One More Energy Saving Gadget…
The garden shed is usually a no-go area after dark, but no longer. This LED light set is solar powered with 36 superbright bulbs to brighten the messiest of sheds.
This lighting system has got to be one of the most valued presents on Christmas morning. Installing the lights and solar panel requires only 5 screws.
One of the best and most functional presents available this year under £20. And, no light switch is required – it’s motion activated.
Save Money by Spending £100 on Energy Gadgets
Wouldn’t it be good to save money by spending money? In our previous posts we have explained how a few simple actions around the house can save a substantial amount of money each year, and even how with a little expentiure more money can be saved by swapping lightbulbs.
Now by playing our Amazon Christmas Energy Saving Game we can save more money and become aware of where the highest cost of electricity is in the home. First visit the Amazon website
First up is a quick win with energy saving halogen bulbs which use up t0 20% less electricity than normal halogen bulbs.
Next is a nightlight which claims to run all day for half a pence. Energy consumption is under 5kWH per year compared with 61kWH for a standard nightlight.
The standby function on modern appliances adds 10 to 20 percent onto the typical household energy bill. Very few of us (maybe even none) switch off these appliances at the socket when not in use, so how great would it be to switch off these appliances at the socket, from a central point? The answer lies with the Bye Bye Standby Energy-Saving Kit which does exactly that.
Up to this point things have been easy – just plug in and go. Now comes a product that requires a bit of running around. This Wireless Electricity Monitor displays all the energy being used in the household, which can appear in kWH or pounds and pence. Watch the figures change as you switch off appliances and tweak their standby settings. Certainly an eye opener to help reduce electricity bills.
A product that can measure the energy consumption of appliances directly is the Plug-In Power and Energy Monitor Meter. This is quite a sensitive and accurate device for viewing the electricity usage of household gadgets.
The last choice here is an energy efficient kettle from Phillips. A well constructed and cheap quick boiling kettle, designed to discourage the boiling of too much water.
The total cost of these products may have breached the £100 barrier, but the potential cost savings makes an exceptionally strong case for the purchase of them all.
How to Dispose of Energy Saving Lightbulbs
Are you sitting comfortably? Then let us begin the story of how to dispose of those new energy saving lightbulbs you splashed out on. I know what you are thinking, that you’re just going to pop it in the bin like those older bulbs. But did you know that those new bulbs contain mercury? Yes, that’s the same mercury as you have heard in the phrase mercury poisoning. And once again I know what you are thinking, that the level of mercury will be too low to cause any concern. Well, you are correct. But you are also wrong.
Don’t be worried, the amount of mercury in a low energy lightbulb is small enough to just cover the tip of a ball point pen. The older fluorescent strip lighting has always contained mercury and nobody has ever complained about that. Also remember those fillings in your teeth have mercury in them and nobody has ever complained about that – well they have but that’s a different story. As long as the bulb doesn’t break and at the end of its life you dispose of it in the location conveyed to you by the retailer – it’s the legal obligation of the lightbulb retailer to provide this information – everything will be OK. Relax.
Yes I can hear you, what if the bulb breaks? Well it’s time to jump into action, evacuate the immediate area, then commence the thorough clean up operation with the disposal not only of the bulb but all cleaning implements used. The precise steps to take in the eventuality of a breakage can be found on a press release from the Health Protection Agency. Here’s what they say;
As a precautionary measure, the HPA advise that the room should be ventilated and the bulb cleaned up and disposed of properly.
The clean up should involve:
- On hard surfaces wipe the area with a damp cloth, place that in the plastic bag and seal it.
- Sticky tape (e.g. duct tape or similar) can be used to pick up small residual pieces or powder from soft furnishings and then placed in a sealed plastic bag.
- The plastic bag doesn’t need to be air tight, but should be reasonably sturdy. Place it in another, similar bag and seal that one as well (again, this minimises cuts from broken glass).
The public should contact the local authority for advice on where to dispose of broken or intact CFLs as they should be treated as hazardous waste.
The HPA have also stated that if a vacuum cleaner is used to clean up the breakage the bag must be removed immediately and also disposed of.
So there you have it, a beginners guide to handling hazardous waste. These new lightbulbs you have invested in are perfectly safe, just don’t break them.
Avoid Overcharging With Prepayment Meters
The prepayment meter, also known as a pay as you go meter, is associated with the highest fuel tariffs for both gas and electricity. While it may have its place for providing a strict financial structure to a household’s budget, Ofgem have stated that bills for this type of meter are £95 higher annually than other meters.
Prepayment meters allow the same payment plan as a pay as you go mobile phones. Pay upfront for the fuel to be used and only pay what you can afford. The 5 million meters in the UK are subject to the highest tariffs and households cannot benefit from discounted online tariffs or reductions for paying by direct debit.
