In Search of Clean Power

In this, the last of his Big Ideas programmes, James May (of Top Gear fame) tries to find smarter, brighter and bolder ways of powering the planet for future generations. So James sets off on a global search to find people who share his dream. It takes him from Guildford, where he takes a solar powered car to its limit at night, to the US where he joins some aerospace engineers who are trying to build an 'elevator' into space.

In Holland, he meets the first Dutchman in space who has put away his rockets and has swapped them for kites as he tries to harvest the power of the jet-stream. And finally, in the deserts of New Mexico, James seeks out some modern-day alchemists, who offer the promise of allowing him to drive his car on petrol conjured out of thin air.

There will be a few familiar sites in this episode with the Marine Current Turbine in Strangford Lough and the Solar Tower in Saville, which have previously been mentioned in this blog.

You can catch this program on the BBC iPlayer for a few days yet.

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Earth: The Climate Wars: Fightback

Earth is a new three-part documentary series based on climate change and began on BBC2 on 7th September, all screened episodes are available on BBC iPlayer (UK Only).

In the latest episode, Dr Iain Stewart investigates the counter attack that was launched by the global warming sceptics in the 1990s.

At the start of the 1990s it seemed the world was united. At the Rio Earth summit the world signed up to a programme of action to start tackling climate change. Even George Bush was there. But the consensus didn't last.

Iain examines the scientific arguments that developed as the global warming sceptics took on the climate change consensus. The sceptics attacked almost everything that scientists held to be true. They argued that the planet wasn't warming up, that even if it was it was nothing unusual, and certainly whatever was happening to the climate was nothing to do with human emissions of greenhouse gases.

Iain interviews some of the key global warming sceptics, and discovers how their positions have changed over time.


Related Articles
The Great Global Warming Swindle To Be Debated
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How Much Electricity Does a Dell Dimension C521 PC Use?

Computers are part of our every day life, no matter what our occupation. Computers are alledgedly responsible for as much CO2 as the shipping and airline industries, whether it be huge servers needing cooled or your standalone PC at home they take power, some more than others. But just how much power?

We tested a Dell Dimension c521 Desktop PC, manufactured in April 2007. Yesterday we published details of the Dell LCD monitor that came with this PC.

Shut Down; 3W

Start-up; 70 to 105W (Average approximately 81W)

Start-up (Logging into Vista); 100 to 111W

In Vista; 56 - 101W (Average approximately 90W)

Energy Saving Ideas for your PC

• Turn off Bluetooth, Infared and Wifi when not required
• Remove programs from start-up that are not required
• Instead of a screensaver, set up your computer to auto-snooze
  
• Close programs not in use
• Shut down rather than allow the computer to snooze
• Shedule auto-shutdown if you want to finish downloading files
  

Leaving your PC on for a year would use 788kWh and emit 426kg of CO2 and cost about £102.44.

For information on the electricity consumption of other products check out "How Much Electricity Does a ... Use?"

Please Note the energy use figures are taken from an energy monitor and are not scientifically analysed, therefore the range and margin of error is greater. If you would like a specific product tested let us know and we will endeavour to check it out.

What Does a Display Energy Certificate Look Like?

Click on images for a more detailed view.



A This provides information about the building that the DEC applies to.

B Every DEC has a unique number. This number can be used to locate and get a copy of the certificate from the national register and to verify the validity of a DEC.

C The energy used by the building is converted into an amount of carbon dioxide (CO2). Different types of fuel emit different amounts of CO2. This shows how the energy use has changed over the last three years. The smaller the bar, the better the performance. This building has improved its performance over the last three years. Below the zero line show CO2 savings from Low and Zero Carbon energy sources. The benchmark is the average energy performance for a building of this type. A number below the line indicates the building is below average energy performance. A number above the line indicates the building is above average performance.

D This section of the DEC shows Operational Ratings from previous years. This building has improved its Operational Rating i.e. is using less energy and emitting less CO2 than in previous reports.

E This shows key information about how the certificate was prepared.

• Assessment software
  This shows which energy assessment method was used to produce the certificate.
• Property reference
  This is a unique reference number which identifies the building.
• Assessor Name and Number Accreditation scheme
  This identifies the assessor who produced the certificate with details of their accreditation scheme and their membership number.
• Issue and nominated date
  This shows the date of issues of the certificate and the date from which the DEC is valid (i.e. the nominated date).

F This provides technical information about energy use. Further details are available in a full technical table.

G This shows the relevant elements of technical information used to produce the certificate.

• Main Heating Fuel
  This indicates the main type of fuel used to heat the building.
• Building Environment
  This indicates how the internal environment of the building is conditioned.
• Total useful floor area
  This is the total area of all enclosed spaces measured to the internal face of the external walls (in accordance with the definition in the Building Regulations).
• Asset Rating: The asset rating of a building reflects the energy performance of that building in terms of the way it is built rather than the way it is used (standard use is assumed). It will appear here if the building has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Asset ratings are on a scale of 0-150, where 0 is the most energy efficient building and 150 is the least energy efficient building.

