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3.5 million homes to be insulated in build up to the Green Deal

The new Government has taken action to increase the uptake of insulation, especially for those in low income, vulnerable households. Under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) the Government requires all major, domestic energy suppliers to make savings in the amount of CO2 emitted by households. CERT helps reduce energy demand; enhance the UK’s security of supply; reduce fuel poverty; and, secure jobs in energy efficiency industries. In June 2010 the new Government extended the scheme to ensure 3.5 million new homes can benefit by 2012, providing an additional 107 MtCO2 in carbon savings. This will kick start the massive and urgent increase in home energy insulation that will culminate in the Green Deal. At least two thirds of the increase in the target must be delivered through professionally installed insulation measures. By refocusing the scheme around insulation it can help deliver deep and long lived carbon and energy savings. The changes to CERT will mean some 3.5 million more homes across Great Britain are likely to benefit from insulation, building substantially on the 2.5 million homes treated under the scheme since April 2008. The Government’s action includes a renewed drive to ensure that more vulnerable households receive support. Suppliers were already required to meet 40% of their total target by delivering measures to a ‘Priority Group’ of vulnerable and low-income households, including those receiving eligible benefits and pensioners over the age of 70. The new Government has introduced an additional target, requiring that 15% of the savings be achieved in a ‘Super Priority Group’ of low income households considered to be at the very highest risk of fuel poverty. This is in addition to the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). CESP targets households across Great Britain, in areas of low income, to improve energy efficiency standards, and reduce fuel bills. CESP promotes a “whole house” approach i.e. a package of energy efficiency measures best suited to the individual property. The programme is delivered through the development of community based partnerships between Local Authorities, community groups and energy companies, via a house-by-house, street-by-street approach. This partnership working allows CESP to be implemented in a way that is best suited to individual areas and coordinated with other local and national initiatives. There are 4,500 areas eligible for CESP, expected to deliver up to £350m of efficiency measures or up to £300 per household. The Green Deal will learn from the experiences of both of these schemes, streamlining them into a new Energy Company Obligation to ensure all households can benefit from energy saving and reduced bills under the Green Deal. Source: DECC Department of Energy and Climate Change.

News for Derby, Nottingham and Leicester, relating to EPCs and other news we feel you may be interestet in.

Derby is front runner to cash in on new Government rules allowing councils to sell electricity (Press release)
09 August 2010

Press release 2010/91

Rules that will come into force next week will mean Derby council can start making cash from their green energy projects.

The laws, introduced by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) mean that from 18 August 2010 Local Authorities are no longer restricted from selling renewable electricity into the national or local network.

Derby already has schemes in the pipeline that will now benefit from this change including the first hydro electric plant at Longbridge.

Further hydro projects will also become commercially viable in Derby under the new laws as well as plans for onshore wind and solar photovoltaics.

Councillor Matthew Holmes, Cabinet Member for Planning and the Environment said:

“We are delighted at this news because for us it is the culmination of almost two years of lobbying to get the Government to make this change.

“Longbridge weir is the first of what we hope will be many larger scale Council led renewables projects in Derby and is an important step in reducing the Council and wider City emissions.

“Until this change was enacted the Council was faced with the challenge of what to do with surplus generation output when we were not allowed to sell it to the grid”

Secretary of State Chris Huhne said:

“For too long, Whitehall’s dogmatic reliance on ‘big’ energy has stood in the way of the vast potential role of local authorities in the UK’s green energy revolution.

“Forward thinking local authorities such as Derby have been quietly getting on with it, but against the odds, their efforts frustrated by the law.

“I’ve taken the early step of overturning the ban on local authorities selling renewable electricity to the grid.

“I’ve today written to all council chief execs urging them to take advantage and lead a local energy revolution.

“This is a vital step to making community renewable projects commercially viable, to bring in long-term income to benefit local areas, and to secure local acceptance for low carbon energy projects.”

Notes for editors:
1. The Longbridge hydro will feed its power in to the Council head quarters building and any surplus (night time) generation will be sold to the gird.
2. The peak power output will be 230kW falling to 40kW as river flows decrease. In times of flood the hydro would shut down completely.

3. The hydro is expected to generate 1,250,000kWh of electricity per year saving almost 700t of CO2 emissions.

4. The projected income from the project fully covers its financing costs so it has not diverted resources from other Council capital projects.

5. Work is expected to start on site early in 2011 with completion late summer 2011.

6. Other projects in the pipeline are:

7. Early work on 8 further hydro opportunities within the City – two of which may be fully self funding. Three other smaller sites may still be developed for demonstration purposes.

8. Planning applications are presently being considered for wind resource prediction masts at three locations in the City. If these go ahead they will provide the evidence to either justify wind generation at the sites or prove it is not viable.

9. Feasibility work is under way to establish a business case for installing large scale (50-100kWp) solar photovoltaic panels on two Council buildings.

