Producing green energy via wind turbines is one of the driving objectives featured in the Government’s Low Carbon Transition Plan, which also outlines plans to increase nuclear power whilst supporting households that produce their own electricity, through solar panels, with cash bonuses.

Unfortunately, wind farms in Great Britain have suffered from a lack of available funds, which has raised significant doubts about their cost-effectiveness as a means of producing green energy. However, showing considerable faith in wind power technology and going head-to-head with the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, the UK Government has recently announced plans to lend £1 billion to wind farm developers.

In the deepening recession, despite having been bailed out on more than one occasion, the major banks in Britain are proving reluctant to invest in wind power technology. However, this has resulted in a stalemate with the Government, which desperately wants to demonstrate its commitments to the environment and ratified low carbon targets by increasing the availability of renewable energy for homes throughout the UK.

Ed Miliband, who is the Energy and Climate Change Secretary (at least for the time being), has argued that the banks, which are partly state-owned, will need to secure the loans in order to facilitate production of up to 1 gigawatt of electricity via onshore wind farms, which will be able to power some 2 million homes in Britain.

Of course, the Government’s environmental concerns are very admirable, even if three power companies in China produce the same carbon emissions as the UK. Nevertheless, the conflicts that have arisen between the drive for economic stability, meeting green renewable energy commitments and the preservation of wildlife and areas of outstanding natural beauty, threaten to derail low carbon plans.

The Energy Saving Trust and the Environment Agency have today launched a joint report on the impact of wasteful domestic water usage on Britain’s carbon footprint.

Whilst it is widely accepted that double glazing and loft insulation can significantly reduce the amount of energy that is wasted throughout the home, little attention is often paid to water wastage.

The report indicates that by adopting low flow rate taps and lagging pipes, Britain could potentially cut the carbon emissions relating to central heating by around 30%. Moreover, in respect to water and energy bills, it is further argued that this saving would represent an annual reduction of approximately £225 for the average household.

The task of cutting greenhouse gas emissions is an important objective for the whole world. Global warming has already started to impact on the international community, which is generally experiencing more extreme weather conditions and significantly higher average temperatures. Furthermore, in Britain and across the developed world, the rising cost of fuel bills is leading to a highly undesirable economic situation. Fittingly referred to as ‘fuel poverty’, many consumers are faced with paying bills that represent 10% to 25% of their weekly income, which significantly reduces the availability of cash in the average household and is especially damaging during a recession.

Although making the necessary changes to domestic plumbing in all British houses is not feasible, the report has estimated that installing a 6 litres per minute shower head and using a 4.5 litre toilet instead of the standard fittings will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 371Kg. Furthermore, adapted households would conserve around 67 cubic metres of water annually, which is significant in a world that also faces water shortages.

The Government has recently published plans to considerably reduce the UK’s carbon footprint within the next forty years or so. Under the Low Carbon Transition Plan, by 2050 the UK ought to have curtailed its emission of harmful greenhouse gases by a massive 80%.

Moreover, this is a staggered target containing earlier milestones that should be reached, such as a 34% reduction of fossil fuel burning by the year 2020.

Whether these plans are sufficient to halt the charge of global warming remains questionable, and although the targets outlined appear good on paper in practice they may come a little late. Furthermore, UK plans to reduce greenhouse emissions can only be of significant benefit to the planet if other nations adopt similar, or more aggressive, targets.

Nevertheless, the Government’s renewable energy targets are highly commendable and it is estimated that some 400,000 new jobs would be created in order to meet the targets, which is good news for a struggling economy.

Specifically, the Low Carbon Transition Plan will aim for 40% of electricity to derive from renewable energy sources, which may include solar panels for widespread domestic use in addition to a greater emphasis on nuclear power. Indeed, there will be cash incentives for households that are able to generate its own energy, notwithstanding the fact that doing so means reduced energy bills.

The Government also plans for more efficient central heating systems to be installed in homes across the UK and for smart electricity meters to be introduced everywhere by 2020. This will have the effect of making homes more energy efficient, which is an aim that might just be achieved on the back of the Government’s pledged £3.2 billion investment.

The BBC reports that thousands of people are will become susceptible to ‘fuel poverty’ in the coming years. The report, carried out by The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (FPAG), claims that more than four million people in the UK are already living in ‘fuel poverty’, and that the situation is going to get much worse.

Rising unemployment (set to reach three million shortly), in combination with rising energy prices (which have risen over 125% in the last five years), are thought to be the presiding conditions contributing to a ‘fuel poverty’ situation.

