James Alcock
I set up TheGreenAge last year to help homeowners save money by becoming more energy efficient. Since everything we recommend on TheGreenAge also lowers individual's carbon footprints, I hope we are doing a little bit for the planet too!
Condensation forming on the outside of new windows
We have discussed this before, but new windows are normally a fantastic way to improve both the appearance and thermal comfort of your home. New double/triple glazing tends to retain far more heat within the home, minimising the time your heating needs…
Should I replace my boiler?
Should I replace my boiler with a new energy efficient model? This is a question we get all the time from customers. In this blog I intend to show you how to run the numbers to see if it is…
How good are the Philips Hue light bulbs?
Following on from our last podcast where we covered LED lighting we have had lots of interest in the Philips Hue. What is Philips Hue? Philips Hue is an intelligent lighting solution, which takes advantage of the WiFi in your…
Reducing Energy Bills in the Office
You’ve switched your energy provider, you’ve got notices all over the place telling people to switch off the lights and so on, and yet your office’s energy bills are still unreasonably high! Whether you have a home office or your…
Is it cheaper to heat my home with gas or electricity?
Is it cheaper to heat my home with gas or electricity? We get asked this question regularly, and on the face of it it has a very simple answer. To buy one unit of mains gas (measured in kWh) you…
Underfloor Heating: How Does it Work and Where Did It Come From?
Underfloor heating is a popular option for homeowners who like a nice toasty floor in the mornings, usually in the kitchen or bathroom. It can be costly to install, but underfloor heating works really well with stone/tile flooring. It’s also…
Why Aren’t my Radiators Getting Hot?
Since the passing of The Beast From The East, inefficient radiators have become a pretty big concern for homeowners, mostly due to the cold temperatures making their lack of functionality more noticeable. Not only does this drastically affect the thermal…
Plastic Roads: The Future of Plastic Bottle Recycling?
County Councils across the UK, the most recent being Enfield, have started a new recycling scheme to tackle the amount of plastic bottle waste that goes into landfill. The scheme entails recycling plastic bottles in order to use them as…
Is it cheaper to leave your heating on all the time or turn it on and off?
Is it cheaper to leave your heating on all the time or turn it on and off? Having advised thousands of homes on how to become more energy efficient and reduce energy bills there is one question we hear time…
The Green Deal is back in 2017!
The Government’s flagship home improvement loan scheme, the Green Deal, has just been relaunched – but this time from the private sector. The first 3 loans have been issued according to Kilian Pender, the new Green Deal Finance Company chief…
What is the recommended thickness of loft insulation?
Over the years, the recommended thickness of loft insulation has increased. The reason for the increase is pretty simple – the thicker the layer of loft insulation, the bigger the energy savings! The Government are very keen for every house…
What is a condensing boiler?
We get a huge amount of questions regarding boilers, but one of the most common queries relates to condensing boilers. Condensing boilers are very efficient; they turn more of the energy contained within the gas they burn into useful heat.…
Top Smart Heating Controls in the UK
TheGreenAge team review their smart thermostats There are lots of different ‘smart’ heating systems currently available on the market; in this blog we take a look at our top 10. The can broadly be split in to two categories: basic…
Micafil Loose Fill loft insulation
Someone asked us this week whether or not Micafil loft insulation is worth installing. Micafil is different to most loft insulation in that it is loose fill – i.e. instead of coming in a big roll, this insulation comes as…
Is the UK running out of energy?
