Today sees the start of the Energy Saving Trust’s Energy Saving Week, which highlights how you can take back control of your bills by implementing a variety of energy saving measures.

A unique annual event, “Take back control of your energy bills” will give homeowners the opportunity to learn how to become more energy efficient, from making their home better insulated to installing renewable energy technologies.

The Energy Saving Trust’s 15th annual Energy Saving Week will show homeowners how they can make a difference when it comes to saving energy and reducing household bills.

With the average home capable of saving up to £280 a year by being energy efficient, this week the Energy Saving Trust will be turning up the heat on saving energy, offering energy saving tips and impartial advice on everything from energy saving measures to available grants.

For example, energy saving light bulbs can last up to ten times longer than ordinary bulbs, and could save you around £30 a year if you were to fit them to all the lights in your house. That works out at around £480 over the lifetime of all of the bulbs.

It’s also worth considering replacing your central heating boiler with a new energy efficient one, particularly if your boiler is more than 15 years old. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that around £886 million a year would be saved if all homes with gas or a G-rated boiler were to fit a condensing boiler.

Insulation is also pivotal to energy saving, whether it’s insulating your hot water tank, getting cavity wall insulation or fitting loft insulation. In the latter case, it’s a well known fact that something like 15% of what you’re paying for your heating could be escaping through your roof if it isn’t insulated. Which could save you around £175 a year off your heating bills. But you need to make sure that your loft is insulated to the recommended 270mm.

If you’re a homeowner and you would like to know more about the Energy Saving Week, give the Energy Saving Trust a call on 0800 512 012 to speak to a dedicated advisor.

A social housing property in Oxfordshire has been chosen to showcase the energy efficiency benefits of installing green technologies as part of a ‘Retrofit for the Future’ scheme to improve the UK’s social housing stock.

Owned by Soha Housing, the fairly nondescript property in the South Oxfordshire town of Didcot has been transformed as part of the Technology Strategy Board’s Retrofit for the Future programme. The largest social housing provider in South Oxfordshire, Soha Housing manages more than 5,500 homes, and the energy efficiency programme is designed to showcase innovative technologies, and how using them can reduce emissions.

As part of the retrofit scheme, the Didcot property has been “upgraded” to include a new energy efficient boiler, solar water heating and increased draught proofing. As part of the programme, the home’s energy performance will be monitored over the course of two years, but the property’s tenants are already reaping the benefits of the modifications, which are helping to reduce their energy bills.

“We intend to use the lessons we learn throughout the two years that this project runs to improve the energy efficiency of our stock,” commented Steve Lynch, SohaHousing’s director of property and development.

“We are very grateful to the residents for enduring the inconvenience disurbance.  Without their enthusiasm and support, this project would not have been successful,” he added.

The Government has set a target of an 80% reduction in CO₂ levels by 2050, and retrofit programmes like this are essentially a means of implementing best practice retrofitting, to determining how the nation’s existing housing stock – the majority of which is poor insulated – can be upgraded to be more energy efficient.

Under the Retrofit for the Future programme – which is funded and managed by the Technology Strategy Board – some 86 social housing units across the UK will be retrofitted with innovative new technologies, such as solar thermal panels, heat pumps and solar PV systems. As part of the scheme, emissions and energy usage will be monitored for two years.

A new report has revealed that over the course of the next ten years, the South West of the UK could see a 700% increase in renewable heat capacity.

Compiled by independent renewable energy expert Regen SW, the ‘Renewable Heat Opportunities in the South West’ report highlights that there are currently 4,000 renewable heat installations in the south west. But by 2020 there could be more than 140,000, with 1,000 industrial installations, 8,800 in the commercial and public sectors, and 136,000 in domestic premises, according to the report.

Over the last few years, Regen’s programmes have led to a strong increase in the amount of renewable heat being produced in the south west. They are working closely, particularly with the public sector, to grow the market for renewable heating and to ensure there are enough skilled engineers and technicians to meet the growing demand.

“We expect to see many more businesses like care homes and hotels switch to biomass boilers, and larger companies like food producers and dairies switch to either biomass or anaerobic digestion,” said Stephen Green, bio-heat programme manager for Regen SW.

“We also expect a booming domestic market, as 20% of households in the south west are off the mains gas network,” he added.

Research carried out by npower Hometeam has revealed that at least 22 million households in the UK are failing to take seriously the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, some 20 people in the UK die every year as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Hundreds others suffer serious injury or illness.

Despite the obvious threat of carbon monoxide poisoning, Hometeam’s research, which canvassed the opinions of 2,000 people, found that 83 per cent of respondents who owned gas fires failed to have them regularly serviced. More than 66 per cent of respondents admitted neglecting safety checks on other gas appliances, such as central heating boilers and cookers.

The survey also revealed that just 50 per cent of respondents ensure boilers receive an annual service, despite a third of boilers in the UK being older than ten years. Only 40 per cent of homeowners in the UK have installed a carbon monoxide alarm, which alerts occupants of excessive carbon monoxide gas. Incredibly, 20 per cent of male respondents did not even know what a carbon monoxide alarm was!

