Alan Bouquet
Best ways to heat your home – Infrared panels?
Our view – infrared heating If you are off gas grid, infrared heating can be a really effective, stylish and efficient way to heat your home. Compared to the convection based heating systems it offers a really great alternative. Unfortunately,…
Is solar thermal worth it?
As you might expect, there has been a huge spike in interest in Solar Thermal with the introduction of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme. The scheme, announced in July, has been introduced to drive the uptake of carbon saving…
What should I do with pebbledash?
Pebbledash is one of those relics from the 60s and 70s that has stuck around, unlike the dress sense. You can walk down almost any street in the country with older properties and you will see it. It is everywhere.…
Why do I need to move my boiler flue?
As with a large number of other building regulations, the legislation of boiler flues has gotten a lot tighter over the years. At one time you could put your boiler almost anywhere in the home, no problem, but these days…
What are the benefits of rooflights?
What are rooflights? Rooflights are effectively windows in the roof of your property, which allow natural light into the building. In this blog we are going to look at some of the benefits of rooflights and why and where they…
What should I do with asbestos in my home?
We often get calls regarding homes with asbestos and how it should be dealt with. Whilst we are not asbestos experts, we do work with a qualified asbestos surveying company, so we put some of the most common questions and have…
What is the best external wall insulation system?
When you are getting a quote for external insulation, it is a little tricky to know what to look for. There are so many different names and systems out there that it is easy to get confused. One thing to remember…
Certifications and Double Glazing
Double glazing has been around since at least the 1970s, and most homes, barring perhaps period properties, now have it. As a homeowner, you might not know exactly when the windows were installed, or who by, and this may make…
How much does it cost to insulate an attic?
So you want to insulate you loft space or attic? It is a wise move – around 30% of the heat in your home is lost through the roof, so insulating that space in between is going to really save…
How warm should your rooms be?
How warm should your rooms be? With the advent of zonal heating, it is becoming possible for homeowners to heat various parts of their homes to different temperatures. It means a better level of control and savings compared to having…
How much does external wall insulation cost?
We have discussed external wall insulation a few times on this site, but we often get callers interested in EWI who then baulk when they hear the cost of the work. We want to make sure you are fully aware…
Are oil boilers expensive?
Heating oil and LPG are really common ways to heat a home if you live off the gas grid. The question is, how does it stack up in price terms? It can be a little tricky to know what you…
What are the lifespans of your energy saving measures?
In this blog, I am going to give you a rundown of the expected lifespans of all the various energy saving measures around the home. Some I think will surprise you! Many people don’t take into account the expected lifespan…
Why is ventilation important?
Pretty much every home in the UK will have some form of ventilation, whether that be extractor fans, natural open vents, or black box vents. Many people don’t understand the importance of them, and block them up or cover them…
Can I replace my back boiler?
UPDATE: Please note that since this blog was written, the last model of back boiler has been taken out of production. You may be able to find a back boiler at a plumbing merchants but this will be discontinued stock.…
Can I insulate my sloping ceiling?
If you have a loft, it is easy to insulate the joists or the rafters. It is something you can even DIY if you want to. Often however, people have a sloping ceiling, with no loft space at all. This…
Do draught excluders work?
Draught excluders are a really simple way to save you money and make your home warmer in winter. Do they really make a difference? And what type of excluder works best? What is the Best Draught Excluder? Anything that blocks…
Energy Efficiency for Flats
So many articles you read online are based around insulating a house. As you may have read in one of our articles a few weeks back – the average home in the UK is a 3 bed semi. This means…
Solar PV Feed in Tariff to be Cut by 63% in Early 2016
Today the Government finally revealed its plan for the solar feed-in tariff. The sad news is that it is a substantial cut from the 8th February 2016. The current feed-in tariff is set at 12.47p This means that for every…
Wind Power for the home
Wind power is quite an inviting form of power. Looking at it on offshore wind farms, and those big onshore turbines that you see, it seems like a great way to generate renewable energy. Why then, don’t we see micro…
Infrared for Landlords
Infrared is something we are increasingly seeing as a choice for landlords renovating their properties. Why is it so popular? Let’s take a look at some of the big plus points that make infrared an obvious solution. Infrared is inexpensive…
Comparing the US and the UK – How do we heat our homes?
