Saving energyThings that might help include real-time electricity displays available now; they say you should recoup the £35-ish cost within a year. For example: and The EwGeco which works for gas and water too. Between now and 2020, utilities should roll out smart meters like that from First Utility |
This is the big one. A lifestyle which assumes oil will continue to be cheap and plentiful is deluded. As oil reserves are used up, the cost of extraction increases. When global demand recovers, the cost of fossil fuel will inexorably continue to rise. There is strong evidence that the tipping-point has already been reached. Some authorities say that because the older nuclear power stations are due to be decommissioned and new ones not yet being built, and because of increasing demand, Britain could be short of electricity by as much as 30% within this decade. Remember the speed restrictions and power cuts of the seventies? In the short term, the simple thing to do is to reduce our energy consumption at home and work now, drastically. The heat is on.
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One of the easiest ways to save electricity is to use low-energy light bulbs. They are getting much smaller and neater in size, and consume about a fifth of the electricity used by conventional lightbulbs. They can last over ten times as long. Denmans in Banbury have most of what you'd need and the Deddington Co-op stocks a limited range; they are available from several online stores. |
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Another simple choice is to switch off all those standby lights at night - computers, tvs, music centres and so on - and turn off lights when you leave a room. Try turning the central heating down a degree or so - an extra jumper is paid for! If you have an unused open fire place, there are DIY balloons on the market which will effecively block it off and stop warm air going up it. You might also consider a modern condensing boiler. Roof insulation and draft exclusion is something CDC is keen we should do; generous grants are available particularly for those on very low incomes and benefits. If you have to replace a fridge, washing machine and the like, choose one with an A-rating, the most efficient. |
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| There's plenty of energy saving advice from the Energy Saving Trust. Here are some tasters but please do check for updated information. |
Avoid cold related illnesses this winter Calculate your carbon footprint Climate - it's the pace of change Energy saving light bulb myth buster Together we can tackle climate change |
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| It is easy to switch to renewable energy. You may choose to use electricity generated solely by renewable sources like hydro or wind, for example from Good Energy. It's not necessarily cheaper, but whoever said saving the planet is going to be cheap? |  |
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Websites like uSwitch, The Energy Shop, and the Energy Helpline make changing suppliers a relatively simple process (no recommendations or endorsements offered here, just pick what's right for you). | ||
| USEA operates an Energy Saving Trust advice centre for the South East. The centre provides impartial energy saving advice to the residents of Bucks, Berks, Oxon and Hants. |
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If/when there is no electricity ie a power cut, you might find it useful to have a land-line telephone that does not rely on a mains connection. And maybe a wind-up radio and torch. |
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Wood as a fuel
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An open fire of any kind can only be 10% efficient max; whereas a wood burning stove can be up to 85% efficient. And heat directly from wood is around five times cheaper than from gas or electricity. So the running costs are low but there’s the capital expense of installing the stove – not cheap. There are plenty of suppliers of logs in North Oxfordshire, people who will dump them at your front door, even in convenient sacks. Ask around or look in Yellow Pages or the local press. All wood has a very similar calorific value, even saw-mill off-cuts, but be sure to check that the wood has been well dried to 22% moisture content or lower. Then you have to find somewhere to store it all. There are no smoke control areas in the Cherwell district. |
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Making charcoal for BBQs is energy inefficient but you may consider it OK if trees are replanted and waste wood products are used and if it is indigenous from British woods. Charcoal from Bioregional HomeGrown is available from major retailers like B&Q. If you want to plant your own firewood coppice – a valuable asset to leave the next generation – then get advice from the Oxfordhire Woodland Project. Sadly Culworth Forge has gone, as has the shop in Calthorpe Street but on the right are some local suppliers of wood stoves and other useful sites: |
The Oxfordshire Woodland Project |
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Microgeneration - knit yer own energy |
Collecting energy directly from the sun – the obvious thing to do really – to turn it into electricity to move it around is the way to go in the longer term. There’s a conservation conflict: energy or architecture: solar panels versus conservation areas and listed buildings. While more visually acceptable (but expensive) photo-voltaic tiles are already available, decisions have to be taken in our area as to which has priority. See solar panel messages in the Forum. |
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Wind turbines are not yet viable technology for home use but they are getting smaller, cheaper and more efficient so it won’t be long. Meanwhile they are certainly just the ticket for farms and small industrial sites; one similar to that illustrated was originally proposed for our Windmill Community Centre. If you have the space and don't mind digging up your garden, you could go for a ground source heat pump. As from April 2010, the British government had a cash-back scheme, offering feed-in tariffs (FITs) for micro-generated renewable energy. This yielded upto 8% on the investment made but is likely to be reduced. More info here and here. |
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