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10 Things to Consider When Purchasing an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP)
Air source heat pump technology rose in prominence in the 2010s in the UK, with the help of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) – a subsidy paying for the low carbon heating generated to the improver, incentivising the take-up. Now…
DIY over the May Bank Holiday!
DIY this Bank holiday Celebrity DIY expert Tommy Walsh has pulled together some top tips to get people through the bank holiday weekend after stats showed that 45% of Britain’s homeowners will spend the extra day making improvements to their homes,…
How should we ventilate new homes in London?
As those of you living in the South East are no doubt aware, property prices are rising alarmingly rapidly (prices in London have risen by 18% in the last year). With further increases predicted to continue, it is becoming much…
Energy Efficiency Shop Post Christmas Sale
Until midnight on Sunday 5th January 2014, we are offering 10% off our entire catalogue of products in the TheGreenAge energy efficiency shop! With energy prices rising at an alarming 10% each year, there has never been a better time…
Carbon Dioxide levels hitting 400ppm – what’s the problem with that?
400ppm, What’s the big deal? It’s been widely reported over the last couple of weeks that Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere have exceeded 400 parts per million. It’s a big deal, for several reasons: 1. Levels have been rising on…
The Green Deal: Customer Feedback So Far
Having done a number of Green Deal assessments to date, it has been interesting to get the customer feedback on how they potentially see the scheme helping them increase the energy efficiency of their home and also go over some…
The cost of leaving appliances in standby mode
What is standby mode? Most appliances today have a standby mode, which historically have been included on appliances to allow them to switch on very quickly or to power a display such as the time, while not actually fully switched…
My hope for Tidal energy!
New Tidal Energy Projects In late February, I came across the news that a £70m tidal project in Anglesey has been given the final go-ahead. I think this is fantastic news, since it is one of the few large-scale tidal…
Understanding your Green Deal Report
Key things to understand on your Green Deal Report As part of the Green Deal Assessment a Green Deal Report is created, and it is this piece of paper that you take to Green Deal Providers. The Green Deal Providers…
TheGreenAge team goes to CeBIT!
Hi guys, James and I, are on our way home from Code_n competition at CeBIT, Hannover, Europe’s premier Technology and IT fair. We took part in the Code_n competition, which for two years now has showcased innovative and sustainable start-ups.…
Pros and Cons of Onshore Wind Turbines
UK Onshore Wind Turbines In this weeks blog we are going to look at the advantages of onshore wind turbines. In the UK, wind energy plays a significant role in our energy mix, providing enough electricity to power 4.5m homes…
First Day of the Green Deal – Truths and Untruths
The Green Deal, which is the government’s flagship initiative to improve energy efficiency in existing UK homes, has had its official launch this morning. Registration for the Green Deal has been available since October 2012, but homeowners, landlords and tenants…
Cheaper Offshore Wind Turbines on the Horizon?
State of Wind Power in the UK According to RenewableUK, there are now 370 wind farms in the UK, providing just under 20,000,000,000 KWh of electricity to the grid each year. Based on an average house using 4,500 of electricity…
2012 Environment and Energy Round-up; What Can We Do Differently in 2013?
2012 Positives in the UK The year just passed showed some encouraging signs for renewables in the UK; Installed capacity was up almost 25% from 2010 to 2011 topping 12,000MW. In September, early figures for 2012 showed this figure exceeding 14,000MW. Mainstays…
Warren Buffett – The Man With A (solar PV) Plan!
2013 started pretty well for the renewables industry with news that Warren Buffett is investing a further £1.5bn in what will become the largest solar PV development in the world. Mr Buffett is widely regarded as the most successful investor…
Prince Charles – our new environmental torchbearer!
It appears our Royal Family is experiencing a real surge in popularity at the moment, gaining favourable coverage across the country. This was compounded by the announcement at the end of last year that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting…
Avoiding energy poverty this winter
Fuel poverty means that 10% or more of your wage is spent keeping your home warm. In May 2012, the Government produced their fuel poverty report that highlighted 3.5 million people were living in fuel poverty during 2010. The report…
Five easy-to-install energy efficiency measures this winter
1. Loft insulation Loft insulation is one of the most popular ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home. It can be very cost effective, making an instant impact on the comfort of your home. The loft insulation helps…
Your Guide to the Doha Climate Change Conference – Nov’ 2012
Doha Climate Change This week, the latest round of UN climate change talks have kicked off in Doha (the capital of Qatar). More than 17,000 participants will gather in the Middle Eastern state over the next two weeks, including our…
A buyer’s guide to choosing the right LED lighting
A Buyer’s Guide to choosing the right LED bulb If you have been a regular follower of TheGreenAge blog, you will know that we are huge supporters of the LED lighting revolution. Not only do LED lights offer up to…
Smart meters: An answer to the looming energy crisis?
