What is the Renewable Heat Premium Payment?

The Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme is a government initiative that aims to help householders to buy and install renewable heating technologies such as:

• Solar thermal panels
• Heat pumps (air source, ground source or water source)
• Biomass boilers

This scheme is the stop-gap until the Renewable Heat Incentive expands to cover the domestic sector and the Green Deal begins. The initiative will provide one-off payments in order to help the government learn more about what people think of these technologies and how they perform within the domestic sector under a variety of conditions [1].

Who can apply for the Renewable Heat Premium Payment?

Firstly, you need to live in England, Scotland or Wales to be eligible for the Renewable Heat Premium Payment. There are a set of criteria for each renewable technology:

• Solar thermal panels – anyone can apply for solar panels, regardless of how you heat your home and how much fuel you use.
• Biomass boilers and air and ground (or water) source heat pumps – you are eligible if you currently rely on oil, liquid gas, solid fuel or electricity to heat your home. Ineligible homes are those who already use gas as their main heating fuel.

There is also a set of simple criteria that all applicants must meet:

• Your home must be your main home.
• Basic energy saving measures must be in place and be confirmed, such as loft insulation to 250mm and cavity wall insulation where practical.
• The renewable heat product that you install must be listed in the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, and must also be installed by someone registered under the scheme.
• Once everything is installed, you will be asked to fill in two customer surveys and must be prepared to be chosen at random to have extra meters attached to your installation (free of charge)[2].

What will I get from the Renewable Heat Premium Payment?

All successful eligible applicants will receive a voucher to be redeemed against your chosen technology. These will be in the following amounts:

It is essential that all installations are complete and vouchers are redeemed by the expiry date on the voucher or by the 31^st March 2012 – whichever is sooner. Once your installation is complete, just return your signed voucher with a copy of the invoice and Microgeneration Certification Scheme certificate to the Energy Saving Trust. You will then receive the voucher amount paid into your bank account.

Will I still be eligible for the Renewable Heat Initiative scheme?

Yes, anyone who has installed renewable heat technology under the Premium Payment Scheme will still be eligible for support under the Renewable Heat Initiative. This is providing you meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme and is also applicable to anyone who has installed technology since 15 July 2009.

How do I apply?

As the scheme isn’t open until the 1^st of August 2011, you can register your interest with the Energy Saving Trust at http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Renewable-Heat-Premium-Payment-Form. You will then be contacted when the scheme opens, so you can be one of the first to apply. Remember that it is a cash-limited scheme so once the budget runs out, there can be no more vouchers, so get researching your technologies now!

[1]http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/renewable_ener/incentive/factsheet/factsheet.aspx

[2] http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Sell-your-own-energy/Renewable-Heat-Premium-Payment

[3]http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Renewable-Heat-Premium-Payment-Form

Types of Tumble Dryer

Electric Condenser

Electric condenser tumble dryers remove moist warm air from the drum, which is then cooled inside the machine and the resulting water is collected in a removable reservoir. As the reservoir is emptied regularly, these tumble dryers can be installed anywhere as steam isn’t an issue, therefore they can be placed near windows or walls. Make sure you choose a good model though, or you may have to cope with damp air and the possibility of mildew [2].

Prices: About £150 will get you an entry-level condenser tumble dryer, whereas about £800 will get you a top-of-the-range model.

Electric Vented

Electric vented tumble dryers take warm, damp air from the drum and vent it out through a hose. These models are generally cheaper and use less energy than a condenser model, however they need to be positioned near a window or door to vent the hot air away [2].

Prices: You can buy an entry-level vented tumble dryer for about £100, whereas a top-of-the-range model will be about £700.

Gas Vented

Gas vented tumble dryers use gas as their heat source, yet work in the same way as electric vented dryers with damp air being vented away through a hose. These models have cheaper running costs than electric vented tumble dryers and have good drying performances, however they do need to be professionally installed by a Gas Safe engineer. They also need to be positioned near a door or window to vent the air away, like electric vented models [2].

