Oct 31
The return that people who have solar panels installed in their homes receive as Feed in Tariffs could be about to be cut by over half if a proposal by the government is accepted.
It would mean that the payments that homeowners receive for the electricity generated by their solar panels would drop from 43.3p per kWh to 21p. This means an average drop in annual income from £1100 to £55 and also means that the amount of time it takes for solar panels to become cost effective increses from 10 years to a possible 18 years.
The proposal would only apply to people who have solar panels installed after 12th December.
Greg Barker, Climate Change and Energy Minister, said ‘My priority is to put the solar industry on a firm footing so that it can remain a successful and prosperous part of the green economy, and so that it doesn’t fall victim to boom and bust.
‘The plummeting costs of solar mean we’ve got no option but to act so that we stay within budget and not threaten the whole viability of the FITs scheme.
‘Although I fully realise that adjusting to the new lower tariffs will be a big challenge for many firms, it won’t come as a surprise to many in the solar industry who’ve themselves acknowledged the big fall in costs and the big increase in their rate of return over the past year.’
There is more information available on the Energy Saving Trust website.
Oct 28
The future is bright, the future is bendy! Nokia have revealed a new development they have called the ‘Nokia Kinetic Device’ which shows how phones in the future could be bendy – perfect for those DIY’ers and tradesmen who are always dropping or sitting on their phones?!
The prototype uses it’s ‘bendyness’ to control the screens movement, so flexing it forward zooms out on the screen and twisting the top left corner will take you to the next menu item.
Nokia haven’t said when we could see this available commercially but it looks like it could be an amazing leap in technology to us.
Oct 27
We often neglect the ceilings in our homes but putting up coving can really smarten up a room and is obviously a good project for the winter months when we want to be DIYing indoors! It is a relatively simple DIY task but reading up on the method and practising how to cut coving is advised.
There is a great project on the website that gives instruction on measuring and cutting (or mitreing), fitting and fixing your coving and also some advice on different types of coving including a great alternative to plaster coving called Orac Polyurethane coving available from Davuka.
As well as coving there are all types of decorative mouldings available from Davuka GRP Ltd including ceiling roses and domes, architrave, flexible cornices, dado rails, skirting and columns.
Oct 26
By the 31st October the world’s population will reach 7 billion.
This is a staggering figure and one that has galvanised groups to focus on our global responsibility to make a positive difference.
As it says on the 7 Billion Actions site ‘it also offers a rare call-to-action opportunity to renew global commitment for a healthy and sustainable world.’
Photograph by Randy Olson
So in our small world of DIY what can we do? Look at what you can do to be more environmentally friendly in the things that you do and the way you do them.
Check out our Green Living section which gives guides and instruction on everything from installing a water butt and building a garden compost to biomass boilers and domestic wind turbines. You can find out more about rainwater harvesting and using solar energy as well as building straw bale houses or rammed earth houses. There are also online video guides to help.
The Green Living section is always being added to but if there is something you want to see covered which isn’t already there, please let us know.
Oct 25
Please remember, if you haven’t already filled in our survey, please click here and spend a maximum of two minutes answering a few questions – you will be entered into a prize draw and could win £200 worth of Screwfix vouchers!
Thank you!