We read a very interesting report this morning from The British Infrastructure Group (BIG) – the report titled Electric Shock: Will The Christmas Lights Go Out Next Winter? was pulled together by the Rt. Hon Grant Shapps MP and has…
Business News: President Trump
It has been a pretty busy time here for us at the GreenAge as we are beginning to soft launch our ‘Find a local installer’ map. In broader news, there is one story dominating: the election of Donald Trump. President…
Smart meter roll-out
You may have heard on the radio and TV that the government is really ramping up its smart meter roll-out. To date, approximately 3.3m smart meters have been installed, but the government has plans to get them in every home…
It’s not me, it’s EU…
With ‘Brexit’ confirmed just 7 days ago, a huge amount seems to have changed in the interim. Our prime minister has announced he will stand down, the opposition seem to be in chaos at the hands of Corbyn; and (something that…
More problems for UK nuclear energy industry
On Monday, there was another blow to the nuclear energy industry here in the UK. NuGeneneration (or NuGen as it is more commonly known) announced a delay in its new Moorside plant. It was intended that the plant would first start producing…
Understanding your energy tariff: standing charges and usage charges
Over the last couple of years, the Government have made a real effort to simplify energy tariffs. We have looked at these before – both electricity and gas – but since these changes we thought we should revisit the subject.…
Comparing infrared heating with storage heaters
Many people rely on electrical heating to keep their homes nice and warm during the colder winter months. Despite the fact the cost of a unit of electricity is 3x the cost of gas (so electric heating is far more…
Two wins at the Energy Efficiency and Retrofit Awards
On Monday, the team attended the Energy Efficiency and Retrofit Awards 2016. Originally launched in 2014 as the Green Deal & ECO awards, the new incarnation reflects changes to the Government’s policies on energy efficiency. The awards aim to provide motivation…
EcoBuild 2016
We visited EcoBuild 2016 this morning and the one thing that really stuck out was how small this the event had become. Last year it filled two sides of the Excel centre in London, but this year it was just…
Where am I losing heat in my home?
Where am I losing heat in my home? We must get asked this question about 100 times a day! It is obviously fundamental to everything we do here at TheGreenAge; if we can show our customers how to slow down the…
How much electricity does my immersion heater use?
If you have ever looked at your electricity bill you will see that electricity is measured in kiloWatt hours (or kWh). A kWh is a unit of energy equivalent to one kW of power expended for one hour. An average…
Tips for choosing the best window installer
The double-glazing industry has suffered from a pretty bad reputation over the years mainly due to the high pressure selling techniques used by many companies that sell it. From door-knocking, to window offers too good to be true, it is difficult…
Helping tenants live in warmer homes
In terms of energy poverty, it seems that most tenants who live in rented properties are at the mercy of their landlords. Typically a home’s heating system will need to be close to death before a landlord will even consider…
Why switch to a smaller energy supplier?
In the UK, the energy landscape is dominated by six major energy suppliers, British Gas, EDF, E.On, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE. It is estimated that the Big Six supply 92.4% of the British population at the moment with their…
Funding Energy Saving Measures
Energy saving measures like double glazing, insulation and even new boilers are not cheap. Here we want to explain all the different schemes that can help you to get this sort of thing installed before the cold weather sets in.…
The Curse of Estimated Readings
Most people in the UK have both an electricity and gas meter that need to be read every so often so the energy companies can charge you correctly for the amount of energy you consume. The problem is that this…
How to read your electricity meter
In our next blog here you can read why it is important to provide actual energy readings to your gas / electricity supplier – but how exactly do you provide those readings? Here we discuss electricity meters, but you can…
Should I buy timber sash windows or uPVC sash windows?
Many properties in the UK still have traditional single-glazed sash windows. Despite how nice they look, they are a real weakness when it comes to heat loss. We have an enormous number of clients who are interested in replacing their…
What is Thermal Bridging?
What is Thermal Bridging You may have come across this term if you have ever spoken to a builder about insulation – thermal bridges are essentially places in the home where insulation is not continuous and so heat loss is…
Solar PVT – Hybrid Solar Thermal / PV panels
Want to produce both hot water and electricity from the sun? You might want to consider installing Solar Photovoltaic-Thermal, or PV-T for short. PV-T is a hybrid solar panel combining the functionality of solar thermal collectors and solar PV in…
Should I get micro inverters for my solar PV system?