H This is the Operational Rating for this building. The rating shows the energy performance of the building as it is being used by the occupants. A building with performance equal to one typical of its type would therefore have an Operational Rating of 100. A building that resulted in zero CO2 emissions would have an OR of zero, and a building that resulted in twice the typical CO2 emissions would have an OR of 200. This rating indicates the building is being operated below average performance for a building of this type.



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How Much Energy Does a Dell 19" LCD Monitor Use?

About 75% of us use LCD monitors, with the remainder using CRT monitors, but just how much energy does one use. We tested the Dell 19" Widescreen LCD SE198WFPf (image above is generic), manufactured in April 2007.

Standby: 1 to 2W

Brightness (75)

White Screen: 25W
Black Screen: 25W
General Screen: 25W

Brightness (100)

White Screen: 34W
Black Screen: 34W
General Screen: 34W

Brightness (00 ... You can still see everything but its very dull)

White Screen: 20W
Black Screen: 20W
General Screen: 20W

Leaving your LCD monitor on for a year would use 219kWh and emit 120kg of CO2 and cost about £28.47 at a brightness of 75

Ways to reduce your energy consumption;

• Switch Off when not in use
• Switch Off at mains on shut down
• Screensavers are pretty but environmentally unsound
• Lower the brightness of your monitor

Compare this to a CRT monitor, which typically use three times the energy of a LCD monitor, or about 75W (measurements vary for different colours).

CRTs may also contain toxic phosphors within the glass envelope. The glass envelopes of modern CRTs may be made from heavily leaded glass, which represent an environmental hazard. Indirectly heated vacuum tubes (including CRTs) use barium compounds and other reactive materials in the construction of the cathode and getter assemblies; normally this material will be converted into oxides upon exposure to the air, but care should be taken to avoid contact with the inside of all broken tubes.

In some jurisdictions, discarded CRTs are regarded as toxic waste. In October 2001, the United States Environmental Protection Agency created rules stating that CRTs must be brought to special recycling places. In November 2002, the EPA began fining companies that disposed of CRTs through landfills or incineration. Regulatory agencies, local and statewide, monitor the disposal of CRTs and other computer equipment.

In Europe, disposal of CRT televisions and monitors (as well as all electrical goods) is covered by the WEEE Directive.

For information on the electricity consumption of other products check out "How Much Electricity Does a ... Use?"

Please Note the energy use figures are taken from an energy monitor and are not scientifically analysed, therefore the range and margin of error is greater. If you would like a specific product tested let us know and we will endeavour to check it out.

Is Climate Change The Reason for the Westlink / Broadway Flood?

At the weekend during "freak" weather conditions, parts of Northern Ireland received in excess of August's rainfall in under 12hrs, leading to extensive flooding across the province, which lead to 850 calls to emergency services, and over 8000 calls for assistance from public service providers such as the Department of the Environment (DoE), Road Service NI, and Northern Ireland Water. Since I had not posted since Saturday, I'm sure you may have even thought I was stuck somewhere.

However, one iconic part of the road network in Belfast was left submerged in 20ft of water, capturing in excess of 20 million gallons of water. The Westlink and M1 upgrade scheme began in February 2006 at a cost of around £104m in a bid to solve the problems of daily rush-hour bottlenecks. The underpass was opened to traffic six weeks ago — 13 months ahead of schedule — and was designed to improve the strategic links between the M1, the M2 and the M3 motorways.

The Broadway roundabout underpass has two live rivers that run beside it, the Clowney Water to the west, and the Blackstaff adjacent to the east. These rivers are underground and therefore have a fixed capacity. Despite the construction of a large overflow chamber under Broadway roundabout. The design shape of the Westlink is effectively a basin or bowl which would funnel any water to the centre, this water would then drain away, making use of the overflow chamber. In the days preceding the "extraordinary event", there had been continued rainfall, this saturated the area which was worst affected, leading to the ground being unable to absorb any further rainfall. Rain then lay, or in the cases where it fell on uneven ground ran to the lowest point. This increased substantially the amount of water in rivers, and water from previous days were still filtering downwards. At the Clowney Water and Blackstaff, where the capacity is fixed, water could only pass through at normal rates, or increased rates at increased flow, so to cope with twice as much water, the river would have to have passed at twice normal speed, it can to a certain degree cope until no more when the waters will back up an eventually force the rivers to burst their banks.

This month has been the wettest August on record, with 177.8mm of rainfall so far. The last wettest August was in a 1956 with 161mm of rainfall. So how could climate change or global warming be to blame?

