Give Your Home A Free Check-Up

If you are looking for ways to stop wasting energy and money you'll find lots of ideas here. The Energy Saving Trust is a non-profit organisation that provides free and impartial advice on how to save energy.

The Energy Savings Trust are currently offering a free online evaluation of your property to allow you to see just how much energy you can save by making some improvements to your home, and unlike many other similar reports, it doesnt just give you how much Carbon Dioxide emissions you could reduce, it also gives you it in quids, mulah, money and that really does hit home. Especially with the rising British Gas prices that for dual fuel households already stands to add some £200 + to your annual heating bill.

The check just requires a few details such as the terrain your house is situated in, how many rooms etc, but once this has been completed you can choose to either have the report emailed to you or posted out, below you will see part of the report I recieved:As you can see I could save up to £346 per year and reduce my carbon footprint by over 2 tonnes by doing simple things such as upgrading a boiler (something I'm saving up for) making sure my loft is insulated as well as suggesting slightly more expensive options such as solar water heating or Solar Photovoltaic panels on the roof heat heat my water or generate electricity.

This report only takes ten minutes but the savings could be unfathomable and just think where you could spend that money you've saved.

British Gas Announces Price Increase

British Gas has announced it is increasing its domestic tariffs for gas by an average 18%, and for electricity by an average 16%, on 18 August, 2011.

The rise is in response to a 30.2% increase in wholesale costs. The energy company attributes the rise to the higher global demand for gas, "driven by increased consumption in Asia and the impact on supply of unrest in the Middle East and North Africa.

British Gas claims it is currently making a loss on the energy it sells, which it says "cannot continue... as it needs to be a profitable business in order to invest in future sources of energy for Britain".

British Gas' managing director, Phil Bentley, explained: "We know there is never a good time to raise prices, but we are buying in a global energy market and have to pay the market rate."

Until August, Bentley is urging current customers not to jump ship just yet. "Our advice to customers is to wait and see what happens in the energy retail market as a whole before making any decisions about switching supplier."

Fuel Poverty Statistics Revealed

Statistics from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have been published, revealing that fuel poverty in the UK has risen by more than 20%.

In 2009, there were around 5.5 million fuel-poor households in the UK, up from 4.5 million in 2008. In England, there were around 4 million fuel-poor households, up from 3.3 million in 2008.

The increase in fuel poverty between 2008 and 2009 was largely due to rising prices. Gas prices rose by 14% and electricity prices by 5 % between 2008 and 2009.

DECC says rising incomes, improvements in the energy efficiency of housing and social and discounted tariffs continue to help some households from falling into fuel poverty.

Fuel poverty among vulnerable households, defined as the elderly, children or somebody who is disabled or long-term sick, for 2009 stood at 4.5 million UK households, up 0.75 million from 2008, and 3.2 million households (England), up 0.5 million from 2008.

DECC's projections for England indicate there are likely to be around 4 million fuel-poor households in 2010 and 4.1 million households in 2011. Although some price rises will impact on households in the latter half of 2011, it will be 2012 before the full impact of these are visible in the fuel poverty data.

A spokesperson for DECC said: "Actual fuel poverty figures for 2010 and 2011 will only be known when we have detailed results of the surveys on household income and efficiency programmes, and will be available for publication in 2011 and 2012 respectively."

Portway Stoves

The Portway range of stoves are some of the best on the market and as they are available in a range of sizes will be perfect for almost anyone looking for a stove.

The Portway Peldon is the gas stove of the range, smaller in size but the 4Kw heat output is more than adequate to heat the average sized living room. The unique, one-piece main body construction and 'clear view' window combine with the realistic coal and flame effect to really create the feel of a traditional cast iron stove with increased efficiency and flexibility, being suitable for almost any chimney or flue.

The quality of the Portway stoves is unmatched, all bodies made from tough 5mm steel, the most robust on the market with cast iron grates and doors. The bodies are then shot blasted to provide the texture and can be finished in either Charcoal or Black metalised siloxane paint. This finish is more durable and of a higher quality than that of traditional stove paint.
All the Portway stoves feature an pre-heated air-wash system that passes a stream of hot air down the inside of the glass preventing flames and products of combustion from ever touching the glass and keeping it clean. All the Portway freestanding stoves can be flued from either the top or the rear and connect to a standard 6" stove flue pipe and at 80% efficiciency, Portway stoves are amongst the most efficient on the market and give out more heat while burning less fuel. The multi-fuel stoves are capable of burning a large variety of natural or man-made fuels such as peat, straw, sawdust, briquettes as well as most mineral fuels.
The windows of the Portway multi-fuel stoves can be tailored to suit with a variety of window trim options. The Portway 1,2 and Inset models can be customised with Suburst, Square, Fleur and Gothika or left plain for the maximum view of your fire. These when combined with either standard, ruby red or arctic grey enamel door help draw attention to this stove and make it the centre of attention.
The first multi-fuel stove of the Portway range is the Portway 1. This stove is the smallest of the range featuring an ultra-slim body that retains the large viewing window while allowing the stove to be fitted into a larger variety of fireplaces. The Portway 1 has a maximum heat output of 5Kw.
The contemporary design of the 5mm steel can be customised with either an artic silver or ruby enamel finish to the door and a choice of three leg heights to further draw attention to this modern stove. The viewing window can also be decorated with a choice of trims, fleur, gothika, plain, square and sunburst which would again help this stove become the centrepiece of any living room.

The Portway 2 is the mid-range Portway multi-fuel stove which as the smaller stove is made of tough 5mm steel with a cast iron door available in either Arctic Grey or Ruby Red Enamel, which, again when coupled with a stylish window trim can really add to the contemporary styling of the stove. The simple operating controls with multi-function handle allow opening of the door and movement of the controls using patented magnetic technology. The three different leg lengths can allow the space underneath to store logs and to further add a more contemporary look to this multi-fuel stove.



The largest stove in the range is the Portway 3, a double door traditionally styled stove that features two large viewing windows that allow the best view of the fire inside. The ultra-slim, extra-wide design designed specifically designed without the need for a protruding hearth.

The extra-wide design allows logs up to 21" to be easily accomodated and the cast iron grate with easy-clean and easy to carry ashpan combine to ensure ease of use while getting the most out of the Portway 3.

The final stove in the range is the Portway inset multifuel stove, for those who like the look of the contemporarily designed Portway stoves but without the open fireplace to put one in. The Portway inset is perfectly designed to fit a standard 16"x22" opening while still maintaining a generous viewing area of the fire inside. The contemporary styling allows this stove to fit in with most modern living room decor and the high output of 4.5Kw provides enough plenty of heat for a normal living room. Like the Portway 1 and Portway 2 this stove can be customised with the enamel door and detailing on the large viewing window, these features make this product even more unique and set it apart in the field of inset stoves.

Broseley Carillion 16:9 Multi Fuel Stove

There was a time that a multi-fuel stove was a short, squat bock of cast iron sat in the hearth designed purely for radiating heat into the room and faded into the background when not serving its purpose. That all changes with the Carillion from Broseley, this widescreen stove is designed to be the centre of attention in your living room.
The unique central column rotates through 90° thanks to a revolutionary new air intake system. This allows the stove to be pointed at the part of the room you desire, affording uninterrupted panoramic views of the roaring multi-fuel fire while up to 78% efficiency ensures that the maximum possible heat is generated.
The striking lines or the frame and bold crystal black finish really give a futuristic feel and the steel column combine to give a very futurist and modern twist on a traditional multi-fuel stove. This is accentuated by the 16:9 widescreen viewing window really allows the flames to come to life in a way you will not find in any other multi-fuel stove.