Home Energy Use - Useful Statistics

Home Energy Use

There are many things that we can do around our homes to save energy and reduce our carbon dioxide emissions. Take a look at how much energy and carbon dioxide we could save if we all made energy saving choices.

Insulation

With around 50% of the heat lost in the average home through the walls and loft, there is a massive opportunity for us to save a huge amount of money and reduce our carbon dioxide emissions significantly:

• If everyone in the UK installed loft insulation up to 270mm thickness, the equivalent financial saving would pay the heating bills of over 950,000 families for a year.

• If everyone in the UK that could, installed cavity wall insulation, we could cut carbon dioxide emissions by a huge 7 million tonnes. That's enough carbon dioxide to fill nearly 40 million double-decker buses or fill the new Wembley stadium 900 times!

Electrical appliances

In the UK we spend a massive £2 billion a year powering washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers and a further £2.2 billion a year on fridges and freezers. This produces a mammoth amount of carbon dioxide but there are solutions to reducing these emissions in the shape of Energy Saving Recommended products.

• If everyone in the UK upgraded their old cold appliances to an Energy Saving Recommended product, energy wastage would be cut by over two thirds and enough carbon dioxide would be saved to fill 24 million double-decker buses. There would also be enough electricity saved to run the UK's streetlights for 6 years

Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by using Energy Saving Recommended products.

Don't leave appliances on standby

Did you know that over £900 million worth of energy is wasted by leaving appliances on standby, so do your bit and don't leave your TV or other appliances on standby, and switch off chargers at the wall if they are not being used.

Lighting

In the UK, we spend £2.4 billion lighting our homes, and with lighting accounting for 10 - 15 per cent of our electricity bills there are substantial savings to be made by using energy saving light bulbs:

• If every household installed just one energy saving light bulb, the electricity saved in a year could power the Blackpool Illuminations for nearly 900 years and there would be enough carbon dioxide saved to fill the Royal Albert Hall 1,980 times!

Save on electricity bills by using energy efficient bulbs.

Urban Energy

Urban Energy has earned a reputation as the south’s leading renewable energy specialist. This has been achieved by ensuring that from the initial point of client contact we offer 1st class customer service and care.

We only install products that lead the way within the renewable energy industry and that are renowned for their high quality and ecologically sound production. This reflects our own high standards and quality assurance.

We understand that introducing a renewable energy system to either your home or business is an investment that lasts for many years. With our in-house electrical and plumbing division it is our promise to you the customer that your satisfaction and peace of mind throughout this period is our number one priority.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:

Call: 0800 232 1624

Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk

Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Solar Aid: enabling some of the poorest communities on the planet to receive clean, free energy!

Urban Energy actively supporting Solar Aid, enabling some of the poorest communities on the planet to receive clean, free energy:

Hi all at Urban Energy!

During my recent trip to Kenya and Tanzania last month, my colleagues and I made a series of short films about our work on the ground and how our donors and supporters are having a real impact on the lives of thousands of people. I’d love you to watch this short film. Please simply type: urbanenergy.mysolaraid.org into your web browser to view the special web page and to watch the short film. I hope you enjoy it! I look forward to catching up soon.

All the best,
Anna
Marketing Manager
SolarAid

http://defaultrecord1.mysolaraid.org/links/Microsites/8f9a5b31_fe4c_4056_9c05_a40fed929aa8/www/index.html?enc=5e6zaFEYMp2YYTDybwVAt/nvcnURQhK020/eECFlH6vHCX/dRH3w/7znXH9cNDzs7AXY3ug2BgQxdW4PJBfuXIQfcydyvoufunwoibyzTHVEFiTrvbTTS/wLZOLuXyksTG0Ny5VpY4SN93RY4Bdy9BMZxNmDnaqRzjrWh6UQIwURLCOWTnyEbxNJy4CyrxRq2KaLM4RjAAwcUpIXk1FRsEdpdTay7BxtU5BgR3uDJces0KJeluvdKGd2a8ArhEKSRyRzfTE3W1OhJDePILJzabs4I27GE7QGhBOhcJooibg=&

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Solar Thermal (Hot Water) Systems

Solar thermal (hot water) systems can be extremely efficient, reducing costs and energy consumption. For a solar system to work, all they need is daylight as they can collect both direct radiation, direct sunlight on clear days, and diffused radiation, light which is present on cloudy days.

Both flat plate collectors and evacuated tube collectors have selective and non selective surfaces. In terms of which collector has best efficiency, it is dependant on your domestic use. At low temperatures the efficiency for all the collectors is very similar, but as temperatures increase all the collectors show a slight reduction in efficiency. For lowest temperatures an unglazed non-selective surface flat plate collector can be seen as most effective, hence they are commonly used to heat swimming pools, however for highest temperatures there is a very marginal difference between selective surface evacuated tubes and selective surfaces flat plate collectors, with the former being the most efficient.