Research from Newcastle University in 2006 suggested that rain intensity has doubled in the UK over the last 40 years due to climate change, this has an affect on current systems which may have been designed to cope with large amounts of water over long periods, however as rainfall becomes heavier and more intense, these systems have to cope with the same amount of water but in a shorter time frame, as on Saturday; existing systems simply could not cope.

"If the trend continues, which is likely, this suggests we will have an increase in flooding over the coming years which has major implications for flood risk management"
Dr Hayley Fowler, Newcastle University

This may not be the last time that the Broadway underpass becomes submerged, holding the equivalent water of 32 Olympic swimming pools as the area flooded previously in December 2007, and that was before the underpass had been dug out, it's now only a matter of time and alot of intense rain before it happens again. Floods can also be exacerbated by plastic bags. Bangladesh, imposed the ban after it was revealed they were a major contributor to the 1988 and 1998 floods which submerged two-thirds of the country.

There is a great deal of sympathy for those who have been affected by the recent events, its hard to contemplate that it may be months or even a year before homes will be returned to normal, and the loss of irreplaceable items.

For those disposing of destroyed white goods and electronics, you should contact the council for a free household amenities collection. When replacing white goods, consider purchasing the most energy efficient appliances.



Related Articles
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Photos
Belfast Telegraph (2-5)

How Much Energy Does an Apple iPhone Use?

The iPhone has been a success worldwide, with the recent launch of the iPhone 3G, but, just how much energy does it use.

iPhone 3G - 4 to 6W
iPhone 2G - 4 to 6W

This was from an Apple charger, whilst charging the battery, notably when we tested the Apple iBook G4, we connected the iPhone via USB, and this drew for a short term, extra power around 12W, but after applications which launched due to connection, this fell to approximately 4 to 6W.

For information on the electricity consumption of other products check out "How Much Electricity Does a ... Use?"

Please Note the energy use figures are taken from an energy monitor and are not scientifically analysed, therefore the range and margin of error is greater. If you would like a specific product tested let us know and we will endeavour to check it out.

How Much Electricity Does a Russell Hobb Toaster Use?

I thought I would measure my toaster, as well it's breakfast time ... almost. Toast is eaten alot for breakfast around the world, its quick and convenient. But how much energy is consumed in making your bread golden brown?

I tested the Russell Hobb Satin Classic 2 Slice Toaster (Model No. 14360), it matches my kettle, that I measured earlier. I measured on a medium setting, which toasted the bread for 177 seconds. The toaster used between 1155W and 1232W. Toasting two slices of bread used 0.06kWh (about 0.8 pence).

However most toasters have only an option for two slices, you can toast one slice but, it still requires the same amount of energy as each slot does not operate independently, I know that is a bit extreme to point out such a small issue, and I'm sure that the percentage of people toasting one slice is in percentage terms a small minority, but the energy saved could be huge if taken across the globe.

For information on the electricity consumption of other products check out "How Much Electricity Does a ... Use?"

Please Note the energy use figures are taken from an energy monitor and are not scientifically analysed, therefore the range and margin of error is greater. If you would like a specific product tested let us know and we will endeavour to check it out.

The Woman Who Stops Traffic

With road transport being a major contributor to UK CO2 emissions, with approximately 91m tonnes emitted annually, and up 1.3% on 2006. Channel Four last night screened the Woman Who Stops Traffic, one woman named Kris, with her aim of reducing gridlock in the town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, which has one of the highest car ownership rates in the country, through a no car day.

Focusing her efforts on three different local traffic hot spots, the eight local schools, high street and the industrial estate which employs 8000 residents. After a harsh initial response from community leaders and the community itself, a four week campaign to promote the car free day on 01 February, Kris and her supports eagerly watched on to see if the fruits of their labour, council money and the future of Marlow. A shaky start saw large numbers of vehicles at day break, but by morning, the areas around the traffic hot spots were literally no car zones. Reducing traffic by up to 40%, and reducing those pupils that travel to school by car to only 10%.

If you missed the first episode in this new series, why not log on to 4oD, to stream or download the latest channel four television shows. Is this the model for the rest of the country?

The show follows on from Transport for London's latest increase in the congestion charge for cars which exceed emissions of 225g/km (or for cars manufactured before March 2001, an engine size over 3.0 litres). Cars that do not meet the new threshold will be forced to pay a congestion charge of £25. But the types of car that fall into this category include some family favourites, with some larger vehicles such as the Land Rover Freelander 2 2.2, BMW X5 3.0d and Porsche Boxster 2.7 falling into the lower price category.

To find out if your car is over or under check out the government website, VCA Car Fuel Data.