I was thinking recently about how other countries heat their homes. What methods they use, and why, and what the cost differences were. It’s interesting, because we have a real problem with the cost of heating our homes in the…
Air to Air Heat Pumps for Heating
Air source heat pumps are a really popular way to heat your property these days, but most of the attention, at least for homes, is focussed on air to water heat pumps for wet central heating systems. These types of…
What is a Damp Proof Course (DPC)?
A damp proof course is a layer in the walls of your property that help prevent moisture from move up the walls and into the living area. This is commonly referred to as rising damp. What is rising damp? To…
Warm Air Ducted Heating vs. Wet Central Heating
Most heating systems for homes in the UK, especially in towns, are gas fired boilers. If you have a gas supply, the obvious, and usually cheapest way to heat your home is with a gas boiler. Warm air, ducted heating…
Is living off-grid realistic?
It is realistic to live off grid? Living off grid means that you are not connected to, or rely on the national grid for your energy needs. This will probably involve some sort of energy storage system to ensure that…
Buying a house with cavity wall insulation
The majority of post WW2 brick properties has now had cavity wall insulation retrofitted over the past 30 years. Homes built in the last 80 years are usually built with cavity walls, with 2 layers of brick and a gap…
A New Homeowner’s Guide to External Solid Wall Insulation
As more and more properties in the UK are installing external wall insulation these days, you are much more likely to come across it when you are buying a property. There are plenty of things you will want to be…
The pitfalls of a cheap commercial EPC
When you book a Commercial EPC or a non-domestic EPC, it is easy to go for the cheapest option – in particular if you are managing this on behalf of a client, as you are trying to keep the costs…
Commercial EPC Case Study: An Office
Offices are a common place where you might need a commercial EPC, and in this blog I’m going to talk you through a very typical office EPC that was carried out in London this year. I arrived on site for…
Homeowners’ guide to boilers
When you buy a new home, there are plenty of things to be worrying about and things like the boiler might not be high on the list of priorities. Even so, there are a few things that you need to…
A commercial EPC: step by step
I am a commercial (referred to as non-domestic) energy assessor and in this blog I am going to take you through the process of how GreenAge carries out these assessments, from the time you phone us, to the point where…
10 ways to save on your energy bills
About a year ago we wrote a blog titled ‘7 ways to lower your energy bills’. This proved very popular but it solely focused on ways to actually reduce the energy bill itself by moving to dual fuel tariffs, using…
Natural Ventilation – What you need to know
How do we deal with hot weather in the UK? With increasing frequency of heatwaves caused by global warming there are several accompanying problems for homes such as: Decreased indoor air quality within the houses Decreased thermal comfort of the…
What type of electric boiler should I get?
Electric boilers can be a really clean and simple way to heat your hot water. There are a few different types though, and some will be more suited to your property than others. In this blog, we are going to…
Multipoint and single point hot water heaters
Although carrying a different name, these heaters are effectively boilers. The only difference is that boilers heat the central heating, and usually the hot water for your taps too, whilst the multipoint heater will just provide hot water for your…
How can I maximise my commercial EPC rating?
For some, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is merely a formality as part of selling or renting a property, but in some situations it can be quite valuable to show just how efficient your property is, and a higher rating…
How do solar panels work?
In this blog, I wanted to take a little look at how PV or photovoltaics are made and some of the things you should consider when buying them. Do you know what solar panels are made from and how they…
Water Saving for the Home
In the UK, water usage is not yet really something people take much notice of. Unlike electricity and gas, which seem to get lots of air time, water bills take a bit of a back seat! The reason for this…
Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving in Care Homes
Care homes tend to use a lot of energy – the temperature needs to be quite high, because older or ill residents tend to feel the cold more and need a bit more warmth in their environment than the average…
Impact of orientation, pitch and shading on solar PV
I’m sure most people are aware that solar PV productivity is affected by a few key environmental factors. The most obvious one and the one that has the biggest impact is exposure to sunlight. Panels that have the biggest exposure…
GDHIF and RHI to end?
The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) has been a huge success, with millions being allocated to home solid wall insulation across the UK in the last year. There have been 3 rounds of funding so far, with each batch…
Should I invest in renewable heating or renewable electricity production?