The marketing manager for npower Hometeam, Joan Coe, said: “Carbon monoxide poisoning is often caused by failure or damage to gas appliances, which prevents fuel from burning properly and, because CO is colourless and odourless, leaks can be difficult to spot.

“Older appliances are a greater risk when it comes to CO leaks as they’re more likely to be inefficient and malfunction, wasting money and risking health. So it’s particularly worrying that at least a third of UK boilers are more than ten years old, not to mention other gas appliances such as fires and cookers”.

Ms Cole added: “Millions of homes could be at risk of a carbon monoxide leak, but whilst many of us are aware of the risks associated with fire and are likely to have a smoke alarm installed, attitudes to carbon monoxide poisoning have yet to change in the same way and very few of us have carbon monoxide alarms in place”.

Hometeam’s research comes just months after the ‘Carbon Monoxide – Be Alarm!’ campaign claimed 65 per cent of households in Britain were at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

A new forum has just been launched by Boiler Guide, the UK’s leading online resource for homeowners and heating engineers.

The Boiler Guide forum has been created for registered members to post questions and seek advice regarding boiler issues or domestic central heating related problems. Designed to appeal to both industry professionals and members of the public seeking help and advice, the forum is the place to go for questions and answers about gas, oil and LPG boiler and central heating systems.

A friendly environment where homeowners and plumbing and heating engineers can engage in discussions, pose questions and offer solutions to boiler and heating issues, the forum also features a section dedicated to renewable energy, specifically for anyone seeking advice about solar water heating and how the technology can be incorporated into existing boiler and central heating systems.

“Whether it’s advice about boiler replacement or issues with their central heating systems, the Boiler Guide forum is the place to go to for all boiler-related issues,” said Boiler Guide founder David Holmes.

“For anyone thinking of getting a particular type of make or model of boiler, the Boiler Guide forum can also help answer any questions or concerns they may have,” he added.

For all your boiler and central heating questions, visit www.boilerguide.co.uk/forum

British Gas, one of the UK’s leading energy suppliers, has relaunched its boiler scrappage scheme.

Homeowners in England, Wales and Scotland will be able to make use of the scheme, which enables households to replace energy inefficient boilers with a new Worcester Bosch appliance. Rated ‘A’ for efficiency, the Worcester Bosch central heating boiler can save households substantial money on heating bills each year.

Unfortunately, the cost of installing a new boiler dissuades many homeowners from replacing old appliances, which may be costing tens if not hundreds of pounds per year in excess energy bills. The British Gas boiler scrappage scheme aims to solve this problem by offering customers a discount off any new Worcester boiler when they trade in their old boiler. By arranging a quote before 30th June 2011, you’ll be able to get a £400 discount off any model from their Worcester range, or £200 off other boiler models.

Referring to a similar scheme run previously by the UK and Scottish governments, a spokesperson for British Gas said: “The government scheme proved very popular, but a cap on the number of available vouchers meant that thousands of households across the country missed out”.

The spokesperson added that the British Gas scheme would “ensure that some of the 3.5m households estimated to still be heated by inefficient boilers have another opportunity to benefit”.

The extent to which an old boiler can affect heating bills is not all that clear, as various factors must be considered, but it is commonly accepted that up to 25 per cent of a household’s annual energy consumption is wasted.

Charlie Brown of British Gas explained: “An inefficient boiler is one of the biggest sources of wasted energy and money in the home. It’s really important to ensure that your boiler is in a good condition and working efficiently during the warmer months so that there are no nasty surprises when temperatures drop”.

The cost benefits of replacing energy inefficient boilers remains a matter of controversy. Whilst British Gas offers £400 towards the cost of a replacement boiler, customers tend to pay out far more – thousands of pounds in some cases – on new installations. If an energy inefficient boiler costs a household an additional £100 per year, a replacement under the boiler scrappage scheme might not save money for many years, by which time the new condensing boiler might just require its own replacement.

Homeowners in England and Wales are to be offered £10,000 to cover the costs of improving energy efficiency in the home.

Announced earlier this month, the proposal aims to make energy efficiency more affordable for homeowners, many of whom cannot at present bear the cost of insulating lofts and cavity walls, converting garages or installing double glazing.

Forming part of the revised Energy Bill, the proposal is set to offer £10,000 to eligible homeowners to cover the cost of carrying out energy improvements around the home. The £10,000 is a marked increase on the previous amount offered to homeowners under the Energy Bill, which previously provided just £6,500 in funding. The scheme is also available to landlords.

Does the new Energy Bill deal provide property owners with a sufficient incentive to go green? Perhaps not. Although it is arguably the case that most homeowners would prefer an energy efficient home to one that is a little less green, the Energy Bill will not allow homeowners to reap the full benefits of efficiency changes.