"Some really surprising cars will be caught by the £25 charge. A 2.0-litre petrol Vauxhall Zafira - a family MPV - emits 228g/km of CO2 and will have to pay. And there are plenty of 4x4s and sports cars that will pay the minimum charge of £8."
Dan Stevens, News Editor, Autocar

An alternative to the car is train travel is often seen as a relatively clean way to travel, and rightly so. The carbon emissions produced by train travel are between two to three times less than by road. Currently, rail travel accounts for about 7% of traffic but emits only about 0.2% of the carbon monoxide, 2% of nitrous oxides and 1% of volatile organic compounds produced by the transportation sector. The best electric trains produce less than a third of carbon than diesel trains, and with the efficiency of electricity production improving this too will get better. The trouble is, only 40% of trains in the UK are electric, the lowest proportion in Europe.

I will be reviewing the new more efficient, carbon friendly and shorter Eurostar service to Paris, in May, as I take a short trip to London and Paris (if Eurostar would like to send me free tickets just let me know). For more information on train travel, the Man in Seat Sixty-One can help.

Whilst on the topic of trains, and in more general terms Stagecoach, the firm that operates bus services across the UK, holding a 16% market share, and controls 25% of the rail market, including South West Trains, East Midlands Trains, and a 49% stake in Virgin Trains, the operator of the West Coast Main Line. This week announced "encouraging" like-for-like revenue growth was 14% on train services and up 7% on bus services compared with the same period (fours months from Oct 31).

Sorry for the late updates as I have been very busy at work and ill lately. In positive terms it has made me think about greening my work more as a solution to future unresolved problems. The news over transport emissions in recent weeks has shown that we need to tackle what is a growing dependence on cars, with the main method by local and national government of getting those out of their cars via green taxes, but are these effective methods?.

With ever increasing fuel costs, added tax is certainly pricing lowest income families out of the market, the new £25 congestion charge and higher road taxes will focus on high CO2 emitting vehicles, the majority of which are the highest priced and aimed at the luxury market. The hefty increase will certainly serve as deterant to high emitting cars in London, and should make people think twice about what they buy, as in future the bar will be lowered to include more cars.

I do not live in London, but since Tuesday night I have been transfixed about buying a new bike, as a method of travelling to and from work and general exercise, maybe even for my late night lurks to Tesco. But in a funny way I find myself asking the same questions as aired in the Woman Who Stops Traffic. Where will I lock it up? Will it be safe? Will I be safe? ... I shall update you on my outcome next week when I will confirm my final decisions. Which I hope will be a resounding "get on yer bike". As I am a bike newbie any advice would be welcome, hence I might ask some blogger out there in the field to write an article.

How Much Electricity Does a Sony PS2 Use?

After testing a Wii, I thought I would try a console from an older generation to compare the difference, the Sony PS2 was the best selling console of it's era selling hundreds of millions of units world wide. But how much energy does it use?

Standby: 3W
PS2 Menu: 25W
Opening Disc Drive: +3W
Scanning Disc: 30 - 35W
In Game: 30 - 35W

For information on the electricity consumption of other products check out "How Much Electricity Does a ... Use?"

Please Note the energy use figures are taken from an energy monitor and are not scientifically analysed, therefore the range and margin of error is greater. If you would like a specific product tested let us know and we will endeavour to check it out.

How Much Electricity Does a Nintendo Wii Use?

As one of this years (and lasts) Christmas must have, the Wii has been outselling its nearest rivals by far. But just how much electricity does a Wii use?

In Standby: 2 - 3W
Wii Menu: 20W
In Game;
Wii Sports: 19 - 21W
Super Mario Galaxy: 19 - 22W

For information on the electricity consumption of other products check out "How Much Electricity Does a ... Use?"

Please Note the energy use figures are taken from an energy monitor and are not scientifically analysed, therefore the range and margin of error is greater. If you would like a specific product tested let us know and we will endeavour to check it out.

How Much Electricity Does an Apple iBook G4 Use?

I still use an old Apple iBook G4, it's so old and well used several keys are missing. But just how much energy does it use? I tested in various modes with as few applications in use as possible and the battery removed;

Normal: 21 - 28W
Better Performance: 23 - 30W
Energy Saving Mode: 21 - 27W

Screen Brightness at Lowest: 18 - 23W

Device Attached (iPhone): 8 - 12W (additional)
Device Attached (full battery): 4W (additional)

Energy Saving Ideas for your Apple iBook G4

• Use the settings for "best battery life" from the menu bar
• Turn off Bluetooth and Wifi when not required
• Close programs not in use
• Shut down rather than allow the computer to snooze

For information on the electricity consumption of other products check out "How Much Electricity Does a ... Use?"

Please Note the energy use figures are taken from an energy monitor and are not scientifically analysed, therefore the range and margin of error is greater. If you would like a specific product tested let us know and we will endeavour to check it out.

How Much Electricity Does a ... Use?

As part of a new series of posts, we will be testing a variety of household electrical items to quantify the amount of electricity used by those devices and publishing this information so that you can hopefully make better choices of how you use your electricity.