10. A feasibility study investigating the viability of a City Centre combined heat and power backed district heating scheme is almost complete.
11. An investigation is under way to establish whether a second hand combined heat and power unit could economically be installed at Moorways swimming pool given its expected short remaining life.

12. The Council has been working with Partnership for Renewables to establish the feasibility of large scale wind generation on Council owned land. Following their initial report PfR have chosen not to take this forward with the Council because they have better business case opportunities with others in the public sector. The Council now intends to revisit this work to establish its ongoing options with a view to developing large scale wind generation without the involvement of PfR.

13. At present only 0.01% of electricity in England is generated by local authorities, despite the scope that exists to install projects on their land and buildings.

14. In one of the first actions of the coalition government, a ban on local authorities selling renewable electricity, dating back to 1976, will end on 18 August. This will open up the full benefit of renewable energy incentives such as the feed in tariff.


Air Source Heating

Air source heat pumps are used to convert the stored energy in the outside air into heat, this provides a reasonable temperature inside the property this type of heating can reduce heating costs by up to 50% compared to conventional heating systems. Another method of heat extraction from air sources are exhaust air heat pumps, these can provide clean hygienic air inside the property, this technology works by the capture of heat energy from lighting, occupants and even domestic appliances fitted in the home, and then recycling the warm air.


Air source heat pumps can be used where it is not possible to use a ground source heat pump due to site constraints. In general these pumps supplement conventional heating systems, they can provide up to 80% of the space heating and hot water requirements, a conventional system by comparison, delivers the balance on the coldest days or at times of peak demand. Air source heat pumps can be used with underfloor heating systems and radiators. For this type of installation it is advisable to have a back-up heating system.

What is meant by "Payback Time"?

Quite simply the payback time is determined by your initial outlay for your chosen renewable energy option (the hardware and installation costs) verses the time it takes for your savings in energy costs to pay for the green energy solution you have chosen for your project. Thereafter, you begin to save money on your utility bills. A typical low cost solution for home energy generation is a domestic wind turbine for your home, as the initial costs are lower than say the installation of solar panels or a ground source heat pump, these installations may take longer to pay for themselves. It is worth considering seeking specialist advice for any renewable energy option to determine if the solution is the right one for your


Cavity Wall Insulation (Subscribe)

There are many ways to save energy and reduce fuel utility bills in modern and older homes in the UK. We recommend starting out by viewing the section regarding Renewable Energy Resources as a starter for home efficiency savings, with an introduction to some Green Energy solutions for the home owner. This section serves to provide homeowners with further facts and information to help reduce energy consumption, and thus maintain a sustainable future through the reduction of CO2 emissions further enhancing "green" credentials, while saving money in the process.

Home Efficiency Measures

These EPC certificates give every home an "A to G" rating for its energy efficiency and carbon emissions. A ratings indicate higher efficiency, and G ratings are the least efficient. The certificates detail also provide projected costs for heating, hot water and lighting in the home under review and a report indicating how to cut costs through energy efficiency recommendations. These reports, prepared by either a qualified home inspector, or DEA domestic energy assessor advise homeowners on which measures should be considered to improve the overall ratings.



Saving energy in the Kitchen

Did you know that you can save a significant amount of your money when in the kitchen? With energy prices set to increase in the long term this simple tips and ideas can help you save on your gas and electricity utility bills. When cooking cover saucepans with a lid, this cuts down condensation and reduces the cooking time for meals. Making tea or coffee? have a look inside the kettle for scale, regularly de-scale your kettle to improve its efficiency, and only boil the amount of water you need. Use an electric toaster rather than using a gas or electric grill, electric toasters are more energy efficient than using electric grills. Freezers - keep your freezer at least 75 per cent full and defrost the freezer regularly and don't allow more than 6mm of ice to build up, this will also improve it's efficiency. If you are using a fridge never overfill, if you overstock your refrigerator it cannot operate efficiently. On the subject of fridges and freezers a final piece of advice, regularly clean or vacuum dust from the cooling coils at the rear, dust can reduce the efficiency of the cooling elements of your refrigerator or freezer. Following some or all the advice provided here could well save you money when using your kitchen appliances. If you have an energy monitor installed in your house just see the difference in your energy consumption in the kitchen!

Landlord Energy Saving Allowance

LESA Landlord Energy Saving Allowance is an income/corporation tax relief that is set against the expenditure of £1,500 per property or flat for Loft and Cavity Wall insulation, Solid Wall Insulation, Draught Proofing, Floor Insulation and insulation for hot water systems. The allowance cannot be claimed where if you are claiming the rent-a-room exempt amount in respect of the same property, if the property meets the qualifying tests for furnished holiday lettings, if the expenditure incurred when the person claiming the deduction does not have an interest, or is in the course of acquiring an interest or further interest. The allowance cannot be claimed in respect of pre-trading expenditure, unless the expenditure is incurred in the 6 months before the rental business has started and after 5 April 2004. Contact your local authority (council) for further information.

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