Prices: Gas vented models cost around £300.

Heat Pumps

These models are condenser dryers that use heat pumps to reheat warm air and conserve heat. This design feature is estimated to provide energy savings of up to 50% when compared with some machines on the market. The two main manufacturers, Bosch and Miele claim that the technology works like a “fridge in reverse” [3].

Prices: Models start at around £300 and top-of-the-range models can reach over £1000.

Choosing an Energy Efficient Tumble Dryer

When looking for an energy efficient tumble dryer, the best option is to check the energy labelling. There is often a huge difference in energy running costs between ratings, so it’s worth investing in an A rated appliance if you can afford to. An example of the savings are shown below:

Energy Saving Tips

It’s not only important to have an energy efficient tumble dryer in the first place, but using it efficiently will also save you money. Here are some tips to reduce your energy bill:

• Clean the lint filter before every load – a blocked filter prevents the hot air from circulating freely, meaning your clothes take longer to dry.
• Try to fill your tumble dryer to the maximum every load.
• Using the spin function on your washing machine will mean your clothes need less time in the tumble dryer.
• Keep your tumble dryer in a well ventilated room – this will stop it from over heating.
• If your tumble dryer has a sensor, dry your clothes for ironing with other clothes. Start by using the iron-dry setting, remove the clothes for ironing, and then put the rest on a cupboard-dry program [1].

[1] http://www.which.co.uk/environment-and-saving-energy/environment-and-greener-living/guides/energy-saving-tumble-drying-tips/energy-efficient-tumble-dryers/

[2] http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/laundry-and-cleaning/guides/how-to-buy-the-best-tumble-dryer/tumble-dryer-types/

[3] http://www.which.co.uk/news/2011/07/which-verdict-on-energy-saving-tumble-dryers-258217/

[4] http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/laundry-and-cleaning/guides/how-to-buy-the-best-tumble-dryer/energy-efficiency/

vehicles have a range of about 40-50 miles and a top speed of around 50 mph, therefore they

are most suited to urban driving [1]. The transport secretary Phillip Hammond has launched a new electric charging infrastructure strategy that outlines how a recharging network will eventually be deployed. Although public charging stations will be available, the preferred option is still for the vehicles to be charged overnight when energy costs are the cheapest [2].

From January 2011, motorists purchasing an eligible ultra-low emissions cars will receive a grant of 25% towards the cost of the car up to a maximum of £5000. The Plug-In Car Grant has been designed to help make the whole-life costs of a qualifying car more comparable to a petrol or diesel car. The Plug-In Car Grant will be reviewed yearly to make sure that it continues to be value for money for the taxpayer, through assessment of the scheme and the level of subsidy provided. Both private and business consumers will able to benefit from the grant and the Government is adopting a “technology neutral” approach to the problem of reducing transport emissions by allowing all cars with tailpipe emissions of 75/km or less to be eligible – regardless of whether they are electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen-fuelled. As of March 2011, 465 cars had already been ordered through the Plug-In Car Grant.

There are now 10 electric cars that qualify for a Plug-In Car Grant – these are:

• The Mitsubushi i-MiEV.
• The Smart fourtwo electric drive.
• Peugeot iOn.
• Nissan Leaf.
• Tata Vista.
• Citroen CZero.
• Vauxhall Ampera.
• Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybid.
• Chevrolet Volt.
• Renault Fluence ZE.

New designs are already being developed that will have a higher speed limit and a wider range. As technology improves and more people invest in electric vehicles, the prices will eventually come down as the costs of production decrease, making an ultra-low carbon car a realistic option for anyone looking to buy a new car.

