Energy saving measures installed under the Government’s flagship Green Deal should benefit from a reduced VAT rate of 5% across the board. From the WWF to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, more than 26 organisations are urging the Government to fix the rate of VAT, cutting it from 20% to 5%. The measure, the […]
Year: 2011
Trump Calls Wind Farm ‘Environmentally Irresponsible’
US property tycoon Donald Trump has called the building of an offshore wind farm in Scotland ‘disastrous and environmentally irresponsible’. The development of an offshore wind farm about 1.5 miles from his luxury £750 million championship golf course in Aberdeenshire remains a bone of contention for the billionnaire. With Trump’s golf course due to open […]
EDF ‘Reluctantly’ Raising Gas Prices By 15%
It’s been a while coming, but EDF Energy is finally following in the footsteps of its competitors by breaking the news that it is to increase its gas and electricity prices. Since Scottish Power became the first of the “Big Six” energy companies to announce prices rises back in June, one-by-one we’ve seen the likes […]
Hospitals Pioneering Greener Energy Saving Ways
A hospital in South Manchester has been recognised for its energy saving measures, as part of an environmental drive to reform energy efficient standards across the NHS. Hospitals are not known for being the most environmentally friendly places, but the University Hospital of South Manchester (UHSM) is a pioneer when it comes to implementing green […]
Npower Accepts Which? Smart Meter Challenge
The first of the “Big Six” energy firms to sign up to the Which? smart meter challenge, npower has pledged to a “no selling, just installing” policy when it comes to installing the technology. Launched in July, Which? has set down a challenge to energy providers, which will see their installers promising to forgo using […]
Energy Firms Under Fire Over Energy Efficiency Measures
Energy firms have been issued with an insulation warning, over claims they aren’t doing enough to improve energy efficiency. The energy secretary, Chris Huhne, has turned up the heat on the ‘Big Six’ energy companies, warning them that they will fall short of set targets if they don’t double the rate at which they are […]
EDF Complaints Increase Despite a General Decline
Recently released figures indicate customer complaints for the majority of the ‘Big Six’ energy firms have undergone a surprising decline. The fourth quarterly energy complaints league table, released by Consumer Focus earlier this month, reveals that between April to June 2011, the number of complaints received by energy providers was down on previous months. With […]
Fuel Bills Could Rise By £300 With Green Energy Policies
If Downing Street calculations are to be believed, household fuel bills could face an extra £300 increase, thanks to the UK Government’s green energy policies. While energy secretary Chris Huhne and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) continue to deny any such claims, branding them as “absolute nonsense”, Downing Street advisers have issued […]
E.ON Claims Brits ‘Too Lazy’ to Insulate Homes
According to a new survey commissioned by E.ON, one of the largest suppliers of energy in the UK, many Brits simply “can’t be bothered” to insulate their homes, despite claims that doing so can save just under £400 per year. Carried out in August, the survey of 2,000 people unearthed a rich variety of reasons […]
Leftover Curry to Heat Homes in Groundbreaking Venture
It’s one of the UK’s favourite dishes and soon your favourite chicken tikka masala could be helping to provide heat to homes across Britain. A groundbreaking venture between British Gas, the UK’s leading energy provider, and the Bio Group will see the construction of a £5million plant that will be capable of processing food waste […]
British Gas Empowering Customers With Smart Meters
From next month, the UK’s largest energy provider, British Gas, will begin rolling out new touch screen smart meters to their customers’ homes. The first of a new generation of smart meters, designed to help customers control their bills and save money, they will provide detailed information of a customer’s energy use. To help monitor […]
Renewables Fund to Help Norwich Residents Go Green
Grants are on offer to help residents in Norwich go green by funding the installation of renewable energy technologies. With almost £100,ooo being made available, families and community groups in Broadland are being encouraged to apply for the grants if they are interested in applying renewable energy technologies as a way of cutting carbon emissions […]
Farmers Banking on Renewables Fund From Barclays
A surge in interest from UK farmers wishing to invest in solar panels has propelled Barclays bank to help farmers finance renewable energy projects. According to Barclays, more than one-third of the 200,000 farmers in the UK are interested in installing some kind of renewable energy technology and the bank’s business arm has launched a […]
Do Brits Know How to Go Green?
A survey carried out by YouGov suggests that, whilst most people in Britain are eager to adopt ‘green’ technology, many do not understand how to make the necessary changes. Canvassing the opinions of 2,022 adults and commissioned by Gemserv, a utility and environmental consultancy firm, the YouGov survey highlighted the willingness of Britons to go […]
Ignorance Isn’t Bliss When It Comes to Energy Bills
Ignorance over energy bills is leaving many households over £400 out of pocket, according to a new survey which sees consumers clueless when it comes to their energy use. According to research conducted by moneysupermarket.com, nearly 40% of us apparently in the dark as to our monthly usage costs. Despite coughing up a considerable proportion […]
OECD Recommends Higher Energy Tax
At a time when many households are struggling to afford the ever-increasing cost of domestic energy, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published a study advising the UK Government to increase the rate of VAT on gas and electricity. Currently fixed at 5 per cent to shield low-income households from even higher […]
