Slash you bills by learning to think green

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Climate 'hockey stick' is revived

A new study by climate scientists behind the controversial 1998 "hockey stick" graph suggests their earlier analysis was broadly correct.

Michael Mann's team analysed data for the last 2,000 years, and concluded that Northern Hemisphere temperatures now are "anomalously warm".

Different analytical methods give the same result, they report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The 1998 hockey stick was a totem of debates over man-made global warming.

The graph - indicating that Northern Hemisphere temperatures had been roughly constant for 1,000 years (the "shaft" of the stick) before turning abruptly upwards in the industrial age - featured prominently in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) 2001 assessment.

But some academics questioned its methodology and conclusions, and increasingly strident condemnations reverberated around the blogosphere.

One US politician demanded to see financial and research records from the scientists involved.

However, a 2006 report from the National Research Council (NRC), commissioned by the US Congress, broadly endorsed its conclusion that Northern Hemisphere temperatures in the late 20th Century were probably warmer than at any time in the previous 400 years, and perhaps at any time during the previous 1,000 years.

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The heat is on

As two energy suppliers hike prices again, the temperature is rising for households and firms, writes Nathalie Thomas

WHEN, in the grip of the 1970s oil crisis, US President Jimmy Carter advised Americans to turn down their heating, wear more jumpers and switch off their Christmas lights, he was mocked by his critics as a "feckless thermostat-watcher in a cardigan".

But 30 years later, on this side of the pond, households are starting to sit up and listen to his tips after two more energy companies last week unveiled their second price rises in a year.

To the chagrin of consumers already squeezed by spiralling food and petrol prices, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and E.ON told customers on Thursday they will have to shoulder increases of as much as 29%.

For SSE customers, the announcement followed a near 16% hike in gas bills in March, while E.ON had already raised its gas and electricity prices by 15% and 9.7% in February.

SSE and E.ON are not alone. Scottish Gas customers were left holding their heads in their hands last month when it announced a 35% increase in retail gas prices, just six months after raising gas bills by 15%. The French energy giant EDF, which has five million UK customers, also unveiled a second round of double-digit rises in July.

Consumer groups such as Energywatch warned that this second round of increases will push the number of UK households living in fuel poverty above five million for the first time in decades.

"The brakes have failed on the energy market," said Adam Scorer, campaigns director at Energywatch. "The results are calamitous."

Business groups, including the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), cautioned that the rises will also have a detrimental effect on the economy, in particular Scotland's army of small firms.

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Ten tips to beat energy price hikes

LONDON (Reuters) - The average cost of household gas prices is predicted to rise by up to 40 percent this year. Following is a list of tips from consumer organisations on how to fight back.
1. Check out tariffs
2. Are you entitled to benefits?
3. Could you sign up for social tariffs?
4. Get free advice
5. Get a grant to improve the energy efficiency of your home
6. Get energy-efficient light bulbs
8. Curtain call
9. Turn off your computer and other electrical appliances.
10. Insulate your loft

You can also get a list of the supply companies operating in your area, together with the prices they charge, from Energywatch, the gas and electricity watchdog, by calling 0845 906 0708.

If you are over 60 and not receiving the payment, call the government's Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 08459 151 515.

Ron Cambell of National Energy Action advises all customers to freephone 0800 512 012 to speak to their local Energy Efficiency Advice centre.

Grants cover loft and cavity wall insulation, draft prevention, repairs of faulty boilers and assessment of your home's energy status. To check your eligibility, freephone 0800 316 6011.

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