We will add a link to each new post here;

Apple iBook G4
Apple iPhone 3G
Dell 19" LCD Monitor
Dell Dimension C521 PC
Energizer Battery Charger
GHD Hair Straighteners
Hotpoint Freezer
Netgear Wireless Router
Nintendo Wii
Russell Hobbs Kettle
Russell Hobbs Toaster
Sharp 32" LCD TV
Sony PS2
Sony PS3

Mercury in CFLs in Context

CFLs have once again received a battering in the press this week with the BBC headlining three articles over three days over claims of their impact on their health.

The three articles were;

Low-energy bulbs 'cause migraine'
Low-energy bulbs 'worsen rashes', and today;
Low-energy bulb disposal warning

As I watched rolling news this morning on BBC Breakfast at 6am, they offered a three minute report, which whilst balanced (and needed to be entered into the public domain) bordered on alarmist, played back every thirty minutes with discussions with Dr David Grey, a toxicoligist from the University of Nottingham, and Louise Molloy of Greenpeace, on two seperate hours in the morning.

Having written an article on mercury in CFL bulbs, which is also available on the BBC Action Network, I was more than aware of the fact mercury was contained within, and not only that I have on several occasions called for adequate information regarding mercury content, recycling information and clear up information to be added to packaging and the dissemination of information of information to the public, which is seriously lacking, as 99% of us never read the packet anyway. People probably think I am getting sidelines from CFL manufactures to fight the mercury issue, however unfortunately I am not, I wish I was. CFLs are old technology, and if you can get you hands on LEDs at an affordable price, this makes a better choice over CFLs.

With Energy Star Canada citing the average CFL contains 3mg of mercury, placed in context with other household appliances CFLs are the least of our worries with the following containing mercury in far greater weights, some several hundred or times more than a CFL;

LCD Monitors
Thermometers
Thermostats
Mobile Phones, and
Dental Fillings

For a list of items in your home that could contain mercury the EPA has provided a short but not extensive list.

Whilst I am not saying mercury is safe, it is a deadly neurotoxin after all, I am trying to put your mind at rest that the amount contained in these bulbs is in relative terms only a small proportion of the mercury found in the home. CFL bulbs do not often break unless subjected to abuse, for example I have seen bulbs dropped from a reasonable height on to a solid surface, the bulb and its glass remained intact.

Even if the bulb was to break, one study looking at long tubular fluorescent bulbs found that over a two week period, only 17 to 40 percent of the mercury in the bulb evaporated. The rest remained stuck in the bulb. Roughly one-third of the mercury that evaporated did so in the first eight hours after the breakage; the rest seeped out slowly over the remainder of the study period.

Taking this into consideration that would result in 6% to 13% of the mercury being released in the first 8 hours, or 0.18mg to 0.39mg of mercury. Assuming your in a room with a volume of 25m3 (similar to a medium bedroom), this would average 0.0072mg/m3 to 0.0156mg/m3. This is equivalent to 7.2µg/m3 or 15.6µg/m3 over 8 hours. In comparison a single amalgam filling with an , average surface area of 0.4 cm2 has been estimated to release as much as 15µg mercury/day, primarily , through mechanical wear and evaporation, but also through dissolution into saliva (Lorscheider et al. 1995). For the average individual with eight occlusal , amalgam fillings, 120µg of mercury could be released daily into the mouth, and a portion of that , swallowed or inhaled (Lorscheider et al. 1995). Both Canada and WHO consider dental amalgam to be the single largest source of mercury exposure for the general public.

Something that may astound you is that the levels of mercury in a dentists surgery is up to 69µg/m3. Up to 9 times the mercury from breaking a bulb in your medium sized bedroom. Considering this you are likely to be subjecting yourself to more mercury sitting in the dentists than from breaking a CFL. Not that I am trying to put you off going to the dentist of course. There are mercury free dentists up and down the country.

As a light hearted way to end this I thought I would highlight the 102 year old ex-dentist that has emigrate to New Zealand, a story published on the same day as the Low Energy Bulbs Disposal Warning, by the BBC. Surely he should be as "Mad as a Hatter"!


If you do break a CFL bulb then follow this advice;

1. Do not allow children or pregnant women to enter the affected area
2. Open windows and allow air to circulate to the affected area
3. First sweep up all of the glass fragments and phosphor powder (do not vacuum)
4. Then place in a plastic bag
5. Wipe the area with a damp paper towel to pick up stray shards of glass or fine particles
6. Place the used towel in the plastic bag as well, and seal
7. For proper disposal of a broken CFL bulb, contact your local authority for a community household hazardous waste collection

For more information and discussion on CFLs, how to recycle, and the mercury within visit the CFL Mercury Myths

What Help is Available for those in Fuel Poverty

With the recent price rises from Npower and other suppliers likely to follow suit, a large number of people throughout the UK now falls into being in fuel poverty. The Energy Retail Association estimates there was 4m people in this category in 2006 with a further 3m classified as vunerable, and this has been increasing year on year from 2000.