The average energy bill in the UK is now about £1350, this is despite the fact that underlying oil prices have tanked – the energy companies don’t feel the need to pass on these savings to consumers. As time goes…
Energy saving advice for the office
Offices can be huge energy sappers – lots of people working with all that electronic equipment can soon send your bills soaring. Here we are going to take a look at some of the things you can do to make…
What are solar tiles?
Orders are set to begin in April for Tesla’s latest offering: solar roof tiles. This is likely to boost interest in the technology and bring it to a wider commercial audience. What are solar roof tiles? Designed to match your…
Dealing with thermal bridging in external wall installations
Some of our most well informed customers are very keen to ask us how we deal with ‘thermal bridging’, or ‘cold bridging’ as it is sometimes known. This is where heat can bypass the insulation on the walls and reduce…
5 quick fix energy savings for a rented property
This week I was helping my girlfriend’s younger brother move into his new flat in South-West London. He and a couple of mates are renting the property and it was interesting to see the state of the place before they…
Ground Source Heat Pumps in London
Ground source heat pumps are a fantastic way to heat a home, for a number of reasons, however they are often considered a more rural technology, only suitable to properties with lots of space available. Is this really the case…
How big a wind turbine do I need?
Wind turbines can be a great way of generating your own energy in rural areas. We think they offer a great complement to traditional forms of energy and other renewables like solar. The thing is, it is really tricky to…
Why do wind turbines have 3 blades?
If you are the curious type, it may have occurred to you over the years to wonder why most wind turbines have 3 blades. It seems a bit of an odd number – why not 2 or 4, or even…
Can I install biomass in a city like London?
Biomass boilers have become all the rage since the Renewable Heat Incentive kicked off last year. The government payments are generous, and the technology cheap and efficient to run. Until now the interest has come mainly from off-grid communities out…
Can insulation improve the value of your property?
We have already discussed the value of increasing your home’s EPC rating, and we can be sure that more energy efficient homes sell for more compared to those with lower EPC ratings. Solid wall insulation makes one of the biggest increases…
Should you switch your boiler off in summer?
If you live in a home with a boiler, it is going to be the number 1 energy sapping item in the home. Over the course of a year, it can cost you thousands to run, so any way to…
Do I need a Gas Safe Certificate?
The Gas Safe register is a relatively recent innovation designed to ensure that gas installations are installed by a competent installer and that you have all the protections in place to ensure a safe, reliable installation. Here we primarily talk…
Commercial EPCs – What you need to know
Domestic EPCs are pretty well understood – most houses have had one done by now and there are several reasons for having one. Commercial EPC‘s are less widely carried out, mainly because the reasons for having them crop up much…
The RHI and FIT – Just Rewarding the Wealthy?
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and Feed In Tariff (FIT) schemes allow those who have installed renewable heating or clean electricity generating systems the ability to claim regular payments from the government to help subsidise the cost of the system.…
Generous Solid Wall Insulation Grants in Surrey
Do you live in a pebble dashed terraced property in Epsom and would like to get rid of that tired render? Or you perhaps reside in a cold and draughty Victorian detached house in Dorking, and you always wondered what it…
How long do solar panels last?
Solar PV, as I am sure you are aware, is a great investment for a home if you have the right space on your roof. We would thoroughly recommend it for a property where the installation is practical. In this…
Pension reforms freeing up cash for property improvement
The recently announced changes to the way pensions can be used means that it is now possible to invest some of that pension money for improvements to the property – beginning at age 55. With that cash, you can pay…
External Wall Insulation and Planning Permission
For properties with solid brick walls – you really only have two ways in which you can insulate them. External wall insulation, which means you lose the feel of the brick (if they haven’t been previously rendered) or internal solid…
What is the difference between cavity wall insulation and solid wall insulation?
This can be a little confusing, so let’s take a look at the two main types of insulation for your walls and when they are applicable. What is a cavity wall? Cavity walls were developed in the first half of…
Which is the better investment – solar PV or solar thermal?
Solar power has become an affordable, cost-effective way to produce your own energy, and there are two obvious options for your home. One is solar PV, where the sun’s energy is turned into electricity. The other is solar thermal, where…
Why render a house?