What are Solar PV Inverters? Solar PV panels produce electricity from sunlight, and with over 500,000 systems now installed on people’s roofs in the UK, they have never been more popular. The average solar PV system in the UK is…
Is the Green Deal Dying?
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. Having carried out 1000s of Green Deal Assessments over the last year or…
Pre-payment meters
Prepayment meters With a prepayment meter, you will need to pay for the electricity and gas you use up front – this means it is good for budgeting, but obviously if you have no credit on your gas or electricity…
Where do I find my MPAN number?
What is my MPAN number? The MPAN number is the unique identifier for the electricity meter in your home. It is normally required when swapping between energy suppliers, so the old and new energy companies can move over your account.…
10 interesting solar panel facts
With the announcement that Solar PV provided a record 7.6% of the UK’s energy demand on Saturday 21st June 2014, we thought we might share with you 10 other interested facts about Solar PV that you might not know. [list_circle]…
How many solar panels can I fit on my roof?
Solar panels are now an affordable way to reduce your demand on the electric grid by producing your own electricity. That is without even taking into account the Feed-in Tariff, which pays you for every unit of electricity created, regardless…
British Gas – An expensive way to get a new boiler!
British Gas have a very enviable business model, they are by far the largest of the big six, providing gas to over 11 million homes in the UK. This massive customer base gives them a huge advantage in the boiler…
What is Embedded Water?
What is Embedded Water? Despite being constantly replenished by the water cycle, accelerated population growth in recent times is dramatically increasing water demand, which as a result is putting excessive pressure on global fresh water supply. We know we need…
Get a replacement boiler with £1600 cashback via GDHIF!
PLEASE NOTE: The fund is now closed to all new applications. We are still able to provide quality boiler installations however, so please do get in touch. Need a new replacement boiler? Take advantage of the GDHIF scheme to get £1600 off…
How can I make my heating system more efficient?
It is a popular question – what can I do to make my heating system more efficient, without spending money to replace my boiler? Unfortunately, there is no getting around the fact that boilers are expensive, and unless you have…
The problem with renewables and intermittency
Renewable Energy sources & their lack of predictability We got an interesting email from one of our readers this morning, regarding Wind Power – glossing over the part where he said that we were the victim of brainwashing for thinking…
Get big grants for wall insulation across London!
Interested in getting your walls insulated? Did you know that 35% of heat is lost through the walls of a property! By insulating the walls, you can dramatically decrease the amount of heat loss, and in doing so you should…
7 more things you need to ask yourself before installing solar PV
A few weeks ago we wrote a piece on ‘7 things you need to consider before installing solar PV’ In this blog we are going to continue the theme! Another 7 things you should consider… Should I use the electricity…
Magnetic Secondary Glazing
Secondary glazing is a fantastic solution in that it not only improves the energy efficiency of your home; it also allows you to preserve the charm and style of your original windows underneath. If you want to read more about…
When should I use my electric immersion heater?
If you have a fairly old boiler in your home, you may have a hot water tank too. The hot water tank stores the hot water as the boiler produces it, which you can then use as and when you…
Just how loud is an Air Source Heat Pump?
With the imminent launch of the renewable heat incentive, interest in heat pumps is really hotting up. One of the frequently asked questions we get by customers is just how loud are air source heat pumps when they are in…
Check your energy bill now!
An unpleasant surprise from my Energy Supplier! About a week ago I received my monthly energy statement from one of the big six energy suppliers. Since it was about a year since I swapped over to them, I thought it…
Loft insulation and Storage
Want to use your loft for storage, but still want it insulated? Many of us store old bits and pieces in the loft like luggage and Christmas decorations, but one of the biggest problems is storing these on wool insulation…
Can battery storage become economical?