You may ask how to calculate if your household is in fuel poverty, the equation below we hope clearly shows how to calculate if you are in fuel poverty.

Fuel Poverty Ratio = ((Unit Fuel Price x Fuel Consumption) + Standing Charge) / Income

You should take all fuels into consideration (Gas, Electricity, LPG and solid fuels). Income is considered before tax and national insurance. For more information on how fuel poverty is calculated there is this very detailed document (PDF). Households are considered to be fuel poor if they spend over 10% of their income on fuel.

There is a range of assistance for those even not in fuel poverty, below is organisations and schemes that could help you alieviate the burden of fuel bills through benefits and grants;

Benefits

Winter Fuel Payments

If you are aged 60 to 79 and you are entitled to receive a Winter Fuel Payment, you will get either £100 or £200, depending on your circumstances in the qualifying week. If you are aged 80 or over and you are entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment, you will get an extra £50 or £100, so you could get up to £300, depending on your circumstances in the qualifying week. You do not pay tax on Winter Fuel Payments.

For more information please visit the Pension Service: Winter Payment Website.

Cold Weather Payment

A Cold Weather Payment is paid automatically when the average temperature is, or is forecast to be, 0 degrees centigrade or below over seven consecutive days. To qualify you must satisfy the criteria for receipt. The Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office will advertise when a payment is applicable.

To receive a cold weather payment you must be receiving Pension Credit / Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) for one day in the period of cold weather and be receiving one of the following premiums:

• Pensioner Premium
• Enhanced Pensioner Premium
• Higher Pensioner Premium
• Disability Premium
• Severe Disability Premium
• Disabled Child Premium
• or have a child under the age of 5

£8.50 when the average temperature where you live is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below, over seven consecutive days during the period from 1 November to 31 March. Specified Meteorological Office weather stations are used to obtain this information.

More information can be found at DirectGov

Grants

Warm Front (England)

Warm Front provides grants of up to £2,700 for heating and insulation measures in low income and other vulnerable households. The maximum grant for an oil central heating system is £4,000. Grants are available to owner occupiers and people who rent their homes from a private landlord. To qualify householders must:

• be in receipt of designated income related benefit or tax credit and have a child under 16, or
• be in receipt of a designated disability related benefit or Disabled Person's Tax Credit, or
• be aged 60 years or over and in receipt of an income related benefit.

Grants are also available to women who are in receipt of a maternity certificate (MATB 1) as well as a designated income related benefit (or their spouses).

The national telephone number for Warm Front in England is Freephone 0800 952 0600
Recent changes include:

• Central heating measures are available for all eligible clients (not just over 60's).
• Eligible customers not connected to mains gas may qualify for oil central heating.
• Clients who have previously received a grant from the Warm Front programme can re-apply to the Scheme Manager. However, they will not receive the same measure again. They will have a new balance, minus the value of all works previously completed under Warm Front.

For further information contact the designated Scheme Manager:

Eaga for enquiries from the West Midlands, South West, London, South East, North West and North East: Freephone 0800 316 6011 or Freephone Minicom 0800 072 0156.


Warm Deal (Scotland)

The Warm Deal in Scotland provides grants of up to £500 for energy efficiency measures and energy advice for those in receipt of one of a range of benefits. A lower level of grant can be claimed by householders aged 60 and over who do not receive these benefits. For more details visit the Scottish Executive or Scottish Gas

There is also the Central Heating Programme, which provides a central heating system, insulation measures, energy advice and an optional benefits check to people aged 60 and over and to tenants of local authorities and housing associations. Claimants must live in a home without central heating or where the existing system is broken and beyond repair.


The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (Wales)

HEES in Wales provides grants of up to £1,500 for energy efficiency measures and energy advice for those in receipt of one of a range of benefits who have a child under 16.

HEES Plus offers grants of up to £2,700 for heating and insulation improvements to householders who are 60 or over and to lone parents with a child under the age of 16. In both cases claimants must be in receipt of one of a range of benefits. A lower level of grant can be claimed by householders aged 60 and over who do not receive a qualifying benefit. For more details contact HEES Wales: Freephone 0800 316 2815 or Freephone Minicom 0800 072 0156.

The Warm Homes Scheme (Northern Ireland)

The Warm Homes Scheme offers grants of up to £850 for insulation and heating improvements for owner occupiers and those who rent their homes from a private landlord. Claimants must receive one of a range of benefit payments and have a child under 16.