Why should you render a property? When you walk down a typical street in town, you will see a mixture of properties. Some are more modern, some are older, some will have exposed brick, some will have a coloured render…
Are solar panels still a good investment in 2015?
In case you didn’t know, if you were thinking of installing a solar PV system, the government feed in tariff has just reduced! The feed-in tariff is a payment you receive for generating energy from solar PV. Once you install…
How do stove fans work?
Stove fans are a fantastic innovation that really do dramatically improve the warmth given out from your stove. We have seen a massive interest in this product in the past year, as wood burners become the ‘in’ product for the…
How to keep your conservatory warm in winter
You should be able to use your conservatory all year round, considering the cost of building one. But all too many of them are just too cold to sit in for long periods each year. Here we are going to…
Can I still get solar thermal with a combi boiler?
Combi boilers have become increasingly popular in the last 20 years. They are great for smaller properties or those worried about space, because you don’t have a big old hot water cylinder to make room for. Solar thermal is a growing…
Does solar thermal require a new hot water tank?
For many of us with old heat-only boilers, we have a hot water cylinder hidden away in the airing cupboard. Typically these hot water tanks are heated by a boiler and are built to do just that. Since the introduction of…
Can you claim the RHI on 2 heating systems?
The RHI is available for several types of heating system. The question we sometimes hear is, can you combine 2 heating systems and still get your RHI payments? The short answer to this is yes, but let’s go into a…
Are Ikea Solar Panels a Good Idea?
The cost of solar has come down dramatically in the last few years, to the point where solar PV is a viable option for many households. The market for domestic size systems is highly competitive and as a result you…
Should I install wet or dry underfloor heating?
Underfloor heating – the answer for comfort and savings? Underfloor heating can be a great way to heat your home – it looks good, it saves space, it is usually cheaper to run and it means no ugly radiators! One…
How do I get a gas supply in my property?
As we have established previously, gas is far cheaper per unit of energy than electricity. For many people without a gas supply, electricity is their only option, but have you tried to see how much a new gas connection would…
What to expect from GDHIF in 2015
The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund has been a huge success, with millions being spent on energy saving improvements, particularly solid wall insulation. In the run up to the general election, you can expect some more funding to be released…
Solar feed in tariff is to decrease in April
If you are familiar with some of the content on TheGreenAge, you will know that the feed in tariff is a government backed payment made to properties for producing their own electricity. If you have a renewable electricity generating system installed…
Should I remove old loft insulation?
We often get asked when a customer is installing loft insulation whether they should get the old insulation removed. We wanted to provide you with a comprehensive answer to this question, so here are the key points! Is new insulation…
Convection vs Radiant Heating
You may have heard about terms such as convection or radiant heating, but have always been confused about the fundamental differences. In this blog we will explain how both heating methods work and demonstrate with examples which tools perform this…
How to deal with condensation
Condensation can cause some serious problems in the home, and at this time of year the problem only gets worse. How can you prevent it? How can you fight it? And how can you defeat it long term? What causes…
Top 10 Home Energy Wasting Sins
We have spoken a lot about some of the best ways to cut energy use, but what are some of the bad things you do that maybe you hadn’t noticed? Here we run through some of the top home energy wasting sins.…
Can I get a free boiler under the Green Deal?
UPDATE: As of 30 March 2016, the government has stopped funding and the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund is closed to new applications. You can read about it here. Can I get a free boiler through the Green Deal scheme? We get…
New heating controls, but higher energy bills!
Installed new heating controls, but my bills have gone up! We always talk about the importance of installing heating controls when you install a heating system because they save you money. This normally is the truth, however we recently got…
What’s the best way to heat a holiday home?
Heating a holiday home when no one is living there is pretty wasteful. There is no point pumping out the heat all winter if you only use the place in summer! However, it is really important to not let your pipes…
A free biomass boiler – too good to be true?
If you are currently off-gas grid and are heating your home by either oil, LPG or electricity or if you have a really inefficient heating system, then knowing that a technology like biomass can help cut energy costs must be…
How should I heat my hot water?
We have covered your home heating options extensively over the years, but here we are going to have a look at the options you have for your hot water. Boiler For those with a gas boiler, heating your water this way…
Why should landlords make their properties efficient?
