libraries, to take into account the environmental factors of any decision.

This sustainable development bill will be law in just under a year and follows other bold actions to deal with climate change. Wales has a target of reducing carbon emissions in the country by 3% every year (which would mean a 40% reduction by 2020) and is currently leading the UK in renewable energy. The country also has plans to make improve energy efficiency in social housing by fitting homes with energy saving devices. These plans show Wales is ambitious in dealing with the issue of climate change, but one embarrassing fact is that, between 2009 and 2010, greenhouse gas emissions in the country actually increased 8%, compared to just 2% in England, although this has been attributed to economic growth and the cold winter during that period.

Wales has its sights set on becoming leader in renewable energies

(Image source - The Guardian)

John Griffiths, the Welsh assembly member who is representing them at the Doha talks, wants to get Wales utilising more onshore and offshore wind, but accepts the opposition schemes like these have faced, especially in mid-Wales. To deal with this, he wants to find a way to make energy companies benefit the local communities they operate in. "We are in discussions with companies to get more community benefit, and to provide more jobs. We need to paint a positive picture around renewables in Wales. There's a lot of benefit for us if we get it right." 

Griffiths wants more schemes to make homes in Wales energy efficient

(Image source- South Wales Argus)

Griffiths sees the importance of tackling climate change, as he blames it for the recent flooding in many parts of Wales. "We in Britain had the wettest summer for 100 years. Now we are told we will have more extremes [like this] with climate change. It was very much in line with climate change. Floods like that and the one at Talybont bring climate change home to people. It will have a severe impact."

There is potential for Wales to be seen as a small but outward-looking, progressive state, as there are scores of renewable energy companies in the country looking to help reduce the impact of climate change and, in the process, help improve the lives of the Welsh people.

US set for offshore wind farms

Areas along Atlantic coast to be 'opened up' for turbines

Large areas of land along the Atlantic coast of the United States of America will be opened up for the development of offshore wind farms by the Obama administration. 

Competitive lease sales of around 432 square miles of land off the coast of states such as Virginia, Rhode Island and Massachusetts will be offered by mid-2013, with the scheme looking to launch the country’s first offshore wind farm project. Despite hundreds of turbines being built across America over the past few years, all of them have been on the mainland, and wind farms themselves still only make up 3% of the country’s energy use.

This could be the scene across the Atlantic coast of the US within a few years

(Image source - The Guardian)

According to the US government, there is enough wind along the Atlantic coast to power up to 1.4 million homes, which is seen as ‘enormous potential’ by Kevin Salazar, the interior secretary, who sees the scheme as a way of ‘moving closer to tapping into this massive domestic energy resource to create jobs, increase our energy security and strengthen our nation’s competitiveness in this new energy frontier’.

However, whilst there is enthusiasm among many for this scheme, there may also be criticism. Building turbines offshore is much more expensive than building them on land, and there are many people opposed to turbines due to their visual impact. The proposed turbines would be 10 miles off the coast of Rhode Island and around 23 nautical miles from Virginia. Officials stated that the sites were chosen to avoid environmental concerns and backlash from locals.

Why hasn't solar taken off?

Form of renewable energy isn't as popular as it could be

Earlier this week, the chief executive of Desertsec Paul van Son denied his plans for a scheme to produce 15% of Europe’s energy from solar panels in North Africa was in turmoil following the withdrawal of two major investors. Both Siemens and Bosch pulled out of the project, which would see energy produced by solar power in countries such as Tunisia and Morocco relayed to Europe via underwater cables, whilst the Spanish government has backed away from a deal to build the panels. Despite these apparent set-backs, van Son laughed off suggestions the €400 million scheme was in crisis. But does this situation suggest that solar power has still yet to really take off as a form of energy production?

An outline of the Desertsec energy proposal - which may now be in doubt

(Source - The Guardian)

Solar power seems like the ideal form of renewable energy. Even more straightforward than wind power, all you have to do is watch as the sun shines and produces electricity. But despite this seemingly simple process of producing energy, solar has yet to really go mainstream. Whereas wind power is gaining more and more momentum as the answer to the question of how to produce clean, renewable energy, solar power is getting left behind. But why is this? Why haven’t we committed to solar yet?

Cost. Installing solar panels in a home can cost nearly £9000 on average; a price a lot of people aren’t willing to pay, especially as it may also require adjustments or renovations of the roofs of houses, which adds further costs. Many people could have had help covering costs via a grant, but last year the Government cut the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) by over half, meaning people who could have earned money for merely having solar panels (up to £1000 a year in many cases), which would have helped cover the cost of the initial installation, will now earn significantly less. 

