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Insulation features heavily in EST's energy saving tips
Cavity wall, loft and solid wall insulation have all been named amongst the Energy Saving Trust's (EST) top ten tips for reducing power consumption and bills.
The list, produced as part of Energy Saving Week 2013, states that cavity wall insulation can save families around £140 each... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
SNP would scrap green subsidies if elected
The Scottish National Party (SNP) has said it will scrap energy subsidies if it is elected to govern an independent Scotland.
Such subsidies have been blamed by energy companies as part of the reason they have had to push up tariff changes recently.
Earlier this week, npower announced that it will... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
npower increases energy prices by 10.4%
Another week has brought another energy company pushing up its tariff charges.
This time it is npower, who have announced dual-fuel bill increases or 10.4 per cent from December 1st.
That surpasses the increases of 8.2 per cent and 9.2 per cent announced by SSE and British Gas respectively in the... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Risk of blackouts is very real, says report
Energy blackouts are a real risk in the next two years and not just an attempt to scaremonger by suppliers, a new report has stated.
Research from the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) found that while blackouts are still unlikely, they could happen if financial incentives are not given to... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
British Gas announces energy price hike
British Gas has followed SSE's lead and announced that it will be increasing its energy prices from next month.
The firm will push up tariff charges by 9.2 per cent from November 23rd in a move that will affect almost eight million customers.
SSE's prices will rise by 8.2 per cent a... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Cost of heating royal homes soars
Regular households are not the only ones having to deal with higher than expected energy costs this winter.
New research from the Royal Estate shows that the Queen's residences are also getting more expensive to heat.
Over the last 12 months, usage of gas at Buckingham Palace has increased by... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Green taxes will double, DECC report states
Taxes paid on energy bills to cover green initiatives will double in the next few years, costing households an extra £300 per annum.
This is according to a new report from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) which shows that green policies already make up 17 per cent of the... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Insulation provides the best way of combating energy price rises, says NIA
The National Insulation Association (NIA) is urging households to consider installing insulation as a way of offsetting the rise in price of gas and electricity.
The body's suggestion comes after energy supplier SSE announced that it will be increasing its tariff charges by 8.2 per cent from... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Energy secretary says government is powerless against some price rises
Ed Davey, the energy secretary, has claimed that the coalition is powerless to prevent energy prices from rising.
At a time when many British families are concerned over the cost of heating their homes this winter, it was hoped that the government may give a little reassurance.
But Mr Davey said... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Some families will have to choose between "heating and eating" this winter
Financial journalist Martin Lewis has said that energy price hikes will leave many families having to choose between "heating and eating" this winter.
Yesterday (October 10th), SSE announced that its tariff costs will rise by 8.2 per cent on November 15th and it is likely that the... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
2014 Part L, 2015 Section 6 and no more Code for Sustainable Homes
April 2014 the delayed amendment to the 2010 England and Wales building regulations – Part L will come into force. These tighter demands will require a 6% improvement on the Target Emissions Rate for domestic properties and a 9% improvement for non-domestic buildings. Specific U... More >
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SSE to increase energy prices by 8.2%
SSE has announced that it will be increasing its gas and electricity prices by 8.2 per cent on November 15th.
A price hike has been expected for some time, with many speculating which of the country's 'Big Six' providers would make the move first.
The increase will take the average SSE... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Boiler trouble is a major worry to households this winter
More than two in ten households have suffered problems with their boilers in the past year, research from price comparison website uSwitch.com has found.
On top of that, 37 per cent of people do not have any boiler cover because they feel it is too costly.
That said, 34 per cent stated they are... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Energy helpline launched by Scottish government
The Scottish government has launched an energy hotline which consumers can use to get advice on keeping warm this winter as well as apply for funding towards efficiency measures such as insulation.
Nicola Sturgeon, deputy first minister, is to launch an awareness campaign in order to... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Energy firms accept its time to adapt or die
Most large energy providers feel they will have to change the way they operate because they way in which people consumer power is changing.
A new survey carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) found that 94 per cent of 53 leading executives in the UK's energy sector believe new methods of... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Risk of blackouts at its highest level since 2007
The risk of energy blackouts this winter is at its highest level for more than six years.