The Warm Homes Plus Scheme offers grants of up to £4,300 for an enhanced package of heating and insulation measures, including central heating. Claimants must be aged 60 and over and be owner occupiers or tenants of a private landlord. For further information contact Eaga Partnership: Freephone 0800 181 667 or Minicom 019 1233 1054

Energy Saving Trust

There is financial help available if you're planning to make energy saving improvements to your home. The Government, energy suppliers and local authorities all provide grants to help you implement energy saving measures in your home. To search for grants visit their grants finder or you can call them on 0800 512 012. There is also information on simple energy saving tips which could save you several hundred pounds annually

Local Councils

Your local council may also offer assistance, as this varies across each council area, you should contact your local council for more information and advice on the help they offer. To find your local council contact details visit DirectGov

Advice Service

Citizens Advice Bureaux

In 2005-2006 Citizens Advice Bureaux in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received 27,000 general enquiries about problems with fuel plus 45,000 enquiries about fuel debt. Following the prolonged series of fuel price rises we are beginning to receive evidence of CAB clients struggling to pay their bills. They can help you too, you just need to ask for advice.




There is also information on how to reduce your energy bills on the following blog posts;
Is it Time to Switch Energy Providers?
Winter Warming Tips
10 Things to Reduce Energy Use
Cavity Wall Insulation Grants
General Energy Saving Tips

Is it Time to Switch Energy Providers

Npower has just announced double digit rises in fuel costs for their electricity and gas customers. Below is a Q&A on should you switch.

Should I look to change providers?

Not necessarily. Before the price rises, Npower was seen as one of the cheaper providers. The independent watchdog Energywatch has said that, given other firms are likely to also raise their prices, it may be worth waiting to see what Npower's competitors do. If you switch to a cheaper supplier today, you may well find that they too put up their prices, as all of the companies have to buy gas in exactly the same international market.

So switching is a waste of time then?

Not quite. The argument goes that savings can still be made, especially if you have never switched before and are still with either British Gas or the company that took over from your regional electricity board. In those cases, you are likely to be on their highest tariff. So you may still be able to achieve a significant relative cut in your bills.

How common is energy switching?

The full figures for 2007 are not yet available, but in 2006 about 4 million households changed their gas or electricity supplier, according to the energy regulator Ofgem. In April 2006, when wholesale energy prices were last at very high levels, and price increases were starting to bite, a record 900,000 customers changed supplier. However about 50% of UK households have never taken the opportunity to switch their provider and it is these people who are likely to have the best opportunity to make hefty savings.

How do you switch energy companies?

In theory, it is relatively easy to switch your energy supplier - and should certainly be less arduous than changing, say, a mortgage provider. Regardless of where you live in the UK, there are several suppliers to choose from. You can opt to have separate firms supplying your gas and electricity - or choose one company to supply both, commonly known as dual fuel. The most common and effective way is to firstly identify the company which can offer the cheapest deal is to use a price comparison service. Energywatch has approved 13 companies providing price comparison services both via the internet and on the telephone. These are;

• www.moneysupermarket.com
• www.energylinx.co.uk
• www.ukpower.co.uk
• www.saveonyourbills.co.uk
• www.homeadvisoryservice.com
• www.theenergyshop.com
• www.uswitch.com
• www.simplyswitch.com
• www.unravelit.com
• www.confused.com
• www.energyhelpline.com
• www.moneyexpert.com/energy
• www.switchwithwhich.co.uk

Most of these companies will deal with your new supplier on your behalf, and also contact your old supplier to organise the switch. It does not cost the consumer anything - with the firms receiving a payment from the energy company which has won the new business. However if you would rather go it alone, you can talk with the firm you want to be your new supplier and agree a contract. Then you tell your existing provider that you wish to end the service - usually having to give about one month's notice.

What if I use a pre-payment meter?

You too can also change suppliers. People using pre-payment are often on low fixed incomes and could really benefit from moving to a less expensive provider, Energywatch says. But despite this, industry figures suggest that just over a third of pre-payment gas users and four out of 10 electricity customers have changed supplier. This compares with more than half of those who pay by direct debit and monthly bills. How much can I save by switching This depends on how much you are currently paying and on your personal circumstances - for example where you live and your level of usage. Firms often offer discounts if you buy both gas and electricity from them. But the industry regulator Ofgem has said that households changing their supplier for the first time can save an average of £100 per year.

Besides switching supplier, how else can I reduce my energy bills?

Changing your method of payment is one way that you may be able to save money. If you can afford to pay by direct debit rather than by cash or cheque, this typically can knock about £40 off your annual bill. But you should regularly send meter readings to your energy company to ensure that they are taking the right amount of money each month. The other key thing to think about is reducing the amount of energy you use, for more advice please see the following blog posts.

Winter Warming Tips
10 Things to Reduce Energy Use
Cavity Wall Insulation Grants
General Energy Saving Tips

How Big is Santa's Carbon Footprint?