[1] http://dft.gov.uk/topics/sustainable/olev/plug-in-car-grant/

[2] http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Resources/Energy-saving-news/Consumer-driving/10th-car-now-available-for-Plug-in-Car-Grant/(energysavingtrust)/857225

Almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions come from the use of buildings, with homes being responsible for 27% of the total. The Government estimates that there will be an average formation of 223,000 new households per year to 2026 [1]. Consequently, a large number of homes need to be built compared to the levels witnessed over recent decades, but the UK has strict carbon targets to meet. Therefore the impacts of these homes need to be minimised and careful thought needs to be put into what we want our buildings to be like, how they will be used and how their carbon emissions can be reduced over their lifetime. This has led to a government target to make all new homes zero carbon from 2016 – one of the most stringent in the world.

What is a Zero Carbon Home?

The UK’s target demands that all emissions from the house and the activities that take place within it must net zero carbon emissions over the course of a year [2]. The current definition is that it should reach level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, however this could present difficulties in the mainstream roll out as it has only been achieved by a few exemplar schemes. Furthermore, each home is treated as an individual “energy island” which must generate all the power and heat it needs. Within the new Budget 2011, details of the 2016 zero carbon new homes policy was clarified to only include the emissions covered by Building Regulations (e.g. heating, fixed lighting, hot water and building services). Therefore emissions from cooking and other “plug-in” appliance such as televisions will not be counted [3].

What makes a Zero Carbon Home?

In “Building a Greener Future” (July 2007) [4], the ways in which all new homes are to built from 2016 were set out. These include taking account of:

• Emissions from space heating, how water is heated and fixed lighting.
• Exports and imports of energy from the development and (directly connected energy installations) to and from centralised energy networks. The building is to have net zero carbon emissions over the course of the year.

To achieve this, new homes will:

• Be built with high levels of energy efficiency.
• Achieve at least a minimum level of carbon reductions through a combination of energy efficiency, onsite energy supply and/or directly connected low carbon or renewable heat.
• Choose from a range of (mainly offsite) solutions for tackling the remaining emissions.

So what will Britain look like from 2016?

While all new homes are to be built to zero carbon standards by 2016, it is hoped that it will not put an end to “Great British Design” [5]. There are concerns that in a couple of years “eco-bling” will dominate UK neighbourhoods, such as the Scandinavian-style homes that feature on property programmes (see below).

However, having an energy efficient home does not mean it can’t be a Victorian terrace, have traditional character or fit in with the neighbourhood. The Zero Carbon Hub [6] provides advice and guidance to house-builders and designers so that they can construct more attractive energy efficient homes. Some examples can be found below:

But it’s not just new homes that can meet the Zero Carbon 2016 target. A pioneering council scheme in Salford already uses a quarter of the heating energy of a typical UK home. This scheme was designed by Salford University in the 1970s but could still meet the 2016 zero carbon targets [7]. In a bid to reduce fuel poverty in the 1980s, 200 of these houses were built including cavity wall insulation, double glazed windows and a small gas convector to keep the homes warm. This was so successful, that when two residents moved from these homes to a new scheme built in 2006, they reported their new homes to be draughty and expensive to keep warm.

[1] http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/1101177.pdf

[2] http://www.zerocarbonhub.org/definition.aspx

[3] http://www.novamedia1999.co.uk/zerocarbonhub/march2011/

[4] http://www.communities.gov.uk/archived/publications/planningandbuilding/buildinggreener

[5] http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Resources/Energy-saving-news/Moving-home-and-energy-efficiency/Zero-carbon-homes-not-the-end-of-British-design/(energysavingtrust)/855120

[6] http://www.zerocarbonhub.org/index.aspx

[7] http://www.building.co.uk/technical/sustainability/eco-homes-from-the-1970s-meet-2016-zero-carbon-targets/5020876.article

• Nearly 1% of the UK’s annual greenhouse gas emissions are a result of the energy needed to treat and pump mains water to our homes, and to collect and treat waste water from the sewage network [1].
• The heating of water in our homes is responsible for a further 5% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.
• The heating of water for use in the taps and showers makes up over 25% of the average household’s heating bills – so around £200 a year. This could be even more if you use an electric immersion heater.
• Hot water use is estimated by the Energy Saving Trust to be responsible for over a fifth of a home’s carbon footprint.
• The reduction of hot water use in every UK home by 5% would save the equivalent CO₂ of taking 530,000 cars off the roads – a total of 1.5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year.
• Around 35% of homes in England and Wales are on a water meter, therefore reducing your water consumption will directly save you money.