Another sting in the tail is that the older prepayment meters require to be manually adjusted when the fuel tariff changes. If the energy supplier engineer is slow in changing the meter or misses an appointment this will lead to back billing – a bill through the letterbox demanding money for the period the tariff was incorrect. A kick in the teeth for an supposedly advance payment meter.
To avoid the disadvantages of a prepayment meter, first of all avoid changing to this meter if the standard tariff is currently in place. If the prepayment meter is already in place then see what tariff other energy suppliers are offering – this could save up to £100 a year.
There is something called a social tariff. Energy suppliers will offer a reduced rate if the household in in fuel poverty (spending over 10% of income on fuel), or the occupier is aged or on income support. Social tariffs differ greatly so ask the question to determine what is available.
It is possible to have the prepayment meter replaced to allow the household to move onto a standard tariff. But expect costs to mount up for this. Cost of a new meter, cost of the engineer to fit it, and even a security deposit to ensure debts do not begin to be run up – as the household on the new standard tariff will be untrusted.
Lastly, a bit off-centre, but ensure enough money is in the meter before you go on holiday to cover the appliances that run continuously – fridges, alarms, warm water fish tanks. Flooding due to a defrosted freezer is not a desired expense when returning home.
Fixed Term Contracts Begin to Appeal
Since last year oil prices have rose steadily causing energy tariffs to rise also, leading households to seek the safety of fixed term contracts to ensure future outgoings were under control. Now as oil prices are falling there is a realisation that energy tariffs will not decrease due to reasons such as forward speculation, high wholesale gas prices and reduced financial leverage due to the credit crunch – leading more households to consider a fixed term contract. Our previous posts also highlight why energy prices do not often decrease.
Fixed term contracts were first allowed in 2007 when Ofgem agreed that additional benefits would be available to consumers under longer contracts, such as the installation of smart meters. The cost of these devices can be built into a longer term contract in the same fashion as free routers are bundled with broadband contracts, and handsets with mobile phone contracts.
Capped energy tariffs for a set period is the attraction of a fixed term contract, allowing future household spending to be certain. Although these category of tariffs can be 10% higher than standard tariff, they can prove an area of safety for households that cannot afford any further price rises.
The obvious disadvantage of committing to a fixed term contract is that energy prices can go down, leaving the household stuck with higher financial outgoings. Exiting a fixed price contact early leads to penalty fees being demanded from the energy supplier, with the exception of moving house and prices in the fixed term contract being raised by the supplier.
There is a place for fixed term contracts, but do realise there is no perfect contract. Consideration of household expenditure is key, does it need capped, and how essential is it for monthly expenditure to be controlled? Only when he positive and negative are known and accepted can the fixed term contract be successful.
Dual Fuel Package Reduces Energy Bills
Having a single Energy Supplier deliver Electricity and Gas is known as duel fuel. Additional discounts are offered to entice households onto this package, and can lead to savings of a couple of hundred pounds each year.
The dual fuel package offers a single combined meter reading and a combined bill, resulting in one payment. It also allows a single point of contact for help, queries or complaints with your energy supply. Having only one Energy Supplier to deal with simplifies the household energy relationship.
When switching to a dual fuel package the Energy Suppliers will offer various attractions to reduce the current household bill:
- Dual Fuel Discount
- Direct Debit Discount
- Guaranteed Savings Compared to Standard Tariff
Other benefits can include:
- Nectar Points
- Clubcard Points
- Price Protection
Although Energy Suppliers present dual fuel tariffs as one of the the lowest priced packages available, it is still essential to do your homework and compare the dual fuel tariff available to your household with the cheapest single deals available for gas and electricity.
Click here to see what duel fuel savings are available to your household.
Traditional Light Bulbs to Disappear
The movement of households away from the traditional incandescent light bulbs towards more efficient low energy bulbs is gathering pace. With a total ban on high energy non-directional light bulbs by 2012 being introduced by the EU, the government have announced this target will be achieved a year early in 2011.
Major retailers have announced the cessation of sales for the 150W light bulb by January of next year, and the phasing out of the 100W bulb during that same year. The government plans to phase out the 40W light bulb in 2012, and other bulbs in 2011.
Low energy lighting will bring those benefits already highlighted in one of our most popular posts. The typical household will see its energy bill reduce, but only after an unexpected and slightly painful investment in replacement low energy bulbs. In addition to household savings it is expected this change will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by five million tonnes annually.
Sounds good so far, but what grates is the inconvenience of energy saving bulbs. The delay for one of these bulbs to come to full brightness can stop you in your tracks. How many times do you enter a room and switch on the light to retrieve or rummage for an item? Repeat this action using an energy saving bulb and on entering a room the instant bright light associated with traditional bulbs is not there – instead a slow blurring light appears, as strong as a candle, then building apathetically to a brightness sufficient to navigate the room.