Some of you may have heard of Tesla, the American company that produces high-end electric vehicles. It was recently announced that they are going to build a new factory – dubbed the Gigafactory – to help meet growing demand for their…
TheGreenAge At ECObuild 2014
We had a fantastic first day meeting potential new customers yesterday at ECObuild 2014. For those that don’t know, ECObuild is the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment in addition to being the UK’s largest…
Solar PV Feed-in Tariff Reducing on 1st April 2014
On the first of April 2014, the headline solar PV feed in tariff is reducing to 14.38p / kWh from 14.90p / kWh. For an average 4 kW system (16 panels), this would reduce the annual return by about £20.…
Coefficient of Performance and Seasonal Performance Factor
When it comes to researching heat pumps, you will come across two terms constantly that you need to understand – Coefficient of Performance (often abbreviated to CoP) and Seasonal Performance Factor (abbreviated to SPF). Understanding what these terms mean is…
Consider insulating your home before installing a heat pump!
A well insulated house is key prior to installing a heat pump With the launch of the renewable heat incentive fast approaching, we are getting more and more interest in heat pumps. Put simply a heat pump works by transferring…
Review – British Gas Hive Active Heating
Is British Gas Hive Any Good? There have been a lot of adverts on television at the moment regarding Hive – the new Active heating kit from British Gas. Included in your Hive Active Heating Kit is a thermostat (wireless),…
The First Tidal Lagoon Power Plant in the World!
The World’s first Tidal Lagoon power plant in Swansea Bay Some good news for the renewable energy sector today, with the news that plans have been submitted to produce the world’s first tidal lagoon power plant. Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay…
Should I buy a new energy efficient Fridge-Freezer?
When it comes to energy efficiency, we appreciate how difficult it is to gauge when an appliance is worth replacing. Customers ask us on a daily basis whether they should replace old TVs, Microwaves and Freezers. There is clearly now…
Video – Nick Miles on Sky News Sunrise
TheGreenAge on Sky News – 27th January 2014 Nick Miles, our Commercial Director is talking to Sky News Sunrise about Soap Stars and the Energy Efficiency of their homes. Watch Nick’s interview with television legend Eamonn Holmes and Sky’s Charlotte…
Air Source Heat Pumps Vs. Ground Source heat Pumps
Now the Renewable Heat incentive has launched, we are going to take a look at the key differences between an air source heat pump and a ground source heat pump, to help you make a better informed investment decision! A bit of background…
How do you insulate hard to treat cavity walls?
According to Government statistics, there are currently 5.75m houses in the UK that are still in need of cavity wall insulation. Of these, 4.6 million are classed as having hard to treat cavity walls. What is a hard to treat…
TheGreenAge Top Ten New Years Resolutions for 2014
With 2014 almost upon us it is time to think of some New Years resolutions. In the following article we have come up with a few ideas to get you started. We have split our energy efficiency resolutions into 1, 2…
Hypermiling – drive more efficiently!
What is Hypermiling? Hypermiling is a technique used by drivers to maximise fuel economy; there are numerous adjustments that can be made to your car and driving technique that maximise the amount of mileage you get from a standard tank…
A Nation of ‘Secret Heaters’
Household temperature is joint top cause of festive family squabbles in Britain Research released today by energy efficiency experts TheGreenAge has revealed that one in four UK adults (26%) have had an argument about the central heating, a figure expected…
Our review of Ovo Energy
When doing a review of the energy market in the UK, “satisfaction” is far from being the prominent trend. A nationwide survey of 1000 energy users found that a shocking 39% of people don’t trust their energy provider and that…
Green Deal Loan: Early Repayment
UPDATE: As of 30 March 2016, the government has stopped funding and the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund is closed to new applications. Read more here. What is The Green Deal? The Green Deal is the new Government initiative aimed at…
Spray foam insulation FAQ
What is spray foam insulation? Spray foam insulation is a type of insulation that can be used in the roof space at either the joist or rafter level, to help keep warm air in the home during the winter and…
Should I buy insulated doors?
