Henry Campbell
How warm should my house be?
Some people like to heat their homes to Sahara-like temperatures, while others prefer a more arctic feel, however the majority of us sit somewhere in between. The whole ‘how hot should my house be’ topic is a bit of a…
Does insulation paint work?
What is thermal insulation paint? Thermal insulation paint first entered the energy saving market back in the late 1990s. Since then, there has been an increase in companies looking to exploit the seemly attractive potential in insulating paint. Insulating paint…
What energy tariff should I be on?
What energy tariff should I be on? Energy tariffs are complicated beasts. Pence per kilowatt, standing charge, tariff duration, tariff name… Deciding where to start often leaves people utterly bewildered. However, we’re here to strip it back and ensure you…
Solar PV financial scams targeting the retired
You may be one of the half a million or so Brits that has a solar PV system installed on your home and you are hopefully enjoying lots of free electricity. In many cases, when solar PV is correctly installed,…
El Niño and what it means for the UK
Forecast centres all over the world have now declared that an El Niño, the single most powerful force within our climate system, has started in the Pacific. You may think that what happens in the Pacific surely can’t have any real influence…
Should I get external wall insulation on cavity walls?
Is retrofitting my uninsulated cavity wall enough? There are obvious reasons for insulating a solid brick property with external insulation. Houses built before around 1930’s were constructed with a single skin of bricks. While nice to look at and very much…
How to heat your water in an electric only home
What are the best ways to heat your domestic hot water in electric only homes? We often get ask the best ways to heat your water when there is only electricity in the home (i.e. no gas boiler). Heating hot water…
Does home automation save money?
Is Home Automation a genuine energy saver or a luxury we could do without It seems that the must have gadgets of this decade are all based around the idea of home automation (HA). We have seen the introduction of…
Looking for a recommended energy efficiency installer?
The most valuable thing when looking at any energy efficiency improvement is a trusted and recommended installer. We’ve all seen our fair share of TV programs showing botched jobs and cowboy builders. TheGreenAge’s network of recommended installers However, using our…
The Political Parties’ Green Manifestos – Election 2015
With the polling stations now open (until 10pm tonight) we thought we would very briefly look at all the major parties and their Environmental / Energy policies. So if you are worried about your pet rabbit’s living conditions (see below) or you…
Do you need to insulate between flats?
Here’s a question we get called about all the time! Should you insulate party walls or floors? Does it make a difference or are you just wasting money? Floor and Ceiling Insulation Let’s say for argument sake you live in…
Should I get a green roof?
A green roof is a roof of a building, which is covered with vegetation – think of the kids’ programme ‘Teletubbies’. The popularity of green roofs have increased dramatically over the past few years due to the perceived environmental and…
Why you should consider swapping energy supplier
Is it worth shopping around for a cheaper energy supplier? Swapping between different energy suppliers isn’t a new concept – USwitch, one of this countries leading comparison sites has been helping consumers swap for over 15 years now. It has…
The EGO Smart WiFi Socket – TheGreenAge Review
The latest product that we have tried and tested here is the EGO smartphone WiFi socket. This device allows you to control a plug socket remotely using your phone or tablet. Initially I thought the WiFi socket would have pretty…
CIGA guarantee – is it worth the paper it is written on?
It is fair to say that the cavity wall insulation industry has taken a bit of a hammering over recent weeks. Lively lunchtime debates have taken place over the radio regarding the merits of cavity wall insulation but it was…
The Tado smart thermostat – TheGreenAge Review
As more and more aspects of my life are moving onto my phone I was beginning to get very frustrated with my ‘so called’ basic thermostat. Now when I say basic, I don’t mean a 20 year old malfunctioning dial…
Best Way To Heat Your Home – Log Burner
Our View – Log Burners Log burners have soared in popularity over the past few years due to spiralling gas and electricity costs. This means that more and more people have turned to wood in order to cut down on fuel…
Carbon Monoxide – What can you do?
We have had a pretty good summer, with temperatures rarely dropping below 10oc. However, with winter creeping up on us, it will soon become very important to have a well-insulated and tightly sealed home to fight the cold. Boilers, and…
Is the banning of high-powered domestic appliances the right move?
As you may have heard, the EU has recently banned high-powered vacuum cleaners in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions throughout Europe. In Britain this caused many shops to witness a surge of almost 400% in vacuum sales as the…
Should I swap to a water meter?
Over the past few years, the price of domestic water has been steadily increasing across the UK. While not at the same rate of gas and electricity, it has made the argument of swapping to a meter slightly more interesting.…
How much can LED bulbs save me?
We frequently get asked how much money people can save if they changed to LEDs. Obviously there is no end to the amount of figures and percentages stating how much better they are than the incandescent and halogen bulbs… but…
Will solar thermal provide all my hot water?
Solar water heating, or a solar thermal system, works by using the free heat energy from the sun to warm up water. This water is then used to heat up a separate body of water in the hot water cylinder…
Biomass Fuel and the Sustainable Suppliers List
The Domestic RHI, which was launched on the 9th April, is a government scheme that aims to provide a financial reward for domestic homeowners who install renewable heating measures. We all know that the initial costs of renewable installs, such…
Renewables to heat your swimming pool
Swimming pools are no doubt a luxury item for the few in the country that can afford them. This is not only due to the cost of installing one, but perhaps just as importantly the cost of running one throughout…
The True Price of the Television
I am a sucker for sport, be it the Winter Olympics, six-nations rugby or the climax of the Premier league. However, all of this has made me start to think about how much it actually costs me to watch TV.…
The latest wave energy technology from Berkeley
Ever since that first Hawaiian surfed on a length of tree bark, people have recognised the awesome power in waves. For years, environmental engineers have recognised that the constant oscillations of waves have the potential to supply a huge amount…
Electrical blackouts: are they fact or fiction?
Blackout – Fact or Fiction? A few weeks ago I watched ‘Blackout’, a Channel 4 series/drama documentary in which they hypothesised the impact of a prolonged blackout in the country. Now as I made myself comfortable in front of my…
Can I reseal my double glazing?
What is double glazing? Double-glazed doors and windows are made up of two sealed sheets of glass with an insulating void between them. This gap is either in the form of a vacuum, or more commonly filled with a heavy…
Looking for 100% pure sheep wool insulation? Look no further.
Loft insulation is the most cost effective energy saving improvement Of all the energy saving measures possible in the home, the one that we would always prioritise above all others is loft insulation. We try to hammer home in all our energy saving advice the…