There are still 14 weeks to go until winter officially starts. The nights may be getting longer, the house spiders may be getting braver but the official astronomical winter season begins on the 21 December. Of course, energy bills are going to start climbing sooner than that because it’s already getting chilly. In many homes the debate about when to turn the heating on is already in full swing. As well as the cold, many people are seeing their prices begin to rise. Earlier this week, Bulb Energy announced it was raising prices again, marking the 41st price increase announced by an energy firm this year alone. A typical annual bill from the company is now £102 extra a year. Whoever your supplier, though, there are ways to seriously cut the cost of energy. With 14 weeks to go until winter, here are 14 ways to bring the bills down. (Yes, we know that the meteorological season begins on 1 December but then we would only have had 11 ways to save and we felt we could do … [Read more...] about 14 ways to cut your energy bills
Energy providers list
Households overpaying on energy to the tune of £4 billion a year
Households across the UK are overpaying on their energy bills to the tune of £4 billion each year, according to new analysis. Research has found that 12 million families are on standard variable tariffs with the Big Six energy suppliers, and overpay by an average of £350 a year. Families in the South East and East of England are overpaying by the most, according to the analysis by energy supplier Bulb. The Government is introducing an energy price cap to protect consumers on the most expensive energy tariffs. The Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill will put in place a requirement on Ofgem to cap standard variable and default energy tariffs until at least 2020 to tackle the amount consumers have been overpaying the Big Six energy suppliers. However, millions of households are still facing higher energy bills this summer as providers raise prices. E.ON, British Gas, SSE, Npower, EDF, ScottishPower and Bulb have all hiked energy prices, blaming wholesale energy costs … [Read more...] about Households overpaying on energy to the tune of £4 billion a year
Intelligent Energy at forefront of clean power revolution
It’s not often that a negative turns out to be a positive, writes Justine Halifax. But that is the outcome of the de-listing of revolutionary energy fuel cell business Intelligent Energy, according to its new interim chief executive Alistair Ball. It de-listed at the end of last year, after a torrid few years trading, during which time it axed 200 jobs globally. The move was attributed to the company, which has been headquartered at the Loughborough Science and Enterprise Park since 2010, being unable to commercialise its new, clean energy technology quickly enough. In a nutshell, the business develops hydrogen fuel cells which can power anything from power mopeds and cars to radio transmitters and phones. The by-product is water. Estimated revenues for the year to the end of last September were given as £21 million in comparison to £92 million the previous year and it was announced the firm’s assets were being sold off in the face of an “uncertain … [Read more...] about Intelligent Energy at forefront of clean power revolution
Ham&High letters: Community Energy Fortnight, vehicle emmissions, Kenwood, Airbus, Hampstead Heath, EU citizens and Brexit
PUBLISHED: 08:30 30 June 2018 Workmen installing solar panels similar to those on Muswell Hill Methodist Church. Picture: SIMON BURT/PA WIRE PA Wire/Press Association Images Letters, contributions and comments sent in from Ham&High readers this week. Celebrating our energy volunteers Dr Joanna Macrae, Leighton Road, Kentish Town, writes: Amidst the gloomy news about pollution in London and uncertainty about climate change, there is some hope! Friday marked the beginning of Community Energy Fortnight, a celebration of the work of hundreds of volunteers around the country, including Power Up North London (PUNL) that has projects in Camden and Islington. Crowdsourcing funding from local neighbourhoods, we are contributing to London’s green infrastructure, installing solar panels on churches, city farms, in parks and GP practices. Since being installed last year, the solar panels installed on PUNL’s first project at St Anne’s Church, Highgate, has saved more … [Read more...] about Ham&High letters: Community Energy Fortnight, vehicle emmissions, Kenwood, Airbus, Hampstead Heath, EU citizens and Brexit
How to switch your energy supplier for a better deal on gas and electricity
Energy bills are rising year on year and the fact of the matter is, for many, it's the most expensive of all our household expenses. The truth, though, is that many of us could save hundreds by switching - and it's a 10 minute job that could make all of the difference. In April alone - when many families turned off the heating - three in four of the Big Six providers upped their prices, with British Gas (the UK's biggest energy firm) increasing bills by 5.5% - or £60 a year for 4.1 million homes. But you don't have to stand for it. "In April three of the big six energy suppliers hiked their prices and customers have understandably responded by seeking out cheaper deals elsewhere," explained Shona Eyre at comparison website uSwitch.com. "Switching energy is quick, easy and could potentially save households £491, so it's encouraging to see more and more people take control of their bills and find a better deal." Georgie Frost, at GoCompare Energy, added: "With brighter, warmer … [Read more...] about How to switch your energy supplier for a better deal on gas and electricity