So reducing your water usage saves you money and carbon, but there are other reasons to save water. The UK is estimated to have less water available per person than most other European countries. Furthermore, London is drier than Istanbul and the South East has less water available per person than places such as Sudan and Syria. It’s not just the South of England though, water is scarce in parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland too as a result of the lowest rainfall records for a decade [2]. Considering that it is estimated that each person in the UK uses around 150 litres of water a day, there is a considerable scope for reducing consumption. This figure takes into account the water used for cooking, cleaning, washing and flushing, and it has been rising by 1% each year since 1930. So what are some simple steps to make sure it reduces in 2011?

• Fix your taps – A dripping tap will waste at least 5,500 litres of water a year (enough to fill a paddling pool every week for a summer). Fixing it could save you over £18 a year [3].
• Turn off your tap when brushing your teeth – Running the tap wastes over 6 litres per minute. If all adults in England and Wales remembered this, 180 mega litres of water a day could be saved.
• Use a cistern displacement device – about a quarter of all clean, drinkable water in our homes is used to flush the loos. Call your water company and ask for a hippo bag or similar for free. Or if you’re feeling particularly flush, consider buying a water efficient toilet or one with a dual flush.

[1] http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Water/Water-and-energy

[2] http://www.waterwise.org.uk/reducing_water_wastage_in_the_uk/the_facts/the_facts_about_saving_water.html

[3] http://www.waterwise.org.uk/reducing_water_wastage_in_the_uk/house_and_garden/quick_tips.html

How can your freeholder benefit?

Unfortunately, your freeholder is fairly unlikely to be concerned about the cost of your energy bills, so unless they are particularly environmentally friendly, you are going to have work on getting money out of him or her! Have a look at your lease to determine which parts of the building your freeholder has responsibility for, as installing double glazing and maintenance of windows etc. may actually be your responsibility.

• There are a variety of grants and discounts available for different energy saving measures such as loft insulation, wall insulation, heating and hot water. Do some research for what your property may be eligible for before you approach your freeholder.
• Play up the long term benefits. Improving the property should make the freehold more valuable, so it your freeholder may not be as difficult to persuade as you think. A good Energy Performance Certificate will make the property more attractive to potential future owners. Plus, they will receive fewer complaints from the current owners!

What can you do in the meantime?

While you’re waiting for your freeholder to install energy saving measures for you, make sure that you are doing the most you can. Simple actions can stop energy being wasted and save you money.

• Use energy saving bulbs as they can last up to 10 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs and can save you up to £45 over their lifetime. Make sure you always turn the lights off when you leave the room or when they are not needed.
• Try and reduce your room temperature by 1^oC by turning down your thermostat. This will save you around 10% on your heating bills and save you up to £50 a year. Similarly, you may be heating your water too much. The Energy Saving Trust recommends setting your cylinder thermostat to 60^oC/140^oF to save energy.
• Save water in the kitchen. Only boil as much water as you need and wash up using a bowl rather than leaving the water running. Using a bowl to wash up twice a day could save you up to £25 a year on gas bills.
• Switch your appliances off. Standby wastes a significant amount of energy so make sure that you don’t leave laptops, televisions etc. on unnecessarily.
• Keep the heat in by preventing draughts. Close your curtains at dusk to keep the heat in and use draught excluders to prevent air coming in around the windows and doors.

[1] http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Resources/Features/Features-archive/Persuade-the-owner-of-your-freehold-to-install-energy-saving-measures

Recycle Week begins on the 20^th June and runs until the 26^th June 2011. The theme this year is “Recycling – home and away” [1] and recyclenow hope that it will encourage people to not only recycle for their kerbside collections but think about their rubbish when they are out and about and what happens to it.