In terms of costs you would expect to save between 50 -70% on your annual heating costs, as the more hot water used the greater the saving. For a family of four, a well designed solar water heating system should contribute around 1,500 kW-h and 2,000 kW-h, which will be equivalent to 50 to 65% of the household’s water heating energy needs.

Reference: The Solar Trade Association

Urban Energy

Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings.

We can provide systems eligible for grants of between 50% up to 100% through arrangements in place with our partners.

0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Greening Britain's Energy Supply

A fortnight ago Ed Miliband, the Climate Secretary, confirmed generous payments for home solar panel and wind turbine systems.

This scheme could transform Britain's poor record on renewable power. At present only 5 per cent of UK power comes from renewable sources, while 2 per cent of energy customers are on "green" tariffs. So will this initiative lead to low-carbon power for the people – and what's in it for you?

First, don't bother generating your own electricity or buying a "green" tariff until you have stopped energy leaking from your home; it's like pumping fuel into a car without fixing a hole in the petrol tank. Put plastic strips round draughty windows and reflective paper behind radiators, lag lofts to 27centimetres and fit eco-lightbulbs in every socket.

From April, a "Feed in Tariff" will guarantee payments to homes with solar panels and other micro-generation. A "well-sited" 2.5kWh PV solar scheme, the Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) says, should earn £900 a year and £140 in energy savings. And the financial case for going solar may improve if, as expected, banks offer renewable power loans later this year.

Reference: The Independent

URBAN ENERGY

Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.

Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.

0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Employment in Renewable Energy Sector Could Rise to 500,000!

Energy minister David Kidney has claimed that the Renewable Energy Strategy, combined with a growing market for renewable energy globally, could increase UK employment in the renewables sector by up to a further 500,000 people by 2020.

The statement was made in the House of Commons earlier this month when Mr Kidney was asked to provide details of how many people have been employed in the renewable sector since 2003 and what recent assessment he has made of the potential for the creation of new jobs.

Mr Kidney replied that although there will be some displacement as the UK restructures its economy, the Renewable Energy Strategy would create significant job opportunities. He estimated that in 2007/08 up to 390,000 people were employed in the sector and that this could increase by up to a further 500,000 people by 2020.

URBAN ENERGY

Urban Energy employ the very best engineers, all of which are fully qualified, certified and Government approved to carry out installation of solar energy system, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association. Urban Energy are always looking to employ the best quality MCS accredited installation engineers, for further information please contact Urban Energy:

Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Is solar power a bright investment?

If you install a typical £12,500 photovoltaic (PV) system on your roof, the new feed in tariff should give you a return of at least £25,000. So what's the catch? There isn't one!

If the government offered to pay you £1,000 a year for the next 25 years, in return for an up-front investment of £12,500, you'd snap it up in a second. Well, that's pretty much the deal on offer this week after the government finally revealed what it will pay those who install electricity generating solar panels – in and around their homes – through the new "Feed-in Tariffs" (FITs).

After years of campaigning by environmental groups – helped in small part by this newspaper – the government has finally agreed to reward households and businesses installing electricity-generating measures with enough of a return to make it a serious financial, as well as an environmental, investment. If you've got the money and, crucially, a sunny, south-facing roof, you can earn a 7%-10% tax-free return, an income that will rise in line with inflation. At the same time, you get to do more than your fair share in reducing the UK's carbon­ emissions.

In the week that the energy regulator,­ Ofgem, warned the nation to expect 20% electricity price hikes by 2020, and warned future supplies were in jeopardy, investors in solar panels will have the added benefit of being a net provider of electricity, and largely insulated from future price hikes that could see household bills top £2,000 a year by 2020.

Announcing the new tariffs' introduction this week, the energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband said the guaranteed income would be a big incentive for householders "to make the move to low carbon­ living".

"The feed-in tariff will change the way householders and communities think about their future energy needs, making the payback for investment far shorter than in the past."

Although Milliband announced a number of tariffs – including what the government will pay those installing wind turbines – the one that will appeal most to the average UK householder will be for installing photovoltaic (PV) solar panels – at a typical cost of £12,500.

From 1 April, households with approved­ schemes will be paid for the electricity they generate, even if they use all of it themselves.

The level of payment depends on the technology and whether it is being fitted to an existing­ home, or installed as part of newbuild. Importantly, future payments are guaranteed for the next 25 years and have been, unexpectedly, linked to inflation.

Anyone fitting a typical £12,500, 2.5kW PV system to their existing home will initially be paid 41.3p per kilowatt hour (kWh) generated. Enough, according to Miliband, to reward them with up to £900 in the first year on top of a £140-a-year saving on their bills.

The measure, which is inevitably quite complicated, is designed to reward those who reduce their own electricity consumption by installing low-energy lighting and A-rated white goods, and to ultimately export excess electricity generated back to the grid.

Households get an extra 3p for each kWh they export on top of the 41.3p they get paid for all units generated. Those building PV roof panels into a new-build home get a slightly lower tariff (36.1p per kWh). The fact that the payments are not taxed make it a particularly rewarding investment for higher-rate taxpayers – those earning more than just over £43,000.

