Householders feeling the squeeze will be alarmed by news that gas and electricity bills could rise by a further 40 per cent this year. This will push the average cost of heating for the UK's hard-working families up to almost £1,500 a year – a rise of nearly £500. This comes on top of sharp price rises since the start of this year.
The price of oil has doubled in 12 months while wholesale gas has climbed by 75 per cent this year, rises that have prompted all the major energy companies to bump up prices by an average 15 per cent. Consumers have been warned to brace themselves for price rises in August, with further increases expected later in the year.
1 OPT FOR A FIXED-RATE
Most of the big energy companies offer fixed- or capped-rate deals, where prices are guaranteed not to rise for at least a year (and often more). Historically, fixed-rate deals have rarely been the cheapest available, meaning customers have been paying a premium for peace of mind.
At present, fixed-rate gas and electricity bills average out at £1,036 a year. While the exact price will depend on where you live and the amount of energy you use, this compares surprisingly well with standard energy tariffs, which now charge an average of £1,048 a year – leaving you £12 worse off.
2 MOVE TO AN ONLINE TARIFF
Georgina Walsh, of EnergyWatch, the gas and electricity watchdog, says:"Customers don't have to move suppliers to save money, they can often cut bills simply by moving on to a cheaper tariff with their existing company."
3 TAKE SOME SIMPLE ENERGY-SAVING STEPS
You don't have to resort to turning your heating off completely and wearing an extra sweater to save money. Nor do families have to spend thousands to make their homes more energy efficient. The simplest step is to switch off all your electrical equipment rather than leaving it on standby.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, this could reduce your electricity bill by 8 per cent a year. And turning your thermostat down by 1C will cut heating bills by up to 10 per cent, saving the average customer £40 a year.
If you draught-proof your home, as well as fitting covers over letterboxes and keyholes, this should make you feel warmer, even with the thermostat turned down. Likewise, fitting a cover over the hot-water tank should cut £20 off your annual bill, according to British Gas. And make sure that next time you replace a light bulb it is with an energy-efficient one. Replacing all your bulbs will save you about £45 a year.
4 DO YOU QUALIFY FOR HEATING GRANTS?
Those on certain benefits (for example, pension credit) will be able to claim up to £4,000 to make their home warmer and more energy-efficient. These grants can pay for loft-insulation, installing central heating, a new boiler and wall insulation.
To check your eligibility for the government-funded initiative, known as Warm Front, go to www.warmfront.co.uk, or call the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800 512 012.
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Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Sunday, 22 June 2008
Dyson working on new generation of fast, green cars
Britain's most famous inventor, Sir James Dyson, is working on a project that could lead to the creation of a fast, green car.
Engineers at his research laboratory in Wiltshire are developing a powerful lightweight motor that could enable electric cars to zoom along for hundreds of miles without causing pollution. Solar panels on their roofs or in garages would charge them with renewable energy.
In an interview with The Independent on Sunday, the scientist forecast that electric cars would be "the future" of transport, and predicted they could outnumber petrol vehicles in as little as 10 years' time.
"They're quiet and they're pollution free," enthused Sir James, whose bagless vacuum cleaner cemented his reputation as an innovative risk-taker and earned him an estimated £700m fortune.
The 61-year-old inventor also expressed his belief that the cars could overcome their current drawbacks – their short range and slow speed. "An electric car doesn't go far enough. It could do. Electric motors can do that," he said, adding that there were "fantastic opportunities" to make electric vehicles lighter.
"At the moment, electric cars are seen as city cars and to go 30mph is quite enough, but in the future that will change. An electric motor can go to very high speeds."
full article
Engineers at his research laboratory in Wiltshire are developing a powerful lightweight motor that could enable electric cars to zoom along for hundreds of miles without causing pollution. Solar panels on their roofs or in garages would charge them with renewable energy.
In an interview with The Independent on Sunday, the scientist forecast that electric cars would be "the future" of transport, and predicted they could outnumber petrol vehicles in as little as 10 years' time.
"They're quiet and they're pollution free," enthused Sir James, whose bagless vacuum cleaner cemented his reputation as an innovative risk-taker and earned him an estimated £700m fortune.
The 61-year-old inventor also expressed his belief that the cars could overcome their current drawbacks – their short range and slow speed. "An electric car doesn't go far enough. It could do. Electric motors can do that," he said, adding that there were "fantastic opportunities" to make electric vehicles lighter.
"At the moment, electric cars are seen as city cars and to go 30mph is quite enough, but in the future that will change. An electric motor can go to very high speeds."
full article
Friday, 20 June 2008
To fix or not to fix - that is the question
With the daunting prospect of further energy price hikes this year, some Brits may wish to take a gamble to fix now and be quids in later. However, price comparison website moneysupermarket.com, urges people to consider their actions carefully, as making the wrong move could prove costly.
‘Fixed' and ‘capped' tariffs offer customers the financial security of knowing their energy costs will not rise above a set level. Four of the big six UK utility providers offer these tariffs, with the latest offerings from British Gas Price Guarantee December 2009 tariff available from 1st June and Scottish Power Fixed Price 2009 tariffs available from 4th June.
At £1071 a year, British Gas Price Guarantee December 2009 is more than £200 more expensive than the cheapest online dual fuel tariff from British Gas, Click Energy 5 at £845.