Solar power is a great form of renewable energy - but people don't like the cost

(Source - The Guardian)

On top of all this, it has been announced that energy bills will increase to cover the costs of implementing green energy schemes, such as solar power. Any form of price increase is bound to anger consumers and, despite the assurances that using renewable energy will actually decrease prices in the coming years, the new deal has been met with criticism from consumers, MPs and environmental campaigners. 

So with the current negativity surrounding renewable energy in the media – mainly focusing on the cost – it seems that solar power has an even harder task of trying to appeal to people as a realistic alternative to traditional energy production.

Does the Government really care about green energy?

Tory MPs call on PM to publicly back renewable energy investments

David Cameron’s position on the green economy has been questioned by his own party after 20 Conservative MPs sent a letter to Downing Street expressing their concern over what they believe to be attacks on renewable energy and an anti-green sentiment from across the Coalition.

The Prime Minister is set to defend the Government’s policy on the green energy economy following criticism that many figures with the Coalition, such as George Osborne, are attacking the value of the sector, despite it being worth over £120bn and supplying a third of the recent economic growth in the UK. 

Many Conservative MPs, including Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney, who organised the letter, feel that Cameron’s silence on the issue may be putting off companies from investing into renewable energy schemes in the UK, and could see them invest overseas instead. Aldous called on the PM to clearly state what the Coalition’s position on the green economy is so that they can work to ‘encourage and incentivise investment from emerging markets…for our country to be a world leader in renewable energy’. 

David Cameron is currently pushing for investment in Britain’s energy production from the Middle East, and will meet with the heads of three of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the United Arab Emirates to secure more investment in renewables. But in the eyes of many MPs, this isn’t enough. Cameron and the Coalition must come out and publicly back investments in green energy projects and, in the words of Energy Minister Greg Barker, ‘put its money where its mouth is’.

How safe is nuclear?

With Hitachi investing over $1 billion into two new nuclear power plants in the UK, the issue of nuclear safety is raised once again

This week, Japanese company Hitachi bought the Horizon nuclear power project in the UK for $1.2 billion, which will create two new nuclear power plants in Anglesey, Wales and Oldbury, England, with around 12,000 jobs in constructing the sites and then 2000 permanent jobs once they are completed. Hitachi took over the project from German companies RWE and E.ON after they pulled out following the decision by Angela Merkel to phase out nuclear energy in Germany by 2022. This decision by one of Europe’s leading industrial powers to renounce nuclear energy in favour of renewables was made following the disaster at Fukushima, with fears raised about the safety of nuclear power. Now, with Hitachi opting to invest in this type of energy and start a ‘100 year commitment to the UK’ that question is brought up once again.

A typical nuclear power plant - but is it really that safe?

(Source - http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/NuclearEnergy.php)

Safety is the biggest factor in debates about nuclear power. Anti-nuclear campaigners state that the potential risk of a nuclear disaster (such as a complete nuclear meltdown – a nuclear explosion similar to an atomic bomb is a complete myth, as the uranium isn’t enriched enough in a power plant to explode) outweighs any benefits of nuclear power, as the damage that could be caused by a disaster would be catastrophic. That fear is understandable; a worst-case scenario would be a complete meltdown that contaminates the ground and water supply in the surrounding area, which would cause explosions as a result of radioactive material reacting with water and widespread exposure to radiation that could result in deaths. 

However, in nearly 15,000 cumulative nuclear reactor years, only three major accidents have occurred; Three Mile Island (USA, 1979), Chernobyl (Ukraine, 1986) and Fukushima (Japan, 2011), with only Chernobyl resulting in loss of life. These accidents weren’t caused by the nuclear power process itself, but by a series of specific factors. Three Mile Island was a result of human error, Fukushima was caused by damage from both an earthquake and a tsunami, and Chernobyl was the result of poor reactor design in an environment where safety regulations and security were a low priority. Nuclear energy is so much safer now with security measures and tight safety regulations in place.

The devastating aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster - but events like these are extremely rare

(Source - Liverpool Echo)

In terms of safety, renewable energy is much better than nuclear, as the only risk of damage or death from a wind turbine is if it fell over, which wouldn’t affect as many people as a nuclear meltdown would. With Germany looking to phase out nuclear power by 2022 in favour of renewable energy, they are showing they are willing to commit and support the development of renewable power (as nuclear energy currently provides a quarter of the country’s energy usage), which is a good thing, as it shows the country is prepared to move forward and is thinking about the future. 

However, nuclear power shouldn’t be ignored completely. There is always the worry that something could go terribly wrong with nuclear and, however safe nuclear energy can be made, the actual process of working with radioactive materials and the science behind it will always carry some level of risk. But with safety measures as tight and important as they currently are, the chances of something bad happening are very low. Nuclear power is still important to the world, as it is very efficient in terms of energy production. An average-size nuclear plant would produce the same amount of energy as around 2000 wind turbines. 2000 turbines would take up an area of land around 60,000 acres, whereas a power plant would take up only 1500 acres.