Richard Smith, head of energy strategy and policy for the National Grid, has said the network's electricity margin could fall as low as five per cent if temperatures fall and demand soars in the next few... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
NIA announces details for its annual conference
The National Insulation Association (NIA) has announced that its Annual Conference will take place at the Holiday Inn in Stratford upon Avon on Thursday December 5th.
The conference, which will have around 300 delegates, is an opportunity for people working in the insulation sector to voice their... More >
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Just 2% of Brits switched energy providers in Q2
Despite concerns over high energy bills, figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) show that just two per cent of consumers switched to a cheaper tariff in the second quarter of this year.
The Daily Mail believes that fears of mis-selling cases has made people wary of... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
500 Lincolnshire homes to receive free insulation
More than 500 households in North Lincolnshire are set to benefit from free external wall insulation this winter thanks to a £4.7 million improvement programme.
Funded by the housing association North Lincolnshire Homes, the first phase got under way this week on the Manor Farm Estate in... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
E.ON scraps tariff for elderly people
Thousands of older people could experience an increase in their energy bills after E.ON announced that it will be removing its StayWarm tariff, which offered fixed rates to people over 60.
The Germany-owned company said new rules from Ofgem limiting the number of tariffs it can offer means tough... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Chris Grayling hails shale gas as solution for keeping down bills
Chris Grayling, Conservative MP for Epsom and Ewell, has said that shale gas offers the best way of keeping energy bills low, not tariff freezes.
The gas is highly controversial as extracting it involves a process known as fracking, which has been linked to earthquakes and other environmental... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Most Brits want an energy price freeze now
The majority of Brits want energy prices to be frozen by the current government.
This is according to a new survey conducted by the Labour Party in the wake of leader Ed Milliband's promise to freeze tariffs if elected to power in 2015.
Some 58 per cent of respondents said they want to see the c... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Energy firm says 'why wait for Ed?' and offers fixed rates up to 2017
Energy supplier npower has said consumer's don't have to hope Labour win the next general election in order to fix their tariff prices until 2017.
At last week's Labour party conference in Brighton, Ed Miliband said he would ensure energy prices are frozen for 20 months if he is... More >
Categories: Thermal Insulation
London council launches external wall insulation scheme
Hillingdon Council is to provide a large number of its tenants with external wall insulation to help them cut their bills and keep warm this winter.
Entitled 'Warm and Cozy', the scheme is run in partnership with Dyson Energy Services and funded by energy suppliers and the government... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
5% of Brits have borrowed to pay energy bills
One in 20 people have had to borrow money to pay their energy bills, according to new research from the Debt Advisory Centre.
Some five per cent of Brits (the equivalent of 2.5 million) have had to take out a loan or use a credit card in order to settle their gas, electricity and water bills.
The... More >
Categories: Thermal Insulation
Greg Barker says households should be able to choose between 60,000 energy suppliers
Energy and climate change minister Greg Barker has said he'd like to see British consumers have a choice between 60,000 energy suppliers instead of a market dominated by the current "Big Six".
In response to Ed Miliband's promise to freeze energy tariffs for 20 months if Labour... More >
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NIA says cross-party agreements can lead to energy savings now
In a week that has been dominated by stories on the pros and cons of Labour's plans to freeze energy prices if they are elected to power in 2015, the National Insulation Association (NIA) says political parties should come together now to agree a new home insulation programme.
Neil Marshall,... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Labour will scrap the Green Deal if elected
Labour will scrap the coalition's Green Deal if it is voted into office in the 2015 general election.
The initiative was launched earlier this year as a way of providing people with loans they can use to make their homes more energy efficient, such as installing insulation and/or updating... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Soap can clean up the energy market
Experts at Salford University believe that homes can be insulated by using bars of soap.
Researchers Dr Yusuf Arayici and Lee Read have been testing new ways to make keep homes warm without damaging the environment for some time.
And they feel that soap offers the best alternative to insulation... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation
Britain has one the best energy production sectors
The UK has one of the best systems for producing energy in the world.
This is according to the World Energy Council, which puts the country level with the likes of Denmark, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, each of which have a AAA energy rating.
Such a rating is awarded as a result of the... More >
Categories: Solid Wall Insulation