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The Department for Energy and Climate Change have announced figures for the take-up of the Green Deal for February 2013

After a very slow start in January 2013 the Green Deal seems to have finally hit the public consciousness, and people are now booking assessments to see if it is worth them carrying out energy-saving works to their homes.

According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), nearly two thousand property assessments were carried out by the end of February this year. There was also an increase in contractors registering to carry out works under the Green Deal. There are now forty firms registered as providers, and 629 installers who have been approved for the scheme.

Key points Released by the DECC
(to the end of February 2013)

1,803 GD Assessments had been lodged (Chart 1 – see below)

77 GD Assessor Organisations and the 619 GD advisors they employ had been accredited

£26.9 million worth of contracts had been let through the ECO brokerage system

Chart 1 – Number of GD Assessments lodged, by month

If you want to find out more about what the Green Deal is, or how to get a free Energy Assessment on your home please go to our Green Living Section for more information.

Click here to go to our Green Living Section for Energy Assessments, Green Energy Options, and an explanation of the Green Deal.

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We are happy to announce the winner of the Roberts Solar DAB radio

The Great Green Climate Challenge was started during Climate week, last week. We are really pleased to have received 23 pledges from companies and individuals to save a total of around 1,476 kilograms of Carbon Dioxide.

Hopefully the changes our pledgers made will encourage them to keep making these energy saving measures through the rest of the year.
You may remember that as an encouragement to make a pledge during Climate Week we offered our readers a chance to win a Solar-powered Radio.

‘And the winner is …’

Congratulations to Aoife who pledged to Veg Out – avoiding eating meat for two months form the date of her pledge. Her individual contribution could save as much as 55kg of Carbon Dioxide. Her name was pulled out of the hat by Charlotte from Be Energy Smart and her prize is already winging its way to her, courtesy of Green Reviews.
Green Reviews is a website specialising in reviewing Green products, you may want to check out what they recommend if you are thinking of making a new purchase and want to make it a greener one.

It has been great swapping stories with our partners in this Great Green Climate Challenge, which was set up for us by Charlotte from Be Energy Smart. You might want to check out the Be Energy Smart blog for news from her on how she is getting on with her own energy-saving pledges, or you can take advantage of their Free online Energy Assesment Tool, if you are thinking of carrying out some energy saving home improvements.

If you decide you want to make energy saving changes to your house then why not read our project on how to fit loft insulation. Did you know that all our projects also have a list of related projects? They are listed in a box in the left-hand column, with quick links to each page. Hopefully this helps you to read all the useful information you need when researching home improvement jobs.

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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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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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