The proposal is designed to supply energy improvements through Government-accredited installers. The £10,000 can cover insulation, new central heating boilers, solar panels and so on, but critically, the sum is to be repaid by homeowners through the energy savings. This means that homeowners continue to pay the full price for their energy bills (based on ever-increasing wholesale fuel costs and prior consumption), whilst the Government pockets the difference over a 20 year period.

A lot can happen in 20 years, which is why the proposal is fixed to properties and not the property owners. If figures published by the Energy Saving Trust are to be believed, simple changes such as replacing single-pane windows and installing insulation can save up to £225 on energy bills each year.

£225 over 20 years is only £4,500, so it would seem that customers are getting value for money – but will £10,000 be spent on each property? Will the rising cost of energy make the proposal worthless for homeowners? Will homeowners even want to avail of a scheme that installs various energy saving measures for free but provides none of the financial savings thereafter?

Baxi, one of Britain’s leading suppliers of energy efficient central heating systems and part of BDR Thermea, has welcomed a publication released by the UK Government that provides details of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Policy.

The RHI is expected to provide support to installation firms providing renewable heat technology. In an economic climate that has been shaped by a lingering recession and deep public spending cuts, any funding for renewable products ought to be welcomed with open arms.

Specification channel manager for BDR Thermea, Simon Osborne, said: “We are encouraged by the main thrust of the RHI documentation. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has clearly learnt the important lessons from the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) framework and created an approach which will ensure technologies can be assessed in real life installations.

“The £15m funding could create around 25,000 installations under the Renewable Heat Premium Payments which will demonstrate the benefits renewable heat can deliver by 2015.”

Mr Osborne did raise concerns over specific details of the policy document, however, stating: “There is still clarity needed on key areas. We are disappointed that the definitive tariff levels for the domestic sector have not been revealed and we look forward to the publication of this information in May 2011. We also need detail on how dwellings will be assessed as eligible and whether the RHI tariff will be metered or deemed.”

Mr Osborne concluded: “On the plus side, we are pleased to see that a clear link between RHI and the Green Deal has been expressed. Whilst there is a delay with implementation, the Government has honoured the commitment that installations completed after 15th July 2009 will be eligible for payments from 2012.”

It is hoped that the RHI scheme will increase investment in green technology by more than £4 billion over the period leading to 2020. In terms of outright cost, the scheme, which is due to come into effect later this year, is worth around £860 million. Payments made under the RHI scheme will not be available to households until October 2012, however.

According to TV presenter George Clarke many UK homes are still without insulation.

Architect and TV presenter George Clarke has expressed that many of the UK’s existing housing stock is still without insulation, despite the Government’s ambition to improve energy efficiency in homes.

In a bid to address this concern, Mr Clarke explained that the more affordable ways of cutting carbon emissions from a property are also the easiest. Measures could include cavity wall insulation and loft insulation, which according to the Energy Saving Trust can save around £145 a year on central heating bills.

Mr Clarke also noted the lack of double glazing in homes as well as the benefits of replacing old boilers that are more than 10-years-old. Commenting on this, the expert said: “It’s unbelievably inefficient; it’s coming to the end of its efficient lifespan, so you’re spending all of this money on gas, and you’re only getting 40 or 50 per cent efficiency from your boiler. That’s just ridiculous.”

Interest has been generated for Baxi’s two leading low-carbon products, the Baxi Ecogen and Baxi Bioflo, following the Ecobuild Exhibition at London ExCel.

Head of sales in Baxi’s Low Carbon Technologies business, Graham Parkes, said: “People came to the show with preconceived ideas about biomass and combined heat and power. They were able to see the models of the products on our conventional stand and then come and see the technology in action – and they were blown away!

“Live demonstrations like this help to take away the mystery of unfamiliar technologies. People were able to see for themselves how straightforward the products would be to install and use. We were able to show that the products could provide viable heating solutions for their homes.”

Changing customer attitudes towards low-carbon technologies is seen as a major stumbling block for plans to improve energy efficiency in homes across the UK. Many central heating solutions that are currently installed in homes do not meet the Government’s criteria on carbon emissions, meaning that thousands of households are not only failing to improve the environmental outlook but failing to save money on energy bills in the process.

The Baxi Ecogen and Baxi Bioflo have been designed to help homeowners reduce their outlay on domestic fuel whilst ensuring that fewer carbon emissions are produced as a result. The Baxi Ecogen dual energy system is particularly impressive in so far as it generates electricity for use in the home or to be exported to the National Grid under the Government’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT).

The Baxi Bioflo, meanwhile, is a pellet-fed boiler that is predominantly designed for use in areas that have little or no access to mains gas. The Bioflo features an efficient modulation mode that varies output between 30 and 100 per cent (3.8kW and 12kW) depending on usage and demand.

Mr Parkes added: “At Baxi, we understand that there is not a single ‘silver bullet’ to solve the issue of reducing carbon emissions in homes. It is important to match the right technology with the property and the needs of the people who live there. That’s why we have an extensive portfolio of low carbon products suitable for a range of different applications.”