But, what are the government planning to do about it? Well, ‘fuel poverty’, is defined as having to spend more than ten percent of your income on energy bills, so obviously those on low income are highest at risk. But, the credit crunch has taken its toll on everyone, so the FPAG (fuel poverty advisory group) has urged the government to develop schemes to eradicate ‘fuel poverty’ within seven years.

However, the government says it has already spent over 20 billion on policies and programmes to help those who are in ‘fuel poverty’, since 2000, and that has still left many millions still classified as ‘fuel poor’!

Suggested courses of action for the government to take, as indicated by the FPAG, are ’social tariffs’, restrictions on over charging on pre-payment meters, and clean energy cash back schemes. It is hoped these ideas will help people who are most vulnerable. However, we all know that the price of fuel does not come down as quick as it goes up. A majority of people are still struggling with the increases in gas and electric prices in the last year, which still remains to be rectified.

Many of us, at some point, would have received those oddly shaped light bulbs from our energy supplier, that are not only unsightly, but certainly do not look like they would fit in an up-lighter so therefore are shoved in the back of a cupboard somewhere. However, do you know that each Low Energy Light-bulb could save you sixty pounds on your energy bill throughout the course of its lifetime? Looking a lot prettier now, aren’t they!

In fact, Low Energy Light bulbs have evolved significantly in recent years. Long gone are those early models that took a day and an age to actually start emitting a decent level of light! Modern Low Energy Light-bulbs (or Eco bulbs) now produce a yellow light, that is bright and totally unlike the early models which produced a totally unnatural and cold lighting effect. As well as the actual light ‘colour’ changing, modern energy saving  light bulbs also come on quicker (usually within a second) and only take a few seconds to get up to full capacity.

Eco Bulbs, if you did not receive them free from your energy supplier, normally only cost around a pound to buy, which means they don’t cost much more than normal light bulbs. Yes, they do contain Mercury, so you should be careful when disposing of them (take them to the dump!). And, yes, they are quite ugly, but they do come in more regular shapes now, and they do actually fit in up lighters!

Oh, and one more thing… In September 2007, leading retailers signed a ‘voluntary’ phase-out of the old style energy eating light bulb! Given that Low Energy Light-bulbs are here to stay – we need to all embrace them!

The quest to harvest renewable energy sources for domestic use is a challenge that many want to take on-board. However, it is entirely unrealistic to expect home-owners up and down the country to suddenly splash out on expensive solar panels.

Moreover, such investments are especially impractical in the current economic downturn. Nevertheless, the drive to harness green energy is essential for the preservation of our planet, and new build properties (and existing houses that are undergoing re-roofing) can avail of an innovative new technique.

Whilst solar panel installations are becoming more commonplace, they remain relatively expensive and cannot always be installed on to existing rooftops without there being a need for significant re-building work. Solar panels can also appear somewhat unsightly in a number of instances because the limited variety of panel designs reduces the scope for seamless integration. However, with the introduction of Solar Roof Tiles, the fundamental problems associated with traditional solar panel installations becomes a thing of the past.

Solar roof tiles, as the name suggests, can be fitted on to rooftops in place of existing roof tiles. Most houses in the country comprise tiled roofing and it is possible for these to be replaced with solar roof tiles. For new builds in particular, there is a great opportunity to combine an essential building requirement with an established method of sourcing renewable energy. Each solar roof tile, which does not look radically different from any standard roof tile, consists of photovoltaic solar cells that capture sunlight for conversion into solar electricity. This electricity can be used throughout the home and, in the event of surplus production, the extra electricity can even be sold back to the National Grid for a profit.

It has been announced recently that a method of converting human waste into biomethane is to be used as an alternative power source in the English city of Manchester.

Under a joint project developed by United Utilities and the National Grid, which received funding for the scheme via Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), plans are currently in motion to source biomethane from the UK’s second largest waste water treatment plant in Davyhulme, Manchester.

Biomethane is produced when any one of a variety of natural products, such as human waste, is incinerated. Carbon dioxide emissions of biomethane production are renowned for being significantly lower than other types of fuel processing. In any case, however, the Davyhulme project will aim to ensure that virtually no carbon dioxide emissions are released into the atmosphere through its careful processing techniques. Indeed, this form of renewable energy is not new to the Manchester waste water treatment plant, which is already a ‘green operator’ as it powers and heats the large site using bio-gas. Nevertheless, the £4.3 million United Utilities venture aims to make biomethane a commercial and environmental success.