Low energy lighting is the way forward, and this ban on the traditional bulb has been slow in coming. We don’t realise it yet, but the incandescent light will be missed.
Special Offer, For One Day Only – Free Gas
There was an opportunity last week for the energy suppliers to purchase gas for nothing. An oversupply of gas due to warmer weather caused the wholesale price of gas to drop to 0p ( that’s zero pence ) on Sunday 12th October. This should have been a chance to replenish low stores and offset the high forward prices paid for the winter supply of gas, but Britain has little storage capacity to take advantage of such events. Lack of investment in our infrastructure restricts any attempt of stockpiling cheap fuel in preparation for the inevitably high prices that come around each winter.
Once again the consumer loses. If the energy suppliers had purchased this gas it would seem legitimate that the lower price would be passed onto their customers. But it makes no difference to the energy suppliers if the gas prices are high or low – in all scenarios their profit is guaranteed.
Willingness to invest in Britain’s capacity to store gas does not exist, and will not exist as long as the profits made by the energy suppliers have no dependence on this infrastructure. Highlighting a correlation with the water companies lack of investment in their own leaking water pipes. Money spent on infrastructure means less profit.
With the winter just ahead and oil prices still volitile we’ll soon how much motivation the energy companies have to care for their customers.
Electricity Bills Will Not Decrease
The upward march of oil prices over the past 18 months is the reason cited for the increase in energy prices. It may be intuitive to now believe that a reduction in electricity bills may be due soon, reflecting the recent dramatic drop in the price of oil, but several forces are at work for your electricity bill to remain at its dizzy heights.
The wholesale price of gas is linked to oil prices, and gas is the largest fuel type used to produce electricity in the UK. The gas used in these power stations is bought on the forward market – that is a price is agreed six to twelve months in advance for the supply of gas. High prices six to twelve months ago means high prices now for the consumer.
Energy suppliers are unable to take advantage of the current low prices as the credit crunch has reduced everyone’s liquidity and flexibility of funds, letting the opportunity to reduce your bills disappear.
The total electricity available for supply has actually decreased over the last number of years leading to a perceived lack of availability in periods of high electricity consumption, namely the winter months, leading to speculation that electricity prices could increase.
In July the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) released a booklet showing the present energy trends in the UK. The past twenty years has witnessed a startling rise in the use and dependency of gas exhibited in the charts below.
Electricity Supplied by Fuel Type
A more detailed investigation on the changing fuel types used over recent years shows the real picture of the UK electricity generation market. The total electricity output has decreased in recent years, nuclear power is on the wane, and renewable energy is a long way off providing a significant contribution to the energy market.
Electricity Trend by Fuel Type
Energy Saving Light Bulbs – A Bright Idea?
Sorry about the title of this post, but it has to be a compulsory title for this topic.
Media campaigns have educated us that our existing use of incandescent light bulbs (those with a filament inside) is wasteful of energy and a greater pollutant that modern alternatives. The incandescent light bulb is a design little changed since the late 1800s, which if created today would never reach market. Although we know low-energy light bulbs save on energy and should be our only choice when it’s time to replace expired bulbs, the higher cost is prohibitive to an easy transition of consumer habits. So lets put the low-energy light bulbs on the spot by performing a comparison.
Comparison:
Philips 100W ES Pearl Light Bulb – 4 Pack, bought at HomeBase for £1.99 and a single 20W SPARSAM Energy-saving bulb E27 from Ikea for £2.99.
The four Phillips light bulbs when used concurrently will last for 4,000 hours and the Ikea light bulb for 10,000 hours. It follows that two packs of four high-energy bulbs at a cost of £3.98 will last 8,000 hours – still less than the Ikea light bulb. So before the energy consumption of the bulbs is taken into account the low-energy light bulb has already saved 97p and has 2,000 hours more life left in it. Now, assuming that the cost of a kWh is 13p and VAT is 5% the four light bulbs will cost £109.20 to run for their lifetime, and the Ikea light bulb £27.30 for its full life.
Result
If a light is switched on for five hours a day the 10,000 hour lifespan of the Ikea bulb converts to over five years. The £81.90 saving then equates to £15 saving per year per light bulb. Significant in itself, but staggering when expanded to include other light bulbs in the home.
It is now possible to purchase low-energy bulbs to replace halogen lights and bulbs for security lighting. The only thing to watch out for is if you use a dimmer switch, standard low-energy bulbs do not work properly, but dimmable bulbs are available.
The table below explains the relationship between the high and low energy light bulbs:
| Ordinary bulbs | Energy saving equivalent |
| 25W | 6W |
| 40W | 8-11W |
| 60W | 13-18W |
| 100W | 20-25W |
It’s shouldn’t be a shock from the calculations above that £175 million a year is wasted in the UK by leaving lights on unnecessarily. So get those low-energy bulbs installed and switch them off when nobody is in the room.