'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.’

Wind farms to give energy bill discounts

'Community tariff' offered to residents living near Good Energy wind farms

A new energy tariff will offer energy discounts to people living near wind farms owned by utilities company Good Energy. 

People who live within two kilometres of a Good Energy wind farm will get a 20% discount on their energy bills, which could save them around £110 a year. The new local electricity tariff will be launched next year and will only apply to the Delabole wind farm in Cornwall to start with (as this is the only farm Good Energy currently owns), but will apply to all new wind farms the company opens in the future. Good Energy expects to develop wind farms that can produce an overall capacity of around 100MW in the UK by 2016. Tariff customers will also receive an annual bonus if the wind turbines overproduce energy.

Turbines at the Delabole wind farm in Cornwall

(Source- This is North Cornwall)

The idea of a local tariff had been talked about for the past two years, according to Good Energy chief executive Juliet Davenport, who sees the idea as part of a bigger plan to ‘bring people closer to their energy source’. Davenport also believes the scheme will help wind farms get backing from people opposed to them because of their visual impact on an area, as they will be getting a ‘share of the benefit’ from the turbines, which would in some way make up for their effect on the landscape.

The new tariff will cover discounts for around 400 homes in Delabole and will cost Good Energy £25,000. Residents in Turriff in Aberdeenshire will also get the benefits of this new tariff as a wind farm is currently being planned there.

Want a good savings investment? Then go green!

Renewable energy investments can offer better returns than banks

In a climate of economic uncertainty across Europe, most people are trying to find the best ways to use their money and are looking for the right places to invest. With stock market returns erratic and inconsistent and savings accounts paying out below-inflation interest rates, there is another way to make money from investments. And it’s green.

Abundance Generation, the FSA-regulated platform for renewable energy investment, are offering people the chance to invest in energy projects that can make returns of up to 8%, whilst supporting local renewable energy schemes at the same time. The first project by Abundance – a community wind turbine in the Forest of Dean – was switched on last week after reaching its minimum funding level recently and is now generating electricity for the community, and generating returns for investors, who include locals as well as others from across the UK. Investors will receive twice-yearly payments from the project, which are their share of the profits made from generating and selling energy created by the turbine.

The turbine at Forest of Dean being constructed

(Source - This is Gloucestershire) 

Bruce Davis, co-founder and joint managing director of Abundance, argues that investing in energy projects is a much better idea than investing money in banks, who have lost a lot of public trust following the banking scandals of recent years, and is available to people of all economic backgrounds. “We are all about democratising finance” said Davis. “Why should the great returns and pleasure of investing in real, worthwhile and ethical assets like renewable energy projects only be available to the very wealthy?” 

People can invest in projects with Abundance for as little as £5 with the average investment being for 20 to 25 years. The risks from investing in Abundance projects are very low, meaning that investing in renewable energy isn't just for rich businessmen; you can do it too. And, unlike a bank, you can actually see what your investment is doing for the renewable energy industry and the local community.

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.

Energy saving myths

Four things you think are saving you energy but really aren't

With issues like the economy and climate change on everyone's minds, more and more people are looking for simple ways they can save on energy bills. However, a lot of these 'method's are actually making you waste more energy.

1.      Turning the heating up full will make your home hotter faster - 

A common mistake a lot of people make; putting the heating on full ‘for a little bit’ to heat your home up quicker, therefore saving time and energy. However, this doesn’t work, as most heating systems work by heating an area up to the pre-set temperature and then switching off when it is reached. This means it takes the same amount of time for a room to reach 25C when it is set to 25C as it does to reach that temperature when it is set to maximum. It’s just like pressing the button at a crossing; you think that by pressing the button repeatedly makes the lights change faster, but the system starts working straight after the first time you press it.

2.      Hand washing dishes is better than using a dishwasher - 

It may seem hard to believe, but on average a dishwasher uses less hot water to clean the dishes than washing them in the sink, if used properly. Make sure you maximise the use of the dishwasher but only cleaning full loads, by not pre-rising them first (as this doesn’t really help clean them better) and by letting the dishes dry naturally on the side rather than using the machine’s drying function.

3.      Using a portable heater to heat one room rather than using central heating to heat entire house -

This seems to make perfect sense; if you only want to warm your living room then using a portable heater rather than the central heating is surely more energy efficient? Unfortunately, portable heaters are major drainers of electricity, meaning that using them to replace your central heating is actually costing you more. If you do want to reduce heating bills simply lowering the temperature setting by a degree or two is the most effective way to do so. Also, if you are feeling a little bit cold, just put on a jumper or an extra pair of socks and you’ll soon warm up.

4.      Leaving fans/ceiling fans on will cool down a room -

Saving energy isn’t just about ways to stay warm efficiently. When we have hot weather we often resort to using electric fans or ceiling fans to cool us down. Because this method works, a lot of people leave fans turned when they aren’t in the room to maintain the cool temperature in there for when they return. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work, as fans cool people, not rooms. All a fan does to create a breeze which, when it hits your skin, gives the impression of coolness. But the temperature never actually changes, so when you aren’t in the room nobody is getting the benefit of the fan, so it is wasting energy.

Get your own back with home reheat

Due to the unfortunate laws of physics, warm air has an annoying habit of rising, meaning that when you put your heating on, most of that hot air is going to the ceiling rather than where it is needed, at floor level where you are. This might not seem that annoying to some, as you can just turn the heating up so that your level is as hot as you want it. But that means the ceiling is even hotter, and it also means you are paying for heating that you aren’t even getting to use. 

But surely there’s no way to change the laws of physics? Well you’re right; there isn’t, but there is a way to fight them. Stop wasting energy and get your own back with the home reheat.

The home reheater is a brand new product launched by Home reHeat Ltd and is designed to get your heat back to where it belongs. The product collects the warm air from the ceiling and re-circulates it back down to ground level, meaning that none of the heating you’ve paid for is going to waste. The standard model circulates around 60 cubic metres of warm air, an area bigger than most houses, every hour. While different people in different houses may have different energy uses and needs, what can be guaranteed is that the home reheater will save you money in the long run. And at only £59.99, including postage, it will pay for itself in no time.

The home reheater comes in twelve different designs, including bold prints and floral colours, so there’s a design for everyone. You can get a design to match the décor of your home, meaning it won’t seem out of place on your wall. Infact, the home reheater is designed to go unnoticed and just get on with its job, and while it does make some noise, it can be compared to the sound of a mere whisper or refrigerator humming. It is also very easy to install, as its light weight of just 200 grams means it can be put up with small screws, picture hooks or even adhesive pads.

The home reheater doesn’t just help save you money; it can help save the planet as well. The main body is made using recycled materials and can be recycled again, the electrical parts can also be recycled and all metal fittings have to chosen for function to help minimise the use of metal in the product, and can also be recycled. 

So what about the company selling this product? Home reHeat Ltd is a new, small Welsh business based in Ty Menter at Navigation Park, Abercynon. With young Welsh graduates at the helm, we aim to export our product across the globe, in particular to Europe and North America. We understand that, with rising energy prices and the world economy in its present state, many people are finding it difficult to afford to heat their own homes, especially when they losing most of the heat to their ceiling.

So if you are tired of losing heat and paying high energy bills then get your own back with Home Reheat.