The Problem and smart solutions We already know that the UK is heading for an energy crisis. By 2015, the closing of some coal power stations means the total capacity of the grid will be just a few percent above…
November Feed-in Tariff cuts for Solar PV
Solar PV panels – are they still worth it? The benefits of solar energy are obvious – free sunlight can cut your electricity bills, you can be paid for the electricity you generate (even if you use it) and you…
The US Presidential Candidates and their Green Credentials – A UK Point-of-View
Update 8th November 2012: Since this article was written Mr Obama has won a second term as President of the United States. You can see our thoughts on what impact this may have over the next 4 years at the bottom of…
Simplifying the Green Deal
An Easy to Understand Guide to the Green Deal This week sees the launch of the Government’s flagship Green Deal initiative. Some have described it as being an overly complex initiative that’s doomed to failure, but in this article we…
Forget about a third runway at Heathrow – let’s improve our railways!
Why might we need to build a third runway at Heathrow? The first public railways opened in the UK during the early 19th century, and ever since, they’ve been a key part of our transport infrastructure, allowing us to ferry…
Get Paid To Produce Hot Water – The Renewable Heat Incentive.
What is the RHI Scheme? On 20th September 2012, Greg Barker MP, Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, released the first consultation on the proposals for the domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme. This document…
What the Latest Cabinet Reshuffle Means for the Environment
Why Did the Cabinet Reshuffle Occur? On the 4th September, the Prime Minister announced the first major cabinet reshuffle of the coalition government with the intention of getting the economy moving. While nervous cabinet ministers and their junior colleagues were…
The Severn Barrage – Might It Finally Happen?!
I heard some really good news this week that David Cameron has asked for a re-examination of the Severn Barrage business case. This ambitious construction proposal was killed off as a project back in 2010 due to the environmental concerns…
1st August 2012, Changes To The Feed-in Tariff
The Headline Cuts To The Feed-in Tariff On the 1st August 2012, the solar PV Feed-in Tariff saw another round of cuts, with the subsidy dropping from 21p to 16p per kilowatt-hour. This latest fall in the subsidy comes hot…
When Will We Reach The Solar Tipping Point?
What is the Solar Power Tipping Point? The solar power tipping-point is coming. In fact, in some countries with particularly high energy costs and lots of sun (like Hawaii), it has already been reached. The tipping point, also known as…
Self Sustaining Communities in Britain
‘Great’ Britain The suspension bridge, penicillin, first intercity railway. What do these things all have in common? Answer – they are all Great British discoveries, with varying degrees of desirable effects. More importantly, these inventions are synonymous with a time…
A Call To Arms
‘Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children’ I have a lot…
Tying up a few loose ends – Your Electricity Bill & The Electricity Mix
Before I got involved in TheGreenAge, it is fair to say that my electricity bill would arrive on a quarterly basis and I would eventually reluctantly pay it without really ever looking at it. I knew that in the winter…
Why Should 3rd World Countries Give a Hoot About the Environment?
Rio+20 summit is only days away, and hopefully we will see a way forward in the form of a joined-up, global agreement on emissions. However, I was reading about the reluctance of Asian countries to accept the EU’s air-traffic carbon…
Take Home Messages from the Draft Energy Bill 2012
On Tuesday 22nd May, Edward Davey, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change published the first draft of the Energy Bill that could define the electricity production market place for many years to come. In the following post…
Extended Range Electric Cars (E-REV) – Doing away with range anxiety
[Update: This blog was written in 2012. Since then, electric cars have evolved a lot; most now have ranges of between 150-300 miles. Read about recent models below.] [button_page_link title=”Why buy an electric car?” url=”https://www.thegreenage.co.uk/should-i-buy-an-electric-car/” image=”https://www.thegreenage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-04-at-12.41.57-780×350.png” button_text=”Read more”][/button_page_link] Range Anxiety…
Hydrogen Powering Fuel Cells as a Solution for our Future Energy Needs
Why should we talk more about Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology? You may have heard of hydrogen powered cars or fuel cell CHP boilers, they are relatively new products, but how exactly do they work? In this blog we put…
What is fracking and should we be nervous?
What is Fracking? I came across the term Fracking only fairly recently, in someone’s tweet on Twitter. I had no idea what it meant at the time, but have since learnt that the US are lapping it up, with the…
Boris Bikes, politicians and environmental policy
In my youth I remember walking the streets of Amsterdam and being distracted by some peculiar sites. When I was on my way to the Van Gogh museum, honest m’lud, I was almost run over by cyclists. It was a…
Hosepipe Ban in the UK 2012– what does it mean for you?
UK Hosepipe Ban – April 2012 Please note: Since this was written, the ban has been lifted as the UK has endured record rainfall and flooding over the last year or so. After a severe lack of rain over the…
Zac Goldsmith @ the Guardian & Observer Open Weekend
Last weekend (24th & 25th March), I attended an open discussion between Ian Katz (Deputy Editor of the Guardian) and Zac Goldsmith (Conservative MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston), which was part of the Guardian and Observer open weekend.…
Impending Oil Tanker Strikes in UK, Further highlighting reliance on Petrol & Diesel
With oil tanker strikes looming on the horizon which could have a detrimental impact on the UK, we take a look at what it means to the UK and a potential longer term preventative cure…. Earlier this month (March 2012),…
Budget 2012 – a green budget?
The roadmap for the UK Budget for 2012/13 was set out Wednesday by the Chancellor, George Osborne, but what does it mean for our Green Sector and Cleantech in the UK? In 2010, PM David Cameron, pledged that this government…