Hopefully in the future there will be a form of renewable energy so efficient and effective, with absolutely no risks, that nuclear power won’t be needed anymore. But until such a time, nuclear energy is still important, and still necessary. 

Now is the time to switch!

With energy prices going up, make sure you find the right energy provider for you

Over the last few articles, we have discussed ways to save on energy bills in the home, with one of the main tips being to look at switching energy providers following the recent price hike by the major companies. By doing this, you the consumer can find the company with the best deal for you and can also fix your tariff, which in the long run will save you money.

According to a report in the Telegraph, nearly two-fifths of households are seriously considering doing this, with 49%  of people surveyed stating they were ‘angered’ by the price rises this month. MoneySupermarket found that a third of households were worried they could be pushed to breaking point financially due to the rises, as many people are also dealing with rising prices in food and mortgages. 

With Scottish Power, British Gas and Swalec being just some of the companies who have raised prices, now is the time to think about switching providers to make sure you get a deal that is both affordable and tailored to you. 

Money Saving Expert has a guide that gives you advice on how to calculate your energy needs and usage, and uSwitch is a site that lets you compare energy prices from various companies to find the right one for you.

So stop wasting your money and get your own back with

www.homereheat.com 

£3 a month for energy bills?

Pensioners find ways to drastically cut energy usage but still live happy lifestyle

An elderly couple have truly embraced ‘green’ energy and have found a way to cut their bills to the staggering sum of just £3 a month.

Dan and Jane Fish, who live in a bungalow in the New Forest, have installed a wood burner and solar panels in their home, and are using solar energy to run their electricity, hot water boiler and even their car. The couple also grow their own fruit and vegetables and make the most of everything they own, as they are still using the same crockery they've had for the past 55 years.

The only gas they use is for their stove, which is why they pay so little in bills. The couple’s money-saving quest to become carbon neutral has led to comparisons to hit 70s sitcom The Good Life.

While this lifestyle may be a bit too much for many people, it does show how there is an alternative out there to paying high prices for energy; prices that are getting even higher with the recent hikes by the major companies.

For the full story follow this link to the Daily Mail’s website.

Ways to save on your energy bills

With gas prices rising, here are a few energy saving ideas that could help you reduce costs

 

Get a fixed tariff

One way of battling the recent price hikes brought in by the major energy companies is to sign up for a fixed tariff, which means the price you pay for energy can’t go up. There are several comparison websites out there to check for the best deals, and if you have been a long-time customer at one of the bigger companies you should be able to ‘haggle’ a cheaper deal. But be quick, because the best deals are being snapped up fast.

Put on a jumper

It may seem like a simple solution, but by having the heating at a slightly lower temperature and wearing a jumper or cardigan around the house can save a typical household around £60, a pretty big saving just for sacrificing sitting around the house in a t-shirt with the heating on higher.

Close the curtains

Nearly everyone has curtains in their home to close off their rooms to the rest of the street at night and to stop the early morning sun getting in and waking you up. But curtains can also help retain the heat in your home, so by making sure you draw them fully, not letting any heat escape the cracks, you can make the most of out of all the heating you’re using. Also, swapping your traditional curtains for energy efficient insulating ones you can save even more.

Replace your boiler

A boiler can use nearly 80% of your total energy fuel usage, so making sure you have an energy efficient model instead of an older one can save the average home around £240 a year. The initial cost of buying and fitting a new one may put people off, but it will pay for itself in savings in around 10 years.

For even more tips on how to save energy please follow this link to the Daily Mail’s website.

Is 'liquid air' the future?

New method could finally answer question of how to store energy

The term ‘cryogenic-power’ may seem better placed in sci-fi films than in the real world, but the Institute of Mechanical Engineers believe they have made this idea a reality with their development of ‘liquid air’ technology.

IMechE have proposed the idea of using the excess energy generated by wind turbines at night (‘wrong-time’ energy) can be used to chill air to a liquid state. Then, when energy demands are higher, the ‘liquid air’ can be reheated until it becomes a vapour, which can then be used to drive turbines to generate electricity.

Not only would this solve the problems of energy storage and ‘wrong-time’ energy, but it could also help with the problems of industrial heat waste that is currently being released into the atmosphere, as these ‘cryo-generators’ could be built near power plants where they could reuse this left-over heat to warm the stored ‘liquid air’.

Engineers at IMechE believe that this method can be an efficiency level of up to 70% and can compete with hydrogen and batteries (that have an efficiency level of around 80%) to store excess energy generated by renewable energy forms.

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