The World’s first green electricity company:

With the Green Energy movement increasing in popularity on an almopst daily basis we have a look at once of the main companies looking to supply green energy into the future.

Green Electricity didn't exist in the world back in 1996. When Ecotricity offered it for the first time, they became not just Britain’s but the world’s first Green Electricity company – and kick-started the now global Green Electricity movement. Ecotricity's mission was and remains to change the way electricity is made and used in Britain.
Ecotricity chose this focus because conventional electricity is responsible for 30% of Britain’s carbon emissions – it’s our biggest single source as a nation – and therefore the biggest single thing we can change.

Ecotricity operate a unique model. Using customers’ energy bills to fund the building of new sources of Green Energy. They like to refer to this as turning ‘Bills into Mills’ – energy bills into windmills.
With no shareholders to answer to they’re free to dedicate all their attention to the task of building new sources of Green Energy. And that’s just what they do, on average spending more each year per customer on new sources of Green Energy than any other energy company in Britain - bar none.

Energy is the key:

Electricity is the biggest single source of carbon emissions in Britain – but it’s not the only one of course. The big three are Energy, Transport and Food: between them accounting for 80% of all of our personal carbon footprints. The one thing they have in common is that Energy plays a vital role in them all. That’s why Ecotricity extended their work beyond the boundaries of traditional energy companies.
In Transport they built the Nemesis, Britain’s first electric super car – to demonstrate how cars of the future could actually be wind powered. Next came our Electric Highway, the world’s first national network of charging stations - to kick-start the electric car revolution in Britain.

Ecotricity also built the first national charging network for electric cars. For first time electric vehicles will be able to travel the length and breadth of Britain using the world’s first national charging network at motorway service stations across the country.
Every charging post will be powered with 100% green energy made at Ecotricity’s wind and solar parks across the UK, and means that electric car drivers (and motorcycle riders) will be able to drive from London to Edinburgh or Exeter completely free and with vastly reduced emissions.
This breakthrough in electric car infrastructure removes one of the main barriers for people wanting to buy electric cars – range anxiety – which currently restricts people to driving within their own city.

With Ecotricity looking to take bigger and bolder steps into the forefront of producing green energy, with the world's first dual-fuel green tariff and plans afoot for mills to produce green gas and even more wind turbines, sun parks and other renewable energy, it may not be long before you consider switching from a conventional energy supplier to one that truly has Green Credentials.

Will A Wood Burner Save You Money?

It's becoming increasingly popular for people to buy a woodburner to supplement or replace a gas or electric heating system because they simply can’t afford to pay their spiralling fuel bills. Changing to wood-fired heating saves many people a lot of money, but it takes time to recoup your initial investment in savings on fuel bills. The savings available vary, but these are the main points to consider when working out how much money you can save.

Purchase Costs
The most obvious cost is buying the woodburner. Wood burning stoves are available to suit all budgets, but the cheapest woodburners are not the most efficient. Spending a little extra to buy a more efficient stove can be worthwhile to gain savings in fuel costs over time. Bargain hunters tend to buy woodburners on the internet in order to get the cheapest prices. It can take a little work to compare deals properly – make sure the price advertised includes VAT and delivery, and see if there are any special deals on chimney liner or free fitting accessories with the stove. To ensure you have full manufacturers warranty cover on the woodburner, check that you are buying from an authorised retailer. You may also need to buy a chimney liner or flue system and accessories such as a stove pipe or register plate. If you are not sure what you need, get expert advice before you buy.

Installation Costs
Installation costs vary enormously depending what work needs to be done. If you need a flue liner for your chimney or to fit a twinwall flue system because you don’t have a conventional chimney, this will increase your installation costs. Sometimes fireplaces need to be altered for a woodburner to be installed, at an extra and sometimes unexpected cost. It is a good idea to have a stove installation survey from a  before you buy a woodburner – this will give you a clear idea of what work is necessary and the associated costs, as well as giving you an opportunity to get expert advice about what woodburner is most suitable for your requirements.
Running Costs
Research prices for firewood or coal both from local and nationwide suppliers, unless you are lucky enough to have a free source of firewood such as a friendly tree surgeon! To get the best prices on firewood or coal you need to buy in quantity – if you don’t already have a suitable storage area factor this into your budget as well. Demand for woodburners is increasing in the UK, but the Forestry Commission is implementing a program to develop the UK wood fuel industry over the coming years to ensure plenty of quality firewood will be available at reasonable prices. Recommended woodburner maintenance includes having your chimney swept at least once a year and an annual service of the stove by a HETAS qualified engineer – it’s a good idea to allocate some of your budget to cover these expenses.

The Woodfuel Cycle

In a bid to help both customers and retailers better understand and appreciate woodland management and firewood production, Hereford based firewood producer, Certainly Wood has just launched it's first YouTube video.
Entitled The Woodfuel Cycle, the four and a half minute video chronicles the journey from forest to stove and every stage in between.
Commenting on the video, Managing Director Nic Snell said: "This medium provides us with the perfect way to show our customers what goes into the production of firewood and offers an insight into the sacle of our operation in jsut a few minutes. It is a brilliant way to bring the process to life. We hope the video will help those retailers who have not had a chance to visit us and better understand the process. They can also use it in their showrooms and link to it via their websites to promote the importance of burning kiln dried logs"
Certainly Wood are planning to launch more videos throughout the year focusing on specific aspects of the business.

Explaining The Science Behind Climate Change

A new website that explains the science behind climate change was recently launched by Professor Sir John Beddington, The Government's Chief Scientific Adviser.
The website, which can be foind at www.bis.gov.uk/go-science/climatescience presents an overview of some of the most important areas of climate science study and aims to help those wishing to get behind the day-to-day headlines to learn more about the fundamental scientific issues involved.
With few areas of science having such profound implications for publuc policy and society, it is a research field not without controversy and headline hitting stories. For those uncertain about the state of scientific knowledge, the web resource explains where evidence is well established and where findings and projections remain uncertain.
Sir John said " Reporting on climate change science has often created more heat than light. The evidence is compelling that climate change is happening, that human activities are the major driver and that the future risks are substantial.
At the same time there is much we need to understand better; for example, the pace and extent of the changes we can expect, and regional impacts."
"The fact that uncertainty exists in climate science, as it does in other fields, does not detract from the value of evidence. But an appreciation of the nature and degree of uncertainty, and of the lielihood and potential severity of risks, is critical if the science is to properly inform decision-making."
The online rescource, hosted in a new section of the Government Office for Science website, explains the scientific issues, evidence and principles behind a number of key points including the contribution of human activities to climate change and how greenshouse gases actually hea the earth.
Carbon Dioxide levels are now over a third higher than they were before the industrial revolution and allegedly continues to rise fast.
Several independent studies show global average temperatures to be rising and many other observations such as Arctic summer sea ice extent, are said to confirm the long term warming trend.