Although initial plans estimate that around 500 local homes will be supplied with the processed biomethane from Davyhulme, the energy company’s hope is to eventually supply up to 5,000 homes in the area. Furthermore, this alternative supply of ‘green’ gas will hopefully be employed in other areas throughout the country and, ultimately, it should not only have the effect of reducing carbon emissions but it ought to result in lower energy prices for many households. Indeed, once biomethane processing is up and running on a large commercial basis, everybody should benefit from it.

We’ve just added a few new guides around the availability of heating and insulation grants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland whilst the England Warm Front guide has been updated.

Take a look at the ‘Am I eligible ‘ section in the guides to see if you can apply…

• Warm Front Scheme in England
• Warm Homes Grants in Northern Ireland
• Energy Assistance Package in Scotland
• Home Energy Efficiency Scheme in Wales

Did you know that you might be paying more for your energy than your neighbour? Well, you don’t have to. Consumers in the UK have the option to choose their energy providers and there are many advantages to making the switch.

When you change energy providers, you are not actually changing the electricity or natural gas that is coming into your home.  You are simply changing the cost of the energy coming into your home by changing the provider.  There are several reasons why you should evaluate switching your energy supplier.

Lower Costs

By shopping around, researching the best companies and prices, you can save yourself loads of money every year.  For example, if your monthly bill is £25 and you can reduce it to £20, you would be saving an extra £60 per year to receive the same exact energy that you are receiving today.  You can energy prices and choose another company that will provide you the exact same energy that you receive today but at a lower cost.  Why should you pay more for the same energy as your neighbour?

Bundled Discounts

You can also save costs by combining energy services together with the same provider.  For example, you can combine your electricity and gas together to get a combination discount.  Some energy companies will provide a 3-8% discount on your bill when you combine services (dual fuel).  How much will that save your family every month and every year?  How do you know if you are getting the best price for energy services?  These questions are things that you most certainly should discover the answers to.

Save Money Using Direct Debit

Ask providers whether they provide you with added benefits when you are performing your comparison shopping.  Search for an energy provider than provides a discount for monthly direct debits from your bank account.  This small savings per month can add up to big savings in the long term, as you could save 1-5% more on your monthly energy bill.

Extra Benefits

Another reason other than costs savings to switch your energy provider is so that you have access to additional features and benefits.  One of the possible benefits is online bill pay and review.  Not only will this provide you with the option to pay your bill at any time, it is also a green approach as it is a paperless option.  Paying your bill online will simplify your monthly bill paying process and will save you costs with your energy provider.

Switching your energy provider can save you money every month in several fashions. You can reduce your monthly bill with the savings in pure energy costs, you can achieve discounts by combining services and you may have the option to even further reduce your bill by establishing a monthly direct debit program.

It’s a plain and simple fact that adding home insulation in any of its many forms will lower home energy costs immediately as well as for the future. There’s no time like the present to improve your comfort with cost-effective insulation and begin saving money.

Cavity Wall Insulation

The exterior walls generally comprise the largest surface area of a house that is exposed to the weather so installing cavity wall insulation to maximum recommended values is important, especially for newly constructed homes. But a basic principle of physics states that warm air rises; what does that mean for the average home?

The Importance of Loft Insulation

Warm air rises through the ceiling and enters the loft, finally escaping through the roof. The warm air that cost money to heat literally blows away. Energy experts estimate homeowners can reduce heating costs by 30% simply by properly insulating the loft floor area. Fortunately, loft insulation is typically easy to accomplish and is one of the most cost-effective actions a homeowner can take to immediately decrease heating costs by about one-third.

Floor Insulation

Cooling your feet in a pool of water is a delight on a hot summer’s day but experiencing cold feet all day in your own home during the winter months is downright unpleasant. Adding the right kind of insulation that is designed for basement ceilings or as floor underlayment can keep the floor from absorbing the cold from below, creating a more comfortable house. Consider the latest in radiant heating options if you are replacing an old floor.

Other Improvements

Any surface that is exposed to a difference in temperature between the outside and inside can experience heat loss and heat loss immediately translates to increased energy costs. Here are some other places in the home where insulation will pay for itself:

• Seal around doors and windows to prevent draughts. Re-glazing old windows will decrease air infiltration.
• Hot water pipes and furnace ducts benefit from insulation.
• Insulating a hot water tank saves energy costs all year long.

Replace Old Equipment

Technology is constantly advancing; consider for example the improvements in solar heating options. Replacing old central heating and cooling equipment can be a cost-effective alternative. Depending upon the cost of energy and how inefficient the existing equipment happens to be, a homeowner can be recoup the investment in new equipment in about 10 years while enjoying cost savings immediately.