Many landlords out there don’t really care about the property they are renting, as long as they get their rent money, but there are several reasons why you should take a look at some energy saving options: Regulations coming in…
Spring 2015 Changes to the RHI
The domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) has been running for about 9 months now, and it has now become apparent that the Government are planning to tweak the scheme slightly. The good news is that the RHI payments for air source…
What is an average energy usage?
It is very easy to stare at your energy bills and have your eyes glaze over. What exactly is normal consumption for a home? What is the average cost for your energy bills? I have had so many people ask…
How to get the most out of Uswitch
The internet has completely changed the way we shop for things, and energy is no different. Nowadays you can go to a whole raft of price comparison sites to find which is cheapest, and usually you will find a great…
Storing electricity produced from your solar panels
Solar PV has never been as attractive as it is now. Prices are at an all time low, the feed-in tariff is making the payback excellent and the cost of mains electricity is still going up. Whilst solar generation technology…
Smart Homes Scheme – £6,000 Grants for SWI
[Update: This scheme has now ended. For the latest information on available funding, contact your local council.] Smart Home Scheme Grants of £6,000 for SWI The new GDHIF scheme has just been announced offering grants of up to £4,000 for solid…
Magnetic Secondary Glazing and Fire Safety
What is magnetic secondary glazing? Magnetic secondary glazing specifically is glazing that is fixed to your existing window frame and provides a movable solution that can be easily taken on or off the windows. Magnetic secondary glazing is therefore a…
Heating your home allergy-free with infrared
Unfortunately for those of us who are allergic to dust, allergies can go on for 12 months of the year. It is really hard to avoid as well, as every home, even the cleanest, will have some dust and dust…
Can I get free cavity wall insulation in rural areas?
If you live in an urban area, you have probably had someone knock on your door and offer you free cavity wall and loft insulation. If you live out in the country, it is sometimes easy to be out of…
Sustainable Building Materials for Self Build Homes
Self building is becoming increasingly popular recently, for a multitude of reasons. At the same time, people are becoming much more environmentally conscious, and with a big project like a self build, people want to make sure the home you…
Should I get a stove fan?
It’s now winter; all of the lights are already on at 4:30 and we have started to rely on the central heating. One comfort I have is that once I get home, I can put my feet up and feel the…
Do radiator reflectors work?
Radiator reflectors work on a very simple principle. You radiator radiates heat both into the room, and into the wall behind it. That heat can simply be lost to the outside, especially if you have thin single skin walls. Reflectors…
Top ten ways to save water
If you have a water meter, or are just keen to do your bit for the environment, saving water is really important. We have just had the driest September on record, and despite a wet year last year, there is…
External Wall Insulation versus Internal Wall insulation
With the re-launch of the GDHIF, there has been a lot of renewed interest in insulating solid walls in properties. There are two ways to insulate this type of wall – either internal wall insulation or external wall insulation. If…
Outdoor Heating – What are the most efficient options?
It is that time of year when the patio heaters get dusted down and fired up, not just in back gardens but in pubs and restaurants as well. We hear so often that patio heating is expensive to run and…
Best Way to heat your home – heat pump
Our View – Heat Pumps Heat pumps are the most efficient way to heat an off-gas grid property. They utilise some really clever physics to convert electricity to heat at very high efficiency (anywhere from 250 to 450%). There are…
Best way to heat your home – Storage heaters
[Update: As nuclear and coal stations are wound down in the UK, this could mean the death of the Economy 7 tariff. This would mean storage heaters becoming more expensive to run, and as such we no longer recommend people install…
Best way to heat your home – Gas boiler
Our View – Gas Boilers If you are on gas grid, boilers are the cheapest way to heat your home in the long run. It can be pricey to switch over from electric heating, but the paybacks are good! The…
What is the best way to heat your home?
Over the next week are are going to put up blogs that look at the best way to heat your home – today we start with heating your home with a condensing energy efficient gas boiler. In each of the blogs…
How to change your electric meter
[UPDATE: Smart meters are now set to become the norm in UK households. You can read more about them here.] Why might you need to change your meters? There are lots of situations where you might need to switch meters…