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Posts Tagged ‘energy’

EDF increases electricity cost by 7.5%

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Yesterday EDF Energy joined the rest of the rest of the big six energy suppliers un the UK by raising their electricity prices by 7.5% and their gas prices by 6.5% effective 2nd March 2011.

This lastest price rise has angered consumers as it follows closely on the heals of the last price from EDF Energy which was published only in October 2010.

Analysts predict that the high price of oil, high wholesale energy costs, increased network charges and new environmental obligations will continue to push the price of energy up.

Tags: energy, energy bills
Posted in News | 4 Comments »

British city centres built in the 60’s & 70’s will have to be torn down to meet carbon targets

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

70's office block

In an interview with The Times, Paul Morrell of the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills said: “In the Sixties, everything was built cheaper, faster and nastier. If you are going to try to fix buildings, then really you won’t have too many problems with anything built earlier than the Fifties or after the Eighties.

Although you can do some things to buildings from the Sixties and Seventies, like replacing the roofs, there are probably some places that need to come down entirely.

The buildings that pose the most difficulties are semi-industrialised, highly inefficient, badly insulated and so ugly that they are not worth refurbishing.”

Mr Morrell has been charged with ridding the construction industry of carbon to meet a government target to cut UK carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. The Government has a target for all new commercial buildings built from 2018 to be zero-carbon, but a strategy for how to deal with existing stock has yet to be established.

Tags: 70's buildings, building stock, Carbon Reduction, energy
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ACTION NEEDED TO ENSURE BRITAIN’S ENERGY SUPPLIES REMAIN SECURE

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Ofgem's proposals

Ofgem recommends far reaching energy market reforms to consumers, industry and government

The unprecedented combination of the global financial crisis, tough environmental targets, increasing gas import dependency and the closure of ageing power stations has combined to cast reasonable doubt over whether the current energy arrangements will deliver secure and sustainable energy supplies

Prompt action will reduce risk to energy supplies, help lower costs to consumers and help progress towards climate change targets

Ofgem today published its Project Discovery conclusions after extensive consultation and analysis. They confirm the need to act to deliver both security of supply and environmental objectives at affordable prices beyond the middle of this decade. Prompt action will ensure that consumers do not pay more than is necessary and also allows time for a wider range of reforms to be considered.

Ofgem’s Chief Executive, Alistair Buchanan, said: “The overwhelming majority of responses to Ofgem’s October consultation show that there is an increasing consensus that leaving the present system of market arrangements and other incentives unchanged is not an option. Ofgem has therefore put forward a range of possible options to unlock the up to £200 billion of investment Britain may need. We are keen to work with Government to find the best way forward.”

Tags: energy, Ofgem
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Schools to get smart meters

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Junior school children leaving school

Partnership for Schools (PfS) will be responsible for rolling out the display meters projects to all British schools. The selected private sector partner will be British Gas.

From this month (January 2010) schools should be able to sign up to receive one of these meters at a new web site to be published by PfS.

The meters will provide data on energy usage for the whole school site. This can then be made available to students, staff and parents.

If schools are interested in finding out exactly where their electricity is being used, down to the individual socket or distribution board level, they would need to install further smart meters. Adding smart meters with switching would allow for full control of the schools electricity spend.

The Carbon Trust estimates that the behavioral changes accompanying the installation of simple smart meters can bring 10-15% reductions in electricity consumed. Using a full system of smart meters and switches throughout the school could bring that saving up to 37%.

Tags: Carbon Trust, energy, energy bills, schools, Smart Meters
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Energy companies may pass on full cost of Smart Meters to customers

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

We we delighted when the government announced the £8 billion scheme to put a smart meter in every home.

Lord Hunt, the Energy Minister, said: “Smart meters will put the power in people’s hands, enabling us all to control how much energy we use, cut emissions and cut bills.”

We couldn’t agree more. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Originally, the government told us that the 47 million smart meters would be fitted free to 26 million properties by 2020 saving on average 10% of the electricity used.

Earlier this week, however, it emerged in official documents that the energy providers would be responsible for fitting the smart meters and that they would be allowed to recoup the £340 installation cost from their customers.

Martyn Hocking, spokesman for Which, said: “We’re concerned that consumers could be saddled with the entire multi-billion pound bill for a project that’s going to save the industry hundreds of millions of pounds a year.”

Somehow, that doesn’t seem fair.

Tags: energy, energy bills, Smart Meters
Posted in News | No Comments »

Specify the correct size cooling plant

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

According to the Government’s 2003 Energy White Paper, buildings are responsible for about 44% of all carbon emissions in the UK. Lord Redesdale, vice chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group, has stated that more than a billion tonnes of carbon emissions could be saved from existing buildings by introducing very simple measures such as improving glazing, insulation and heating control.

In addition to this, commercial buildings consume, on average, about 30% more energy than they should and many, such as hotels, are far worse than this. Poorly specified, commissioned, controlled and maintained systems are to blame.

Oversized cooling plant is a particular problem with many systems designed to cope with peak summer temperatures that occur for only very short periods. Often a further 10% capacity is then added at the design stage for luck! Plant sized way beyond optimum has a hugely detrimental effect on lifecycle running costs.

The MACH control system can help. By gaining close control over energy usage throughout the building you can specify smaller, cheaper to buy and cheaper to run heating or cooling plant. By linking heating and cooling to MACH’s centralised intelligent server you can prevent energy wastage further reducing running costs. Typical savings are 30-35%.

To find out more contact us on 01733 267148 or by email at info@interiorcontrol.co.uk

Tags: capacity, cooling, energy, heating
Posted in Carbon Reduction | 2 Comments »