Rising Energy Costs in these difficult times If you pick a paper at the moment, it is hard to avoid reports of spiralling energy costs and the pressure that is putting on households. As a result, it is now more…
The energy industry: Key facts and figures 2013
In the following article I am going to take a some of the key energy industry facts and figures, I have tried to pull the relevant information out and then present this is a fairly basic format. I hope once…
10 advantages of infrared heating panels
Infrared heating is relatively new to the UK, however the Austrians and Germans have now been using it for decades to great effect. Have you ever been outside on a fresh winter morning and felt the warmth of the sun…
End of the Road for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO)?
Ahead of the Autumn Statement, which is due to be announced on 5th December, I thought I would take a look at the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). ECO is just one of a number of Government policies aimed at increasing…
Improving the energy efficiency of a flat
Improving the energy efficiency of my flat – what are my options? With winter basically upon us, you may be one of the millions of flat owners here in the UK wondering how you can stop your home from being…
The increasing efficiency of renewable energy
Renewable efficiency: the price drop per watt of renewables over the last 30 years The last thirty years have seen impressive technological advances in solar, wind and tidal energy generation. Previously considered a fringe technology, they have now become very…
Watch James installing Ecoease secondary glazing
In this video James installs Ecoease Secondary Glazing – a fantastic way to lower energy bills and help significantly reduce external noise! Video link here: James Ecoease If you would like to buy Ecoease Magnetic Secondary Glazing please click on…
Getting to grips with U-values!
Getting to grips with U-values! U-values might seem a pretty dull subject; however it is absolutely key that you understand them so that you can insulate your home with the most appropriate material. You can learn more about what a…
Energy Bill Breakdown – The Different components that make up your Energy Bill
Wholesale Energy costs So, starting with the main component of your energy bill; the wholesale energy cost is the price of electricity and gas that energy retailers (British Gas, E.ON, Npower, etc) buy from the energy market. This makes up…
Time of Use Tariff
Update: Four years on, the first Time of Use tariff has now been introduced. Read about it here. Ahead of our launch of the smart grid section on TheGreenAge, I thought I would open with a blog about Time of…
The Annual Energy Statement 2013
The Government released their annual energy statement last week, right in the midst of a furore created by the opposing political parties trading blows over energy policy and the ‘Big Six’ beginning to detail their Autumn energy price increases. In…
Radiators – your one stop guide!
We get tons of questions from our customers regarding radiators: when to change them, when to flush them, how to bleed them and so forth – so here we have produced a one stop guide to radiators and all the…
The Autumn 2013 Energy Price Rises
SSE First to announce Autumn 2013 Energy Price Rises We all woke up to the news this morning that SSE has decided to put energy prices up by 8.2% from mid November. This is the first of the ‘Big 6’…
Linking solar PV and the immersion heater
Immersion heaters powered by Solar PV Solar PV panels produce electricity from the sun; these panels can be coupled with the immersion heater on the hot water tank to produce free hot water using a device known as a power…
Looking for a completely free new boiler in London?
Are you looking for a free replacement boiler in London? Look no further! TheGreenAge can now offer free replacement gas boilers for households all across London provided they meet the criteria set out below. Your new boiler will be a…
The Green Deal Under Fire
The Green Deal has really come under fire over the last few months – some of it is justified, some of it inaccurate. I want to break down some of the criticisms and give you an honest appraisal of the…
Top 10 Energy saving tips for students
Being a student is fantastic: cheap drinks; lie ins all day; no parents; no bedtimes – but the Uni experience can often be hindered by a common phase heard around campus:ways to help you keep those energy bills down. “I…
What kind of insulation should I use in my loft space?
So the time of year has come where the weather is getting colder and we are all wondering how best to keep our homes warm. Something everyone should consider getting is loft insulation. In the following blog, I look at the…
Could Negawatts revolutionise the Energy Industry?
What exactly is a Negawatt? Coined by famous economist Amory Lovins, the term simply refers to avoided energy use, or saved energy. The simplest way of illustrating this is to imagine a 60-watt incandescent bulb producing light. If you replaced…
Putting spotlights under the spotlight – GU10 versus MR16
The GU10 and the MR16 are the main two spotlights used in the home today. Most people have them in their kitchens and/or lounges and unfortunately the existing halogen spotlights are incredibly expensive to run. Both types of spotlight are…
Do storage heaters still have a place in the home?