Scott Byrom, utilities manager at moneysupermarket.com said: "Fixing your energy tariff, could be an excellent option for those looking to protect their payments against future price hikes. However, there will be a premium to pay for this peace of mind
"Brits looking to stay on the cheapest deal available should consider dual fuel online products. We have already seen rises of 15 per cent this year; customers should note that it would only take a 20 per cent increase in energy prices by the end of next year for the cheapest online dual fuel deal to become more expensive than the fixed options currently available."
Bill payers should be aware that fixed price tariffs may charge a termination fee and, as the table above shows, this can be as much as £75.
full article
‘Fixed' and ‘capped' tariffs offer customers the financial security of knowing their energy costs will not rise above a set level. Four of the big six UK utility providers offer these tariffs, with the latest offerings from British Gas Price Guarantee December 2009 tariff available from 1st June and Scottish Power Fixed Price 2009 tariffs available from 4th June.
At £1071 a year, British Gas Price Guarantee December 2009 is more than £200 more expensive than the cheapest online dual fuel tariff from British Gas, Click Energy 5 at £845.
Scott Byrom, utilities manager at moneysupermarket.com said: "Fixing your energy tariff, could be an excellent option for those looking to protect their payments against future price hikes. However, there will be a premium to pay for this peace of mind
"Brits looking to stay on the cheapest deal available should consider dual fuel online products. We have already seen rises of 15 per cent this year; customers should note that it would only take a 20 per cent increase in energy prices by the end of next year for the cheapest online dual fuel deal to become more expensive than the fixed options currently available."
Bill payers should be aware that fixed price tariffs may charge a termination fee and, as the table above shows, this can be as much as £75.
full article
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Soaring fuel prices spark LPG boom
The spiralling cost of standard fuels is driving a ten-fold increase in the number of people asking about conversion to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
While individual car owners and public bodies such as the police and councils try to identify ways of cutting fuel bills, the option of LPG is becoming increasingly popular.
Cromer business Jaymic Systems, which provides conversions and distributes equipment nationwide for other businesses involved in conversion, has been on the frontline of the peak in interest.
"We have gone from about 10 phone calls a week from people asking about conversions to about 100 a week," said company director Martyn Soer.
"The reasons are pretty simple, you can achieve an approximate 40pc saving in your fuel bill and reduce your carbon footprint by around 20pc. The emission gains don't seem to be the thing which gets people to do this. It is the financial saving which makes the real difference. When there is a financial crisis, people look to how they can save and going to LPG is an obvious option."
A one-off bill of between £1,500 and £2,000 is the typical cost, but Mr Soer said the easier way to view the cost was to realise that at a yearly 15,000 mileage, it would take 18 months to "get your money back".
Further savings can be had, with the London congestion charge allowing certain vehicles to drive into the charge areas free if they run on LPG and many permit-parking schemes in cities across the country also operating similar discounts.
The reason even more people were not going got for LPG conversion was because the process had a historic - but now incorrect - reputation as having serious flaws, said Mr Soer.
"The old systems weren't up to scratch, there were problems of unreliability, people said you had to service the systems all the time and the set-ups could damage the exhaust valves. But the technology now means it is way ahead of where it was just half a dozen years ago and these problems simply don't happen."
It was vital to use professional converters approved by the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association, said Mr Soer. He added that only petrol cars were suitable for conversion, and although diesel technology existed, it wasn't a route he would suggest.
The current price of LPG is about 53p a litre, although using the fuel leads to a loss of about 15pc economy per litre.
About 130,000 vehicles in the UK operate on LPG. The figure in Italy is 1.6 million and in Germany a million.
full article
While individual car owners and public bodies such as the police and councils try to identify ways of cutting fuel bills, the option of LPG is becoming increasingly popular.
Cromer business Jaymic Systems, which provides conversions and distributes equipment nationwide for other businesses involved in conversion, has been on the frontline of the peak in interest.
"We have gone from about 10 phone calls a week from people asking about conversions to about 100 a week," said company director Martyn Soer.
"The reasons are pretty simple, you can achieve an approximate 40pc saving in your fuel bill and reduce your carbon footprint by around 20pc. The emission gains don't seem to be the thing which gets people to do this. It is the financial saving which makes the real difference. When there is a financial crisis, people look to how they can save and going to LPG is an obvious option."
A one-off bill of between £1,500 and £2,000 is the typical cost, but Mr Soer said the easier way to view the cost was to realise that at a yearly 15,000 mileage, it would take 18 months to "get your money back".
Further savings can be had, with the London congestion charge allowing certain vehicles to drive into the charge areas free if they run on LPG and many permit-parking schemes in cities across the country also operating similar discounts.
The reason even more people were not going got for LPG conversion was because the process had a historic - but now incorrect - reputation as having serious flaws, said Mr Soer.
"The old systems weren't up to scratch, there were problems of unreliability, people said you had to service the systems all the time and the set-ups could damage the exhaust valves. But the technology now means it is way ahead of where it was just half a dozen years ago and these problems simply don't happen."
It was vital to use professional converters approved by the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association, said Mr Soer. He added that only petrol cars were suitable for conversion, and although diesel technology existed, it wasn't a route he would suggest.
The current price of LPG is about 53p a litre, although using the fuel leads to a loss of about 15pc economy per litre.
About 130,000 vehicles in the UK operate on LPG. The figure in Italy is 1.6 million and in Germany a million.
full article
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