They promote four key benefits to recycling:

1. Recycling conserves resources – by reducing the consumption of new materials from the Earth.
2. Recycling saves energy – using recycled materials in the production process consumes significantly less energy than producing products from new materials.
3. Recycling protects the environment – recycling reduces the need for extraction, refining and processing of materials which create harmful air and water pollution. The UK is estimated to be saving more than 18 million tonnes of CO₂ a year by recycling, the equivalent of taking 5 million cars off the road.
4. Recycling reduces landfill – there are over 1500 landfill sites in the UK, however recycling reduces the volumes of waste sent to them [2].

But we knew that already, right? So what happens to the recycling once we put it out?

There are varying levels of kerbside collections. There are those where recyclables are sorted into their respective materials on the lorry at the kerbside, or co-mingled collections where all of your recyclables are put into one compartment on the lorry. In general, if your recyclables are collected in a generic recycling bag/box then they will be put in one compartment, whereas if you have to separate them yourself then they will be separated in the lorry. The lorry then takes them to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to be sorted further [3].

At the MRF, the recycling is sorted and separated into type by hand or machine, or sometimes a bit of both. These materials are then sent to manufacturers who make them into new products. Millions of tonnes of material is recycled each year in the UK, for example:

• All newsprint manufactured in the UK is made from 100% recycled paper.
• All of the organic (garden and kitchen) waste collected in the UK is recycled here and usually quite close to where it was collected.
• Over 80% of the glass collected for recycling is used in the UK to make glass bottles and jars.

Recyclables such as waste plastic fetch high prices from countries such as China where there are few virgin materials readily available, such as forests or oil supplies. These are often manufactured into products that are shipped to the UK in cargo ships, where the process beings again. So as you can see, recycling your household waste contributes to a worldwide system of recycling and resource saving.

[1] http://www.recyclenow.com/recycle_week/index.html

[2] http://www.recyclenow.com/why_recycling_matters/why_it_matters/index.html

[3] http://www.recyclenow.com/why_recycling_matters/why_it_matters/what_happens_to_our.html

So What Can You Do Around The House?

• Air-dry your clothes – with all that lovely sun, there is no need for your tumble dryer so give it a deserved break. Invest in a clothes line or rotary line for your garden and let the sun and wind do their work. Your clothes will be aired and dry in no time, and you’ll be saving energy, money and helping the environment. Remember to invest in clothes pegs from sustainable sources!
• Open the windows – instead of switching on the air conditioning when the weather gets better, consider opening some windows and using the Earth’s air conditioning system. Leaving a couple of windows open around the house should build up a refreshing breeze and give your body a break from the winter of central heating. Closing the curtains or shutting the blinds on the windows will prevent the rooms from heating up from direct sunlight and save you the money required to power air highly consumptive air conditioning units or fans.
• Use natural light – avoid switching on lights in your house by leaving your curtains open for longer. This will save you energy and money, and you don’t need to worry about cold draughts in this weather!
• Freeze efficiently – consider upgrading your fridge and freezer this summer. A rated, or Energy Saving Recommended, appliances could save you up to £34 in running costs each year. That’s quite a few summer cocktails!

In The Garden?

• Don’t water the lawn – grass is one of the toughest plants on the planet and is quite happy to survive on just the rain coming from the sky.
• Collect water – invest in a water butt to collect rainfall to water your plants. It’s more efficient to water them in the early morning or late in the evening as less water is lost and more will get to the roots – the useful bit.
• Wear a jumper – if it starts to get a bit cold in the evening, don’t invest in an energy consumptive outside heater, put on a jumper! Similarly, don’t switch up the heating in the house.
• Cut your grass less often – by raising the blades on your lawn mower you’ll have slightly longer grass, but you don’t have to mow it all of the time and waste energy. Furthermore, longer grass has long roots that lose less water from evaporation, so you’ll be saving water too.