The feed-in rates change depending on which year you install the technology. They will also apply to installations commissioned since July 2009 when the policy was announced. Early adopters, who have installed grant-assisted PV and registered­ for the ROC scheme, will also receive payments, but at just 9p/kWh. The payments will physically come from your existing electricity supplier, but will be overseen by the regulator Ofgem.

Reference: The Guardian

URBAN ENERGY

Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.

Homeowners with flat roofs may well find they can install a system, as will those with conventional roofs that face a few degrees either side of south, east or west. Panels perform best in unshaded sites angled towards the sun at a pitch of 30-40 degrees.

Prior to this week's announcement, grants of up to £2,500 had been available to those installing PV panels under the terms of the government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme. There are still grants available for other green technologies. FITs now provide the entire financial incentive for PV installers.

These new tariffs will allow people to turn their homes into mini-power stations. For householders who have a south-facing roof, PV panels are really worth looking at. Not only are they a sound financial investment, they will also allow you to do your part in tackling climate change.

Our homes are responsible for over a fifth of UK emissions, but by fitting renewable electricity systems and wind turbines, we can be part of a greener, safer future.

0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:

Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

The Prospect of a Power Cut!

When the energy regulator sounds the alarm over the risk of national power failure we should all listen. Yesterday Ofgem released a report warning of "reasonable doubt" over the security and sustainability of Britain's power supplies. It points to a combination of dwindling domestic gas reserves, a reliance on unstable foreign suppliers and a shortage of infrastructure investment. The regulator also reiterated a previous warning that without drastic action to expand supply many homes will soon find energy prices unaffordable.

The regulator rightly argues that the energy sector needs an overhaul if we are to meet this challenge. But what, precisely, is to be done? The solutions to the shortage of infrastructure investment already exist. The problem is that they are not being implemented speedily enough. Greater government support for wind, solar and wave generation would address the challenge of energy security and carbon emissions at the same time.

Reference: The Independent

URBAN ENERGY

Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.

Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.

Urban Energy employ the very best engineers in this field, all of which are fully qualified, certified and Government approved to carry out this task, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association.

0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:

Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

What is a Feed in Tariff (FiT)?

WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT GETTING FiTs IN THE NEW YEAR?:

The UK Government is to support a new era of small-scale renewable electricity with the announcement on Monday 01.02.2010 of the final structure of Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) for small-scale generators.

FiTs are a per-unit support payment (p/kWh) for electricity generation and are already widely in operation in other EU Member States to support renewables.

The Government claims the introduction of FiTs on April 1 2010 will signify a major departure from how small low-carbon generators in the UK are currently rewarded.

The new FiT scheme, to be unveiled on Monday morning by Energy Minister Ed Miliband is designed to “provide the right level of simplicity” to encourage non-energy professionals to invest in small-scale generation.

It will provide non-taxable, cash-linked incentives to encourage those generators to consume the electricity they generate and become more energy efficient while they do so.

The scheme will operate on two levels and allows fixed payment from the electricity supplier for every kilowatt hour (kWh) generated, known as the “generation tariff”.

Another payment will be made additional to the generation tariff for every kWh exported to the wider energy market, to be called the “export tariff”.

The renewable technologies that will qualify for FITs payments are anaerobic digestion, biomass, hydro, Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and wind.

Only small-scale generators with a capacity of up to 5 megawatt can be considered for inclusion and both the installer and the equipment must be accredited by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).

According to the proposals, generators will be guaranteed a market for their exports at a long-term guaranteed price. The generator may choose whether to sell exported electricity to the supplier at this guaranteed export tariff, or negotiate a price for exported electricity in the open market.

In addition, generators will benefit because they will have the opportunity to use that electricity on-site to offset some or all of the electricity they would otherwise have had to buy.

He will also reveal details of a renewable heat scheme (RHI), which will be launched following a similar FiT-style consultation next year. Reference 'Click Green' 31.01.2010

URBAN ENERGY:

“To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.

Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Their expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.

Urban Energy employ the very best engineers in this field, all of which are fully qualified, certified and Government approved to carry out this task, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association.

URBAN ENERGY SOLAR HEATING:

Solar panels are typically located on the roof of your house or commercial property. These panels are able to convert everyday sunlight into heat energy stored within a cylinder, where it can be used to provide hot water for your home or business.

URBAN ENERGY SOLAR ELECTRICAL POWER:

Photovoltaic (PV) panels can be installed ‘on’ or ‘within’ the roof of your commercial property or home and are designed to convert day light into useable solar electricity. The solar electricity generated will be able to power any electrical device within the building without compromising quality of delivery. Their Photovoltaic panels have been designed to work within a grid system to permit the sale of redundant electricity to power suppliers, eradicating the need for unnecessary and costly battery systems found on other types of installations.

Please visit our website for more information: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/