Although the initial outlay for most of these technologies is quite high, the Government is offering grants, which can pay for up to 50 per cent of the cost. To qualify, your home has to meet certain energy efficiency standards – such as having full loft and cavity-wall insulation as well as temperature controls. But if you pass these tests, you could receive as much as £2,500 for your project. For more information, and to apply for a grant, visit www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk.
Below, we look at the five main options for generating your own power.
Wind turbines
Although Tory leader David Cameron may have a wind turbine attached to the roof of his home in Notting Hill, don't be fooled into thinking that micro-wind power will be suitable for your home. For wind power to be a viable option, you need to live in an area that has an average wind speed of at least 6 metres per second (m/s), below which you won't generate nearly enough power to justify the not inconsiderable cost of installing a turbine.
Solar
A more popular option is to install solar panels on the roof of your home, from which you can replace some of your electricity, or heat your water. According to the Energy Savings Trust, the average domestic system will set you back between £5,000 and £7,500 – and could save you around £230 on your annual electricity bill. Alternatively, if you choose to use solar panels only to help heat your water, your initial outlay would be slightly smaller – between £3,000 and £5,000 – but savings would also only typically be between £50 and £80 a year.
Biomass heaters
Biomass is biological material that can be used for fuel production, such as wood and energy crops. A biomass heater works by burning biomass to heat your home and your water, and, according to the Energy Savings Trust, could save you as much as £550 a year on heating bills. Stand-alone heaters generally cost between £2,000 and £4,000 to install, but they must comply with a number of building regulations, so it's important to check with your local authority that you have the right to build one.
Ground-source heat pumps
The earth a few metres below the ground stays at a constant temperature of 12-degrees centigrade, and by running a system of pipes underneath your garden, it is possible to harness some of this heat. The pipes, which are filled with a mixture of water and antifreeze, are arranged to run in a series of underground loops, heating their contents, which can then be used to heat your home.
The cost of installing one of these systems is between £6,000 and £12,000, but they could help to generate savings of as much as £900 a year.
Hydroelectricity
Finally, if you've got running water on your land, you could consider using its power to generate electricity. Although start-up costs are high – between £5,000 and £25,000 – efficiency levels are very good.
full article
Generate your own energy
Saturday 16 August 2008
Monday 11 August 2008
'Our meter is going backwards'
Anne and Peter Watts installed solar panels and an air source heat pump this summer. "It had better work," says Peter, a retired businessman. "I disconnected my oil tank last week, so if it doesn't we're going to freeze this winter."
The Watts say their decision to invest £10,500 on the panels from Jack Elam and £7,700 on the pump from Ardenham Energy was motivated by concern for the environment and about soaring fuel bills.
"Our oil bills were £95 a month - and rising - and I was beginning to worry about how we were going to cope in the future," says Peter.
"I've worked out that even if fuel prices stay the same, the heat pump will have paid for itself in five years and the panels in under 10. It's too early to see how much money we're making from them but on a sunny day our electricity meter goes backwards. It's a wonderful sight."
It is also a rare one in Britain, which generates less renewable energy than most other European countries - a mere 1.3 per cent. Only around 98,000 homes in the UK have some kind of renewable energy source. The Government is consulting on how it is going to meet its EU obligation to raise its renewable figure to 15 per cent by 2020. However, at present there are no plans to top up the £10million pot of grants for homeowners (more than £8.6million has been spent already, so you had better act quickly, especially as British Gas is to raise prices by 35 per cent).
full article
The Watts say their decision to invest £10,500 on the panels from Jack Elam and £7,700 on the pump from Ardenham Energy was motivated by concern for the environment and about soaring fuel bills.
"Our oil bills were £95 a month - and rising - and I was beginning to worry about how we were going to cope in the future," says Peter.
"I've worked out that even if fuel prices stay the same, the heat pump will have paid for itself in five years and the panels in under 10. It's too early to see how much money we're making from them but on a sunny day our electricity meter goes backwards. It's a wonderful sight."
It is also a rare one in Britain, which generates less renewable energy than most other European countries - a mere 1.3 per cent. Only around 98,000 homes in the UK have some kind of renewable energy source. The Government is consulting on how it is going to meet its EU obligation to raise its renewable figure to 15 per cent by 2020. However, at present there are no plans to top up the £10million pot of grants for homeowners (more than £8.6million has been spent already, so you had better act quickly, especially as British Gas is to raise prices by 35 per cent).
full article
Sunday 10 August 2008
There's a cool £3bn on offer to insulate you from fuel costs
Thousands of householders who have seen their fuel bills rise could be missing out on money to help them improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
A government initiative, the 'Carbon Emission Reduction Target' (Cert), a home-insulation programme funded by energy companies, was launched in April. Under it, the companies must offer grants to enable householders to make their homes more energy efficient in order to hit carbon emission reduction targets.
Cert spending is expected to reach £3bn over the next three years. Forty per cent of the money has been ring-fenced for the over-seventies and vulnerable households in receipt of qualifying income benefits, but the bulk is aimed at all other householders, and very few have taken it up.
In London, for example, British Gas runs a DIY insulation offer on behalf of the office of Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London. It runs until the end of the year and provides DIY loft insulation for £99. There is £50 cashback available once the insulation has been delivered and payment received.
full article
A government initiative, the 'Carbon Emission Reduction Target' (Cert), a home-insulation programme funded by energy companies, was launched in April. Under it, the companies must offer grants to enable householders to make their homes more energy efficient in order to hit carbon emission reduction targets.
Cert spending is expected to reach £3bn over the next three years. Forty per cent of the money has been ring-fenced for the over-seventies and vulnerable households in receipt of qualifying income benefits, but the bulk is aimed at all other householders, and very few have taken it up.
In London, for example, British Gas runs a DIY insulation offer on behalf of the office of Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London. It runs until the end of the year and provides DIY loft insulation for £99. There is £50 cashback available once the insulation has been delivered and payment received.
full article
Friday 8 August 2008
Energy suppliers face anger over price rises
Energy companies are set to impose another round of punishing price increases on consumers, despite a steep slide in the wholesale price of gas.
Scottish Power is among those expected to announce double-digit price rises for its 5.2 million gas and electricity customers in the coming days.
E.ON, npower and Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) are also thought to be preparing further rises to household bills.
The increases will be particularly galling for British families already battling with rising mortgage, food and fuel costs, because they follow a sharp fall in wholesale gas prices.
The price of gas for delivery the following day has dropped 32 per cent over the past month, from 69p per therm in early July to close at 47p last night.
Forward gas prices have also fallen. The price of gas for delivery this winter has declined from 104p per therm last month to about 88p per therm.
The decrease has accompanied a near-20per cent drop in the price of crude oil, to which most commercial gas contracts are linked. That touched a high of $147 per barrel on July 11 and is now at about $118.
full article
Scottish Power is among those expected to announce double-digit price rises for its 5.2 million gas and electricity customers in the coming days.
E.ON, npower and Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) are also thought to be preparing further rises to household bills.
The increases will be particularly galling for British families already battling with rising mortgage, food and fuel costs, because they follow a sharp fall in wholesale gas prices.
The price of gas for delivery the following day has dropped 32 per cent over the past month, from 69p per therm in early July to close at 47p last night.
Forward gas prices have also fallen. The price of gas for delivery this winter has declined from 104p per therm last month to about 88p per therm.
The decrease has accompanied a near-20per cent drop in the price of crude oil, to which most commercial gas contracts are linked. That touched a high of $147 per barrel on July 11 and is now at about $118.
full article
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