Most Green Deal “cashback” spent on new boilers

Most of the money claimed via the Government’s Green Deal “Cashback” scheme went on replacement boilers, according to new official figures. Four-fifths (80%) of the “cashback” which householders could get for installing energy saving measures went on boilers. The rest was for solid wall insulation (13%), loft insulation (5%) and cavity wall insulation (2%). Overall […]

Don’t miss green heat cashback, warn accountants

Householders who want to claim back money from a government green heat scheme need to get a move on. Accountants warn the deadline to claim for putting in any measures such as heat pumps or biomass boilers between 15 July 2009 and 8 April 2014 will come quicker than you think. Any retrospective applications to […]

Energy efficiency could save NYC buildings £220m

Commercial buildings in the Big Apple could slash their energy costs by $370 million (£220m) a year with three energy efficiency measures, claims new research. After looking at 30,000 buildings’ energy use in New York City, the Building Genome Project found they could trim their energy use by 5%. If every building turned the thermostat […]

SSE pledges free efficiency measures with £5.4m scheme

Power supplier SSE has pledged to help Scottish householders cut their energy bills with the launch of a £5.4 million initiative. It is working with eight local authorities across Scotland to roll out the energy efficiency programme, which includes free boilers and insulation for homeowners and tenants living in privately rented accommodation. SSE said it […]

Rising energy bills force 87 year old pensioner to live in “crumbling surroundings”

MPs have expressed concern over rising energy bills on the Royal Estate, after its utility bills soared 50% in just one year to more than £3 million, taking up 10% of the estate’s budget. Royal aides came under fire from Public Accounts Committee for failing to take action to bring costs under control, with Labour […]

Only one house has Green Deal measures installed

Only 132 homes have signed up to the Government’s Green Deal scheme and one has finally gone “live” eight months since it was officially launched. New statistics from DECC reveal 419 Green Deal plans were in the system for individual properties at the end of July, however only 132 out of those moved to pending, […]

EU in new anti-dumping dispute over China’s steel pipe duties

The European Union has asked the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to resolve a dispute over Chinese duties of steel pipes – that are used in power stations – from the EU. The EU said it approached the WTO because it believes Chinese anti-dumping duties on steel tubes imported from the EU are “incompatible with WTO […]

Brit fuel cell firm partners with South Korean boiler maker

British fuel cell firm Ceres Power is partnering with a South Korean boiler maker on trials for gas-powered fuel cells. Korea’s KD Navien will carry out trials of Ceres’ 1kW fuel cell module in Seoul as well as teaming up on the design of a micro-CHP (combined heat and power) product for the mass residential […]

Energy efficiency measures help boost property prices

Have you installed any energy efficiency measures in your home? If so, the value of your property could rise by 14% on average and up to 38% in some parts of England. New research released by DECC today reveals that for an average home in the UK, improving its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) could mean […]

Hertfordshire Hospital scalpels energy and water costs by £650k

A hospital in Stevenage, Hertfordshire run by the NHS hopes to scalpel more than £650,000 off its energy, hot water and water bill a year after upgrading its energy centre earlier this year. Lister Hospital’s new energy centre has a new 1.4 MWe combined heat and power (CHP) unit and three new boilers will supply […]