Welcome to DIY Doctor's blog

As we are getting towards the end of Climate Week we thought we should share some of our successes with you.

I called into my local supermarket for a small shop and used my fantastic stripey bag!

DIY Doctor employees have not picked up a single supermarket plastic bag, and while we know that this should always be the case, the very fact that we have managed to get everyone (even the men) to stop using plastic bags when they nip in to buy stuff, it means that our Great Green Climate Challenge has been a success this week.

Like any campaigns it is tempting to think that a small change in behaviour can’t make a big impact. However it is important to understand that a small change in action or attitude is effective because it is more sustainable.

As part of Climate Week we have partnered up with our green colleagues, Be Energy Smart and Green Reviews, to encourage all our users to take a small step towards a greener lifestyle.

Hopefully you have joined in with our challenge, but if you haven’t yet you still have time. There are loads of action pledges you can make which are simple enough to fit into anyone’s life, but added together they make a huge difference to our combined carbon output.

It doesn’t cost you a penny to join or to donate, because the donations are pledges of action not money.

Here are a few examples of what you can do from the DoNation site

‘Walk on’ walk to where you are going rather than using a vehicle – less petrol, better for you. Another great idea as the days get longer and lighter is to organise a ‘Walking Bus’ for school children. If you are feeling really energetic you can pledge to ‘Run in’, which is to run to where you are going – great  if you have the energy, and a shower at work!

‘Shower power’ spend a little less time in the shower, saves energy heating the water, you could also shower at a slightly cooler temperature. This has the added benefit of waking you up in the morning!

‘Lag your loft’ one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways of saving power and money, is to put more insulation in your loft.

‘Lift share’ if you cant walk or cycle to work why not pool your car, this is much more efficient and splitting the petrol money between you will be a benefit all round.

‘Degrees cooler’ If you still need your heating on turn it down a degree or two, you are unlikely to notice the difference, except in your pocket. Wash clothes on 30 degree cycles too.

For more details on these and lots of other carbon reducing pledges you can make go to the DoNation website, and check out their challenges. If you want to get involved we would be really grateful if you would make a pledge to our Great Green Climate Challenge, and as an added incentive each time you donate a pledge your name is entered into a prize draw to win a Solar Powered Radio.

Go to the Great Green Climate Challenge page to see more information about how to give and how to win!

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Mike Edwards From DIY Doctor is pledging the kettle challenge – to only boil the water he needs.
Simple, but effective as he likes his coffee!

DIY Doctor, Be Energy Smart and Green Reviews have teamed up to make a difference for Climate Week.

What is Climate Week?
It is an initiative that inspires us all to make a difference to the climate by making changes in our lives, these changes can be a simple as avoiding using carrier bags, or as energetic as cycling to work. The idea is that you pick the things you can fit easily into your life, in the hope that these ideas will stick with you throughout the year and then inspire you to make more green changes.

When is Climate Week?
Climate Week runs from the 4th – 10th March 2013. Why not go to the website and set up your profile, you can then pledge donations – which are in actions rather than money.

What can I do?
It is all going on at the DoNation website. Go to the page set up by Be Energy Smart to make a pledge – BeEnergySmart: The Great Green Climate Challenge. You will see the pledges already collected, and the ones we have pledged to do. Click on the ‘do something’ button and you will be given a list of choices.

There are loads of ideas for different pledges, including:

• Filling up your kettle only as much as you need to – and get that cuppa quicker!
• Cycling to work – get healthier and save carbon!
• Feed the Earth – making compost for the garden
• Smart Drive – accelerating and braking smoothly to save fuel.
• Sharing things with neighbours and friends – a great pledge for DIY enthusiasts!

You are bound to find something that suits you, maybe something you keep meaning to do, or something so simple you hadn’t even thought about it before.

If you want to be more ambitious you can make up your own challenge – let your imagination run wild!

A reward for your efforts
Be Energy Smart, DIY Doctor and Green Reviews have teamed up to offer you a great green giveaway. If you make Climate Week pledges, we will enter you into a draw to win a fantastic Roberts SolarDAB radio. All you have to do is pledge to do something to reduce your carbon footprint between now and the 10th March.

The winner will be able to listen to high-quality music in truly sustainable style, with the world’s first solar powered DAB radio. Each pledge you make gives you another chance to win, so pick as many as you can!

Who is involved?
Members of DIY Doctor, Green Reviews and Be Energy Smart teams will be make their own pledges too. They will be using their blogs and Twitter to keep you updated with how they are doing, throughout the week.

Be Energy Smart is a brilliant independent energy-saving advice website. They have loads of information about Eco Friendly products and you should check out their simple free assessment tool to find out exactly which energy-saving improvements could save money in your home. www.beenergysmart.co.uk

Green Reviews is a fab one-stop-shop for reviews of just about any green product you can think of, from washing machines to solar panels. www.greenreviews.co.uk

You already know that DIY Doctor is the UK’s best-loved DIY advice website, with friendly, down-to-earth advice to help you through any Home Improvement and DIY tasks. www.diydoctor.org.uk

The competition will close at midnight on the 10th March, and we’ll be notifying the winner on the following day. Good luck!

