info.html

A little something to help you get started.....

There are a number of schemes, offers and incentives to help you save money on improving your home’s energy efficiency. Interest free loans are available to help finance things such as cavity or solid wall insulation. And it’s not just the big things- grants are available for everything from light bulbs to heating systems.

Switching energy suppliers can be one easy step towards reducing your monthly bills by finding a cheaper tariff for gas or electricity. Independent price comparison sites such as ‘u switch’ can help you find what is on offer in your area. Many companies are offering freebies to new customers such as online energy monitoring or money off for paperless billing.

If you are looking for something even easier have you tried a Current Cost Monitor to see how much electricity you are using in your home? It is available on loan from the Hub and lets you see at a glance how much that leisurely shower actually costs!I

The Energy Assistance Package

Do you dread getting your electricity or gas bill?
Find your home always feels cold or damp no matter how long the heating is on?
•Not sure if you or someone in your family is eligible for help with heating bills?
Or maybe you just want advice on how to make your home more energy efficient.

The Energy Assistance Package offers free, independent and local energy advice for everyone. You could save money on energy, or maybe get free insulation for your home or even qualify for central heating. All this help is just a free phone call away. Call into the Hub and speak to one of the Energy Advisors for more information.

Grants and incentives...

The government has proposed a ‘Renewable Heat Incentive’ which will come into effect in 2011 to pay the householder for every KwH of heat they produce using renewable technology (solar thermal, biomass or heat pumps).

Anyone who installs a qualifying renewable heat system on or after April 2009 may be eligible.

Visit the Renewable Heat Incentive site for more information www.rhincentive.co.uk/

Grants are available which cover up to 30% (up to a maximum of £4000) of the installation costs. For more information www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Things to consider...

•A professionally installed system can cost around £3,500 to £5,500 depending on size and type of panels.

•Solar thermal is not compatible with some combi boilers so you may need a boiler upgrade as well.

•You will need to have your home professionally assessed by an accredited installer . Check on www.microgenerationcertification.org

Do you have an immersion tank... Electric shower... Washing machine...Dishwasher?

If you have all 4 then you could be (unnecessarily) wasting up to 120L of hot water every day.

Immersion tanks work by heating water overnight on off peak electricity to use during the day for washing dishes, clothes and yourself. But if you have a cold water feed washing machine and dishwasher and prefer a shower to a bath then none of the hot water in the tank is being used at all.

Solutions could include:

•Considering a combi boiler if your old one is nearing the end of it’s working life

•Replacing an electric shower with a mixer shower which takes hot water from the tank

•Seeing if your washing machine or dishwasher can be adapted to take water from the hot water tank rather than the mains.

Thinking of getting a new boiler?

If your boiler is getting more expensive to service or repair now is a good time to think about getting it replaced- before you really need it in the winter. Modern boilers are nearly all condensing types which are extremely efficient to run. They work by reuse the heat that would normally be lost as waste gas from the boiler and use it to heat the water in the heating system.

‘Which’ have an excellent site which not only independently reviews different boilers but also explains the features of different heating systems so you can get an idea which one is best suited to your needs.

The ‘Boiler Scrappage Scheme’ funded by the Scottish government is now closed but you might still qualify, depending on your particular circumstances, for assistance with boiler replacement under the 'Energy Assistance Package'. You can asses your eligibility by visiting http://www.homeheatingguide.co.uk/energy-assistance-package-scotland.html

Solar Heating

Thermal Panels

A correctly sized and installed solar system can provide around a third of your annual hot water needs; most of this will be provided in the summer months.

They work by absorbing natural solar radiation and transferring it to a hot water cylinder. Your boiler or immersion heater tops up this stored heat to reach the temperature set on your cylinder thermostat.

They are easily installed, virtually maintenance free and can plumb into most existing heating systems.

Photo Voltaic Cells

PV cells are panels you can attach to your roof or walls. Each cell is made from one or two layers of semiconducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is produced.

PV cells come in a variety of shapes and colours, from grey "solar tiles" that look like roof tiles to panels and transparent cells that you can use on conservatories and glass.

The strength of a PV cell is measured in kilowatt peak (kWp). That's the amount of energy the cell generates in full sunlight.

Fitting PV cells could enable you to:

Reduce your carbon footprint

Store electricity for a cloudy day

Cut your electricity bills

Sell electricity back to the Grid

What will it cost.....?
How much work will it entail.....?
What pay-back can I expect.....?

Drop into the Hub and talk to an Energy Advisor or find out more here.

Brrrr! Winter has finally arrived.
it’s time to reset your central heating or storage heaters to a higher level.

It’s so easy to forget, especially if you are out of the house during the day but it only takes a few minutes to reset the boiler programmer to make the cope with the colder weather.

Make sure you have re-set the clock on your programmer in line with the rest of your clocks following the change from BST to winter.

If you have one, make sure to set the temperature on your room thermostat to your winter comfort level. Similarly, don't forget to make the best use of the thermostatically controlled valves on your radiators.

If you have storage heaters make sure you turn the input dial to maxumum during the cold weather so the heaters can charge up adequately overnight.

Alyth Climate Action Town