Portugal embraces wave power

Suddenly a lonely spot on the Portuguese coast has become the centre of the wave power industry.

The beach at Agucadoura, just north of Porto, is where electricity from the world's first wave farm is being cabled ashore. Five kilometres out to sea a Pelamis wave machine is gently riding the Atlantic swell, generating power for the Portuguese grid.

The wave farm has just been officially launched after a frustrating delay of more than a year. "We had an issue with the underwater connections", explains engineering manager, Ross Henderson. He is sitting with me in the beachfront substation which takes in the power. "I can't believe such a small thing cost the project a whole year."

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Tesco launches home insulation service

Homeowners wanting to reduce their fuel bills can now add low-cost loft and cavity wall insulation to their supermarket shopping lists after Tesco launched an energy efficiency service for customers.

The supermarket giant is offering insulation for loft or wall cavities for a flat rate of £199, although this price is subject to survey and may be higher for people in unusually large properties or those requiring additional work.

The new service is open to all homeowners, residential landlords and private tenants, and will be free to customers aged 70 or more and those on qualifying state benefits.

Council or housing association tenants wanting their home insulated are advised to put a request to their landlord and ask them to contact Tesco directly.

Tesco said it had insulated 50 homes in a trial over the summer and now hoped to insulate half a million UK homes in the next three years.

Customers can book a free survey by phone or online.

If they agree to go ahead with the work Tesco says it should be carried out within six weeks of making the initial contact. Loft insulation takes less than three hours to install while wall cavity insulation takes up to four hours.

Customers paying for the service will receive 199 Clubcard points per insulation measure on their Tesco loyalty cards.

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Electric Range Rover with zero emissions to be unveiled

A prototype Range Rover capable of going 200 miles on a single electric charge is to be unveiled this week.

It has been designed by a team working in Oxford and could be on sale next year.

The bill for driving an environmentally friendly Range Rover will be a hefty one, with the prices ranging from £95,000 to £125,000.

However, unlike the car's conventional equivalents, the tax bill for running the car will be minimal.

Electric cars on the market, such as the G-Wizz have a range of around 50-60 miles - but are also on sale at a fraction of the proposed price for the Liberty Electric Range Rover.

It is the latest in a series of alternative powered cars being designed by the motor industry which has come under intense pressure to reduce emissions.

The European Union has told car makers that they must bring their average CO2 output down to 130 grams per kilometre by 2012.

According to the company, this car will offer swift acceleration and a high top speed, while costing 80 per cent less to run than a petrol equivalent.

Other innovations include roof mounted solar panels, which will provide additional charge for the batteries as well as powering some of the car's electrics while it is stopped.

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UK TV campaign to ‘switch off’

The UK Government has launched a major energy efficiency advertising campaign to help individuals cut usage and reduce fuel bills.

In response to Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s announcement of a £1 billion assistance package for householders last week, there has been a massive surge in the number of calls to the Government’s ACT ON CO2 advice line.

According to figures from the Energy Savings Trust, who operate the advice line, calls from individuals wanting advice on energy efficiency have quadrupled since the announcement.

“I am encouraged that following last week’s announcement, people are looking to take action to cut their fuel bills and save energy at the same time. We now need to build on that enthusiasm,” says Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.

“We now need to do all we can to ensure they take up this help. This advert is part of that drive,” he adds.

The TV ad campaign is supported by a redesigned ACT ON CO2 website, which contains information about energy savings measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation and allows users to search for grants and support in their area.

For further information:
www.direct.gov.uk/actonco2

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