Santa may have one of the biggest carbon footprints of an individual, anywhere in the world, even greater than of Al Gore, that most critics continue to ramble on about, but just how big is Santa's carbon footprint?

Santa in recent years has seen his workload increase as Christmas is seen as holiday by not just Christians but by people of all faiths around the world. Whilst no exact figures are available, and Santa has not published any to date, according to UNICEF there are 2.2 billion children in the world. For this we will assume Santa will deliver to all children, since none have made it on to the naughty list this year.

Using UK National Statistics, the average household in the UK has 1.8 children, unfortunately we do not have an international average. So Santa would need to visit roughly 1.22 billion homes. Assuming Santa travels east to west, which would be the most logical route thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the Earth, he has 48 hours to work with. Anders Larsson of the engineering consultancy Sweco, estimated that the average people per sq km on Earth is 48, and 20m between each home. Using these figures, Santa would need to travel a total distance of 24.4m km, or 141.46km per second, not including the fact he has stop the sleigh, get out, go down the chimney and deliver the presents, avoiding fires and chimney balloons, that may obstruct his path, then return to the sleigh and continue delivering presents. And visit 7073 homes a second, or 1.4 millisecond per visit.

In terms of Co2 emissions these will be greatly increased by the continued starting and stopping of the sleigh in addition to that with the extraordinary speeds at which the sleigh will be travelling. If we were to consider that the sleigh was being powered by a jet engine as touted in the film "Elf", namely a cringle 3000, whilst no vehicle can travel at that speed we will try to calculate the equivalent jet engine requirements. Before we do this we need to calculate the weight of Santa's sleigh load, all those toys in the sleigh. If each child was given only a Sony PS3 for Christmas, since not even Santa can get hold of Nintendo Wii's, at 7kg each, Santa would be pulling an average load during the journey of 4.3m tonnes. This is of course assuming that people all live evenly around the world with 20m between homes, and of course Santa hasn't died from exertion, or even slowed down, even a little.

Assuming Santa's sleigh fuel consumption was similar to that of a 747-400, taking the payload into consideration (9772 times more than a 747), the fuel consumption per km would be 116 000 litres per km. Note we have not taken into account that Santa is carrying the fuel in these assumptions, adding further weight to the sleigh, unless of course he stops off at some mega huge filling station, which he would need to do, or else he would need to carry over 2.8 billion litres of fuel, just for the presents alone, adding to his payload. So Santa now stops off at a filling station each km. To ensure he makes each km, he would need at least 60% extra fuel due to the starting and stopping which would increase his fuel consumption, or 185 600 litres per km.

Since Santa's sleigh is using a 747-400 engine technology, he is using kerosene, which emits 2.58kg of CO2 per litre. Meaning Santa's sleigh emits at least 478t of CO2 per km, or over the entire journey 11.683 billion tonnes of CO2 (42.88% of global CO2 emissions).

Naughty Santa.

Energy Saving Tip # 2 - Boiling the Kettle

I'm sure you all know that boiling more water than you need wastes energy. But how much energy are we all wasting?

In the United Kingdom tea drinking is a national institution, we down a scalding 1909 cups of tea every second, 6.8m every hour, and 165m every day, according to figures from the UK Tea Council. This unsurprisingly uses up alot of energy, a kettle uses up to 3kW of electricity. In an article in by the Times Online blog using a 2.2kw kettle it took 100 seconds to boil. This equates to about 1.68m kWh in electricity consumption to boil the actual water used in cups of tea.

But 67% of people boil more water than is actually required for their cup of tea. I have not been able to find actual statistics for how much they overfill the kettle by other than from a few sites which claim we on average use twice the amount of water than is required. This would mean that we are wasting around 1.68m kWh a day from our tea addiction. Adding in coffee drinkers this extends to 2.33m kWh per day or 1056 tonnes of CO2 a day from electricity use, the equivalent to about 149 000 cars, or an annual 6.36kg of CO2 per capita.

To what cost you may ask; a cool £91m a year.

After computing my back of an envelope figures I found a report by DEFRA on the same topic which suggested a daily energy saving of 3.42m kWh (1547 tonnes per day).

So what can you do to reduce your impact;

• The Eco Kettle
  The innovative Eco Kettle has a unique double chamber that gets you to measure out exactly how much water you want to boil, saving electricity, water, money and time, making it better for the planet... and you still get to have a great cup of tea. That's smart thinking - making the eco kettle one of our favourite eco products, and an essential for any eco friendly kitchen or workplace. Using a kettle to boil more water than you need is the equivalent to powering 300 CFLs unnecessarily.
  
• Referring to the measure on the side can help you to accurately determine the amount of liquid necessary
• Measure how much water you require by filling the cup or saucepan you are planning to use and then pour this water into the kettle, remembering to add a little bit extra to compensate for evaporation