Out And About?

• Walk more – the last thing you want to do on a nice summer’s day is get in a hot car. Make the most of the weather and walk or cycle to work and the shops.
• Find a green gym – if you usually go to the gym, ditch the energy consumptive machines and think about finding a green gym. BCTV run many courses that get you out helping the environment in your community and give you outdoor exercise too.
• Go to your local park – if you’re looking for something to do, walk down to your local green space. Many will have events and activities for you to join, and you won’t need to pollute the environment with your car.

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Resources/Features/Features-archive/Save-energy-this-summer

http://www2.btcv.org.uk/display/greengym

So why is walking better?

• Walking is the cheapest form of transport, as well as being one of the most effective forms of exercise that a person can do.
• It is estimated that almost a quarter (23%) of the UK’s population is classified obese and this is set to rise by 2050 to 60%. Concerns are that this could lead to an economic and health disaster.
• A half an hour walk every morning has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels, improve concentration and transform fitness levels.
• Road transport makes up a quarter of the UK’s CO² emissions at just over 135m tonnes of CO² a year, of which 63% is passenger cars.
• Reducing your weekly car mileage by 5 miles through walking or cycling has been estimated by the Energy Saving Trust to save you 85kg of CO² a year and around £45 a year.
• One quarter of all passenger car trips are less than 2 miles – an easily walkable distance. One half of all trips are less than 5 miles – again walkable or easily reached by public transport.

So what can you do?

• Get up half an hour earlier and walk your children to school if it’s within an easy distance. Check with your school, they may offer a “walking bus” scheme so you don’t lose time in the mornings. If they don’t have one and you live a fair distance away, consider sharing lifts with other nearby parents.
• Invest in a bicycle – 75% of commuters in the UK live within 2 miles of a national cycle route. Many employers offer a cycle-to-work scheme that can offer financial support to help you afford an appropriate bicycle.
• If you don’t live near your workplace, and there are any not suitable cycle routes, consider car sharing. This halves fuel emissions and costs with just one passenger, and for every other passenger, one more car is taken off the roads and away from the daily commute.
• If you need to use your car, use smarter driving techniques as they can save you up to 15% of your fuel costs.

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/cym/Resources/Features/Features-archive/National-Walking-Month

http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/news/uk/-/may-is-national-walking-month

So what must suppliers do to gain a “Green Label”?

Firstly, all energy used must be matched with the Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs). These are certificates that are attached to electricity produced from renewable sources and can be bought from EU member states. The supplier has to show that they have purchased enough renewable energy to supply it to the customers who have signed up to their Green Tariff, however this does not necessarily increase the amount of renewable energy produced in the UK. Suppliers are obliged to supply a certain amount of renewable energy through the Renewables Obligation (RO) regardless of whether you sign up to a green tariff.

As a result, the supplier must also do one of the following:

• Carbon offsetting – as long as it is certified under either the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) quality Assurance Scheme for Carbon Offsetting (QAS) or the Gold Standard for regulated credits e.g. in the provision of fuel efficient stoves, 1.8 tonnes of CO² must be offset through the QAS or 1 tonnes of CO² through the Gold Standard.
• “Additional Activities” such as providing cavity wall insulation and loft insulation, and energy saving advice. At least 50kg of CO² per customer must be saved through this method.
• Providing a Green Fund – to be used for investment in measures such as renewables on community buildings. Again, at least 50kg of CO² per customer per year must be saved.
• Other activities accepted on the discretion of the assessment panel.

Although the Green Energy Supply Certification Scheme is voluntary, all suppliers who have joined the scheme are unable to marker other, non certified tariffs, as “Green”.

Therefore, if you’re looking for a green tariff and are worried about being mislead, choosing a Green Label awarded tariff is a safe bet. So look out for the green label:

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Buying-green-electricity

http://www.greenenergyscheme.org/index.php?page=about/objectives