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’.

Britain at risk from oil supply disruption?

Report suggests station closures and storage capacity cuts could lead to possible crisis

Findings gathered by business advisors Deloitte for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) argue that, due to reductions in storage capacities to save money, as well as the closure of thousands of petrol stations over the past 40 years means the UK is at risk of oil and petrol shortages if something was to disrupt supplies. It is estimated that the average petrol station has enough stock for just two days demand.

The report is one of two covering the impact the entry of supermarkets and the demise of independent retailers has had on the petrol retailing market. The second, produced by the Office of Fair Trading, rejected arguments from independents that competition in the market was not working because supermarkets controlled the market due to their purchasing power.

The report argues that petrol stations don't have enough stock to cope with disruption to oil supply

(Image source - Daily Mail)

John Hayes, energy minister, said the report showed the retail sector had more than enough stocks to “meet fuel supply shocks” before contingency measures were taken. However, the Petrol Retailers Association, claimed the Deloitte analysis demonstrated that the majority of forecourts were running with “dangerously low” levels of reserves.

In 2011, there were 8,700 petrol stations, down from 37,500 in 1970, with many people believing the rate of closures is due to the power of supermarkets, such as Tesco and Asda, who have petrol stations as part of nearly all of their UK stores. These supermarkets control around 40% of the petrol/diesel market (worth over £47bn a year) despite only accounting for 15% of petrol stations nationwide.

Over a billion people affected by energy poverty

Healthcare and education services left to function without power

A report has found that energy poverty is leaving over a billion people in developing countries without access to adequate healthcare and education services.

The report, Poor People’s Energy Outlook, published by NGO Practical Action, states that nearly half of all healthcare facilities in India, serving around 850 million people, lack electricity. In sub-Sahara Africa, over 30% of facilities lack power, affecting 255 million patients. This has a major impact on the quality of healthcare, as it leaves doctors having to treat patients in the dark and prevents the proper storage of vaccines and ability to sterilise equipment. 

Even facilities that have a power source face severe problems, as in Kenya, only 25% of healthcare centres have a reliable power source. Blackouts can happen at least six times a month, usually leaving facilities without power for four hours at a time.

Candlelight is still the only way to get light in many developing countries

(Image source - Practical Action)

Along with energy storages affecting healthcare, it is estimated that 291 million children go to schools without electricity. In Burundi, only 2% of all schools have access to electricity. The report found that in many schools, windows are kept open, even if it is cold, so the room has a source of natural light. Many schools have limited to no form of ventilation or heating, leaving children to suffer in cold, damp conditions, resulting in negative health effects. In one school in Bolivia, lessons were cut short so the children could help collect firewood to cook their school meals.

The report states that rural areas and areas made up of mainly poor people were the ones most likely to be affected by energy poverty, and that governments of many developing nations are having to put the energy needs of the wealthy in urbanised areas over the needs of others. Practical Action's advocacy lead on energy issues, Helen Morton, said: "The historic neglect of energy in community services undermines the ability to deliver education, healthcare and ultimately development. This report makes the case for the energy services that poor people want, need and have a right to – providing communities with the power to challenge their poverty."

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’.

Heatwaves in US and EU ‘caused by global warming’

Temperature imbalances due to greenhouse gases affecting air systems

Scientists have stated that events such as the 2011 American drought and the 2003 European heatwave were the result of global warming.

The study found that air systems that bring warm air from the tropics and cold air from the Arctic at certain times are slowing down, meaning warm air is staying in areas for longer, causing extreme heatwaves.

Scenes like this are becoming normal during summertime in America because of the impact of global warming

(Image source - National Geographic)

‘During several recent extreme weather events these planetary waves almost freeze in their tracks for weeks’, said Vladimir Petoukhov, lead author of the study at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. ‘So instead of bringing in cool air after having brought warm air in before, the heat just stays’.

Global warming has been blamed for disrupting the air flow because the build-up of greenhouse gases is warming the Arctic at a faster rate than other regions, causing the slow-down of air flow as the temperature difference between the Arctic and southern hemisphere areas is what regulates the air flow system.

Whilst this study only focused on the northern hemisphere in the summer time, the scientists believe that a similar study done during winter would find out that extreme cold weather events, such as the one that has affected the UK recently, were caused by the slowing down of air systems, this time trapping cold air over areas instead of warm air.

Consumer backlash over British Gas profits

Parent company set to announce £2.8bn profit increase

The parent company of British Gas has risked fierce consumer backlash following reports that it is set to announce a 15% increase in profits.

Centrica plans to reveal the figures this week, which show the company has made a profits increase of £2.8bn following the British Gas price hike in October 2011. Centrica have tried to justify their profits by releasing a study that shows the company have had a beneficial impact on the UK economy in terms of jobs and tax payments, but that is unlikely to appease consumers who have been hit with rising prices.

Centrica has argued that its practices are good for the country, but that won't wash with consumers

(Image source - Metro)

Richard Lloyd, executive director at consumer champion, Which?, said, ‘At a time when spiralling energy bills are consumers’ top financial worry, people are bound to question whether they’re paying a fair price for their energy when they see big profits announcements from the energy giants. Centrica’s analysis won’t change that view as record-high bills land on millions of doormats in the coming weeks'.

The news will bring the pricing of energy bills into question again, as well the Government’s plans to reduce them. PM David Cameron announced earlier this year that all energy providers will have to simplify their tariffs and make sure consumers are on the cheapest one possible. However, many critics have argued these measures won’t go far enough and consumers will be confused as to which is the cheapest option.