Why not tweet your pledge, to let us know how you’re doing? @DIYDoctor

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What happens if you have work done under the Green Deal and you want to sell your house.

The idea behind the Green Deal is to allow you to have certain approved work done at your property and then to pay for the work in installments via your energy bills.

The work would have to be assessed before if was carried out to ensure that you would save at least as much as it cost you to repay each month This know as the ‘golden rule’.

So what happens if you want to move house?

The energy benefits of the work will stay at the house and therefore so will the monthly costs (until the capital and interest are repaid).

This might not suit your purchaser, but you will have the option of paying off the money borrowed, if this proves to be a stumbling block.

What if you are buying a house?

If a vendor has had work done under the Green Deal, then it will be shown on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The EPC is an essential report on the energy performance of any house that is on the market for sale or to rent. It must be displayed by the agent at the time of sale and it should be available for any prospective purchaser to see.

Read more about EPC reports on the Riley Marshall blog, click on the image below.

What is an EPC and what does it say about my house?

Repay or not?

It is not worth repaying the green deal loan attached to your property, unless the purchaser really does not want to take on the debt. Remember that the purchaser will be enjoying the benefits of the energy savings that your property improvements cost, so be sure not to lose out in any haggling of this type.

You could always offer to pay off the Green Deal agreement for a similar adjustment in the house price.

For more information on the Green Deal you can visit our Green Living section.

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Have you considered using wind power to supplement the energy you use at home?

Generating renewable energy using domestic wind turbines will help to save money and reduce your carbon footprint.

Also you are likely to find that, as you become aware of how much effort is needed to generate electricity, you will be more likely to find ways to conserve the energy you use.

Using Microwind turbines

Small-scale wind turbines are also known as microwind, or small-wind turbines. They convert wind energy into usable electricity for your home, so you can power your lights and electrical goods. In addition providing you qualify for the government’s Feed-in-Tariff scheme you can also receive payments for every unit of electricity you generate. If you generate electricity you don’t use this ‘extra’ electricity can be exported back to the National Grid.

Find out more about the Feed-in-Tariff Scheme.

You have a choice of mounting the turbine on your roof, or on a mast to make it freestanding. Your choice will depend on the land you have available, and on what is the the most efficient way of capturing wind energy in your area.

Obviously turbines work best in areas where exposure to the wind is unrestricted.

So how effective is a domestic wind turbine?

According to the Energy Saving Trust, wind turbines are a viable source of self-generated energy for the home owner. The Energy Trust is a social enterprise company with charity status, aiming to help Britain reduce carbon emissions, use water more sustainably and save money on energy bills.

“A well sited 6kW turbine could generate around 10,000kWh per year which is equivalent to around 5.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. A system this size could generate income and savings of around £3,200 a year when eligible for the Feed-In Tariff” Energy Saving Trust

Can you move a wind turbine?

If you move house it is possible to relocate your turbine, providing the new site is suitable. However there are costs involved with dismantling and reinstalling, so you might be better off using your money-saving device as a selling point, and planning to put in a new one at your new home.

For more information on Green energy including wind power, visit our Green Living section.

Our Green Living pages are written in conjunction with our ‘Green’ partners Be Energy Smart. Their website is full of useful information about energy saving initiatives, and generating green energy, including questions and answers, and free energy assessments for your home.

Click here to visit the Be Energy Smart website.

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The Government proposed new clauses to the Energy Bill yesterday, which should ensure that consumers get a better deal on their energy bills.

The Government wants to simplify consumer bills and make tariffs easier to understand for the average consumer. the Prime Minister has promised to help consumers get the cheapest deals, and understanding the market is a key component in these plans. Calls are being made to reduce the number of different tariffs available on the market, and to remove outdated ‘dead’ tariffs from the market.

As a consumer, once you can compare your bills on a like-with-like basis you will be in a better position to shop around for your energy. There are plenty of switching sites that will quickly and effortlessly arrange to put you on the best tariff for you, as soon as you have decided where to go.

The Governments is also pressing ahead with plans to decarbonise the power sector by 2030. Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Edward Davey said:

“I am determined to ensure that consumers get the cheapest tariff they can. So, we will amend the Energy Bill to reduce the bamboozling array of tariffs available on the market and to simplify bills, whilst continuing to work with Ofgem to deliver a simpler, more competitive market.

The Department for Energy and Climate Control (DECC) will also be able to charge energy companies for disruption to power supplies in a move that should stabilise power provision. Full details for these matters should be revealed in the Spring, and as ever we will keep you up to date.

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