Winter is coming!

Temperatures set to hit 100-year low

You may have already noticed when you went to work this morning with three layers on and spent 20 minutes trying to defrost the car, but winter is here.

Temperatures have plummeted this week and are set to drop even further throughout December, with temperatures estimated at minus 3C in many places, and even as low as minus 20C in some northern areas. 

As has been in case during the last few winters, there are fears of snow blizzards closing roads and train lines, causing chaos for travellers during the festive period. Experts have also expressed concerns that the torrential rain, that has devastated many areas of Britain this week, will return early next month, hampering recovery efforts of those who have been flooded.

Snow has already hit mountainous areas, and could be on its way to the rest of us

(Image Source - The Daily Mail)

So, with temperatures dropping, now would be the time to crank up the heating. But many people are set to go without heating for extending periods over winter due to the increases in energy bills. If only there was a way to utilise and make the most of all of the heating you pay for…

Luckily, there is!

Our innovative Home Reheater recycles the warm air in your home (particularly the heat trapped in your ceiling as it naturally rises) and recirculates it back down to the rest of the room. This allows you to turn your heating down to a lower temperature and still stay warm, as the entire room will remain at one constant temperature, instead of the ceiling being the warmest, as is currently the case in homes across the country.

So there are three options this winter; turn your heating up and face the costs in the New Year, turn it off and stay horribly cold all Christmas, or invest in a Home Reheater and stay happily warm, whilst reducing your heating bill at the same time. Surely the answer is obvious?

Go to our website now and look at the 16 different designs available to find the one that suits your home. With its simple installation process your product will be up and running and saving you money in no time. And at a cost of just £39.95 it is a cheaper alternative to paying over the odds for heating that you'll only waste as it rises to the ceiling.

So stay warm and get your own back this Christmas with

Homes set to ration energy

As average bills increase, many plan to go without heat this winter

Despite temperatures set to hit a 100-year low this winter, many people will ration their heating due to price rises.

Figures show the average heating bill has increased by 63% since 2008, putting millions in ‘fuel poverty’ and leaving them with the choice of paying for heating or having money for food. Last winter, around 75% of people asked said they would turn the heating down at key times, even if they were cold, just to save money. This year, nearly 90% claim they will do this, with elderly people more likely to go without heating.

Elderly people will be hit harder by rising energy bills over winter

(Image source - This Is Money)

This is why there is worry, as it is feared many elderly people, who are more likely to stay at home for longer periods thus using more heating, might die as a result of the cold, especially those without family who live alone. There were 25,700 ‘excess winter deaths’ last year in England and Wales, with around 2500 of them said to be as a result of ‘fuel poverty’ (where over 10% of income is needed to cover energy costs).

Energy comparison site uSwitch.com believe that further the price increases that were announced by the ‘big’ energy companies like British Gas and Scottish Power last month will ‘add £753 million onto energy bills and push another 314,000 households into fuel poverty’.

UN talks on climate change

What will happen in Doha?

The UN climate change talks in Doho, Qatar get underway today, with negotiators from 194 different countries all meeting to discuss measures on how to deal with global warming on a world-wide scale. But many people don’t see anything productive coming from these talks. So why is this? Why is there a feeling of pointlessness to these discussions on climate change?

The general (and widely accepted) consensus is that the richer nations involved in the talks, mainly the US, the UK and most of the European powers, will refuse to commit to any more cuts to emissions and won’t be willing to provide any further money, whilst the poorer nations will try to hold onto the few agreements made during the last few climate talks. The stubbornness of richer countries is seen as the main reason why global climate change policies have yet to be fully implemented and accepted by everyone. 

Climate change talks take place in Doha this week

(Source - The Guardian)

In 2009, rich countries agreed to give $100bn to poorer nations to help them combat and adapt to climate change by 2020, with a minimum of £30bn being given as a down-payment. So far, not even the down-payment has been met, with the total amount of money actually given being less than the total amount of bonuses given out in the City of London. Many nations, especially in Europe, have used the economic crisis and recession of recent years as an excuse not to commit money to climate change proposals, and there are many officials and ministers in office across the world who are still sceptical about global warming. But with events such as Superstorm Sandy hitting the US recently, alongside heatwaves, droughts and wildfires in the country, as well the UK having its wettest summer and driest spring to date and October being the 333rd consecutive month global temperatures were above the 20th century average, it is hard to ignore the reality of climate change. Especially when even the World Bank has issued its own warnings, as they announced that the world is on course for a 4C temperature rise which they believe would ruin economies as well as people’s everyday lives.

However, despite all of the warning signs that global warming is a very real threat, nobody sees any of the richer countries truly committing themselves to taking action, which is why the levels of anticipation in Doha are somewhat muted.

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.

Are new coal plants a backwards move?

Plans for new coal-fired power plants raise questions

New research has revealed that over 1000 new coal plants are being planned in 59 countries, with China and India contributing to three-quarters of them. 

This coal expansion is going ahead despite warnings over the large amount of pollution the new plants will create, with scientists, politicians and climate change campaigners all agreeing that the world needs to move away from fossil fuels as the main energy provider. Many argue that fossil fuel assets will become worthless as action on climate change moves forward.

Coal plants are the most polluting of all types of power plants. The capacity of all 1200 proposed plants across the world will be around 1400GW, which is the same as adding another China to the world in terms of the level of greenhouse gas emissions.

A coal-fired power station in Michigan, USA

(Source - Wikipedia)

The report is said to be the most comprehensive made and was compiled by the World Resources Institute, who state that the proposed coal plants are ‘definitely not in line with a safe climate scenario’. Nick Robins, head of HSBC’s Climate Change Centre, believes it would be easier to ignore coal as an energy source, as several factors including tighter air pollution regulations, the increasing investment and commitment to renewable energies and the scarcity of water (as coal plants need massive amounts of water to operate) make coal energy not worth the hassle.

Despite these warnings however, the coal industry has seen economic rejuvenation in recent years, as global coal trade increased 13% in 2010. The UK, Germany and France are still in biggest importers, but countries like South Korea and Japan are fast-increasing their import levels. These countries, along with developing countries such as Senegal and Uzbekistan, have high numbers of coal plants but produce practically no coal of their own. Ailun Yang, of the WRI, believes that there is an issue of a lack of awareness in these countries that their energy needs can be met from sources ‘other than coal’.

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.