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Wise up when buying solar, double glazing and insulation
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 5 February 2013 at 9:22 am
Last month the Office of Fair Trading announced that it has written to 50 leading businesses in the energy efficiency sector asking them to ensure they are providing consistently good standards to consumers. This is because the watchdog is concerned about pressure sales techniques, unclear inform…
NIROC: the financial incentive for solar PV in Northern Ireland explained
Posted by Andy Baird on 4 February 2013 at 9:07 am
Since 2002, solar PV has been installed in Northern Ireland across schools, colleges, local council buildings and hundreds of social and private homes. Although Northern Ireland doesn’t have FiTs (Feed In Tariffs), there are still three ways you will save money and make money by going…
Is biomass heating suitable for urban flats?
Posted by Fred Thomson on 1 February 2013 at 12:10 pm
Q: Is it possible to install biomass heating systems into blocks of flats? A: The short answer to this is yes.So long as there is suitable space that can be allocated to the scheme, inside or outside, a suitable pellet, wood chip or even log system can be designed to supply heat through a cen…
Readers tips of the month - January 2013
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 29 January 2013 at 10:35 am
Keeping warm is a bit of a theme for this month's tips. Mark Griffiths lives in a solid-wall 1930s house and works from home. He writes: " we brought in a company to help us dry-line part of our home office - an upstairs bedroom. We lost ten inches of space, but gained immensely in heat …
Has EDF had a change of heart on feed-in tariff administration?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 29 January 2013 at 9:04 am
Edit: Please see below for updated information about this blog post Feed-in tariff (FIT) applications close the deadline for a rate change have always been a worrying time. Will the system be registered on time? Will you get the expected higher rate? With most companies it's just a matter…
Will cavity wall insulation prevent condensation?
Posted by greentomatoenergy . on 28 January 2013 at 3:14 pm
Q: I have what I believe to be a condensation problem in a bungalow bedroom semi outside wall. I have been offered free cavity wall insulation but a proper survey ( checking cavity snots) was not done. Would cavity wall insulation if done/surveyed correctly prevent condensation and who could I tr…
Let's not kill the Green Deal with negativity before it's had a chance
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 28 January 2013 at 10:05 am
Today, at last, the Green Deal is open for business. I struggle to think of any proposal that's been so talked about (and so derided) before it even started. So it's not surprising that its launch has been met with a tide of negativity too: it's not ambitious enough say some. Others f…
Why energy efficiency is important in non-domestic buildings
Posted by Paul Hutchens on 25 January 2013 at 9:16 am
The rising costs of energy in the UK are a major concern for businesses and households. 68% of the UK's biggest companies regard 'improving operational energy efficiency' as a 'major opportunity' for their business according to research carried out last year by Green Monday in…
Green Deal: Deal of the day or deal of the decade?
Posted by Adam Hewson on 24 January 2013 at 9:06 am
For those of you who are reasonably well read on all things energy efficiency and renewables, you could be forgiven for being confused about the success of the Green Deal. A simple search will give a plethora of articles, forum comments and blogs about the subject but my guess is that 80-90% woul…
Use carbon tax to eliminate fuel poverty, PM told
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 22 January 2013 at 5:17 pm
We're pleased to be one of the 100 signatories sent to Prime Minister – The Rt Hon David Cameron MP yesterday. If you agree, then please sign the Energy Bill Revolution petition, and tell your friends about it too. Dear Prime Minister Millions of households across the UK will st…
What is thermal bridging in insulation, and should I worry about it?
Posted by Chris Newman on 22 January 2013 at 2:10 pm
Q: I've been told to watch out for thermal bridges in solid wall insulation. What does that mean? A: Thermal bridging is often talked about as a major concern for anyone who has an interest in making their property more energy efficient, but what does the term mean? Put simply, it that oc…
Is the extension of my solar PV system eligible for higher rate FITs?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 21 January 2013 at 9:08 am
Q: We originally installed 7.23 kW Solar PV for our home a few years back that qualified for the higher band of feed-in tariff (FIT). Just this month we have installed an extension of an additional 15 kW. We understood this to be an extension to the original system and that the extension would be…
Consumer protection in the Green Deal 3: EPC standard occupancy
Posted by Linn Rafferty on 18 January 2013 at 10:38 am
The previous instalment of my blog about Consumer Protection in Green Deal covered Green Deal Finance and the role of Green Deal Advisor. I explained the Golden Rule, and how it depends on the calculated cost savings from installing the energy efficiency measure. We saw that the cost saving…
15 more measures added to Green Deal as launch date looms
Posted by Pete Roberts on 17 January 2013 at 9:56 am
The long awaited and much heralded Green Deal is fast approaching. The soft launch of the Green Deal took place on 1 October 2012 and the first Green Deal finance plans will be signed on 28 January 2013. Over the past few months, installers, advisors, advisory services and providers have bee…
Solar Power UK takes to the road again - coming soon to a place near you!
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 15 January 2013 at 9:25 am
How to improve the way you sell and promote your solar business will be the focus of this year's Solar Power UK Roadshows. In February, the series of seven, half-day events will take place in locations across the UK. I am delighted to have been invited to join the speaker panel again this yea…
Planning permission not needed for (most) external solid wall insulation
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 14 January 2013 at 9:04 am
In a welcome bit of joined-up government thinking, the departments of energy and climate change and of communities and local government have clarified that the installation of external solid wall insulation constitutes an 'improvement' to a house rather than an 'enlargement' or &#…
Thermodynamic panels: your questions answered
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 11 January 2013 at 9:12 am
If someone told you that there's a new solar panel that could heat your hot water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year come rain, shine or snow, would you believe them? It sounds too good to be true, and that always makes me suspicious, but that's what the evangelists for thermodynamic panels …
Is Solar PV a fire hazard?
Posted by Paul Hutchens on 7 January 2013 at 9:50 am
Q: Are you aware of Times article and web site pvsolardoctor.com which claims PV panels are a fire risk if water enters the wiring system? A: This question has resulted in a lot of research and investigation and the answer is, unfortunately, a bit involved. Generating your own electricity…
Over 70% of E.on customers have problems getting FIT payments
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 21 December 2012 at 9:10 am
Earlier this year we found E.on had more disgruntled feed-in tariff customers than any other energy company. New research by Which?, with a bigger sample of 1,700 respondents, has come to the same conclusion. More than a third of their members had problems with their FIT supplier, and of thos…
Gas or electric heater with solar panels?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 20 December 2012 at 11:25 am
Q: In discussions of draught proofing a room I realise that a lot of heat must be drawn up the flue behind my gas fire & therefore wasted due to its inevitable escape to the environment. Would it be worth it to replace my gas fire in the lounge by an electric fire with resultant minimal loss …
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