[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…
Why do people hate wind turbines?
Over recent years the polarising impact of wind turbines seems to have become an every day occurrence in the media. But why are people so against wind turbines? And why is the UK so hell-bent on persevering with it as…
Thermal liner – a cheaper way to insulate walls?
Options to insulate the walls of your home Up to 35% of heat in the home is lost through the walls, therefore insulating them will massively lower your energy bills. If your home was built after 1935, the chances are…
James and Nick discuss the potential impending energy crisis!
So last week, Nick and I sat down and he asked me my thoughts on this much discussed impending energy crisis. If you can’t stand to watch us on video (can’t blame you!) then read the two of these blogs…
The Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2013 – my thoughts!
The Digest of UK Energy Statistics was today released by DECC and in the following blog I am just going to briefly detail the three take home messages and my personal take on them. Energy production is down, but demand…
The Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Tariffs (finally) confirmed!
After much waiting and considerable government deliberation, the feed-in-tariffs for the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme has finally been announced. This means that generating energy using alternative renewable sources such as heat pumps and solar thermal will now get you money…
Energy efficiency ideas for the summer
You may have noticed if you ventured outside or you have taken a ride on the London Underground that Summer is now very much upon us, so in this blog I want to tell you a few ways you can…
Solar Generation Tariff with the Export Kicker!
I thought in this blog I would just briefly share a discussion I had with a lady on Tuesday, during a Green Deal Assessment. She was interested in solar, her electricity bills were really high and she was a stay…
Washing machines are amazing but…
Washing machines are amazing. I honestly couldn’t imagine life without one – they are however quite costly to run. Aside from the initial purchase price, they require both electricity and water to run, and you also need to feed them…
Solar prices are crashing – great for consumers!
Solar Prices are Getting Cheaper In a world that seems to be getting more expensive on a daily basis it is refreshing to read that one of the great hopes for our future energy security is significantly reducing in price…
Triple glazing – Is it worth it?
What is triple glazing? Put simply, triple glazing is 3 panes of glass instead of 1 or 2. The claim is that by having an extra pane, you will increase efficiency and reduce noise. We already know that double glazing…
Should we build the Severn Barrage? – Surely a no brainer!
[Update: this project has been refined and the Swansea Tidal Lagoon has now been given the go-ahead. Read more here.] Some disappointing news today, after it emerged that a Governmental Select Committee rejected the plans for a £25bn barrage on…
Getting Solar PV on your roof – is it worth it?!
As part of the Green Deal, I am going to a lot homes at the moment and solar PV tends to come up a lot. People are unsure about how the numbers stack-up, they have heard in the news about…
Who Turned Out All the Lights – Part 2
Energy Crisis in the UK It has been just 4 months since I wrote my first ‘who turned all the lights off’ article. In it, I explained about our impending energy crisis, but if you missed it, the headline figures…
The True Cost of a Barrel of Oil
A Few Oil Basics Today, almost everyone is reliant on oil in some way or another. Many of us rely on petrol cars and buses to get to work as well as taking flights to go on holiday. However, there…
Who turned all the lights off?
Our Current Energy Picture In September 2012, the UK Energy regulatory body, OFGEM, speculated that the UK might suffer from blackouts as soon as 2015 – but why? The UK recently signed up to the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD),…
Imagine Life without Electricity
Imagine life without electricity Well, first off you wouldn’t be reading this; in fact the internet wouldn’t exist at all. Business systems would fail, emergency services would become futile, there would be limited transport, limited communication, and most of the…
The Green Economy
A bit about me! I studied Zoology at University, much to the amusement of my friends; the reasons for this area of study were twofold, firstly I had a fantastic biology teacher at school and secondly because I had a…