20th August 2011
LoCO2 Energy buys green power from the River Wharfe
LoCO2 Energy and TLS Hydro MD Bob Middleton introduces local MP Philip Davies
On Saturday 20th August we were proud to join TLS Hydro and Derwent Hydroelectric Power Ltd in opening the new Greenholme Mill hydroelectric scheme in Burley-in-Wharfedale, Yorkshire.
LoCO2 Energy is buying the output from Greenholme Mill, enough to power more than 300 homes a year, to supply to its Planet and Pocket+ customers through the National Grid.
The new hydropower station was built as a joint venture between TLS Hydro, sister company to LoCO2 Energy, and Derwent Hydroelectric Power Ltd.
Greenholme was open to members of the public in Saturday morning and welcomed nearly 300 visitors from the local village. Local MP Philip Davies then officially opened the scheme by removing the Yorkshire flag.
The construction of the site started in Autumn 2010 and was completed in Summer this year and benefited from large investment loans from CO2 Sense and Triodos Bank. The scheme was praised by David Williams, Chief Executive of the British Hydropower Association: 'The BHA promotes 'good' hydropower. By this we mean not only projects which are well planned, constructed and use sound equipment but also those which take due consideration of sensitive environmental and social aspects. Greenholme is a truly 'good' waterpower project. It has rejuvenated and improved the original mill scheme. It helps in the reduction of carbon emissions. It respects and benefits all that lives in and around it.'
Greenholme is an important part of LoCO2 Energy's supply for its growing customer base.
You can read about the coverage of the Greenholme project on the BBC, in the Ilkley Gazette and the Yorkshire Post.
24th May 2011
Nenthead children electrified by hydropower
Renewable energy company LoCO2 Energy and hydropower development company TLS Hydro presented to local school children at Nenthead Primary School on 24th May 2011.
The children of Nenthead are all familiar with their local town’s attraction: the North Pennines Heritage Trust centre which explores Nenthead’s ancient association with silver and lead mining. However, few knew that Nenthead today utilises many of the old watercourses dug by miners in times past to provide water for a hydropower turbine.
LoCO2 Energy Marketing Co-ordinator Matthew Bacon and TLS Hydro Operations Manager Ewan Thomas talked to classes of four to eleven year olds about renewable energy and climate change. The highlight of the classroom talks centered around the childrens' attempts to make a small demonstration water turbine switch on a light bulb, providing an introduction to water pressure and flow intensity.
Ewan Thomas commented that 'the kids at Nenthead Primary were all gripped by the potential for clean electricity in the UK and really appreciated the good use their mines, and their heritage, is being put to today. They loved playing with our mini demonstration turbine and when they saw the water pushing the wheel and the light turning on they just got it right away'.
'It's amazing what the kids had already picked up on going about their day-to-day lives and filling in the gaps in their knowledge was made even easier by some very perceptive insights', remarked Matthew Bacon.
The day was capped with a trip to the turbine house at Nenthead, where the children were able to say the generators and control equipment and even able to switch the generators on and off.
Kathryn Jones, a teacher at Nenthead Primary, summarised: 'a hugely successful day that I know we will build on. Not only did it open our eyes about hydropower, it opened certain children's eyes to the possibility of an engineering career. Great role models for some of our boys aren't easy to find and some pupils rarely go off the moor. To seem them so interested was brilliant.'
12th May 2011
The Green Deal, Energy Efficiency and the rental market
The Green Deal, the coalition's flagship environmental policy designed to encourage energy efficiency and cut demand for electricity in British homes and businesses, will allow tenants to demand 'reasonable improvements' to a rental dwelling or business's energy efficiency from April 2016.
The key energy efficiency measure covered by the Green Deal is insulation: be it loft insulation, internal or external wall insulation or cavity wall insulation.
In an even stronger measure, from April 2018 landlords will no longer be allowed to rent out properties with an energy efficiency rating of “E” or lower.
As Britain has some of the oldest and most poorly insulated building stock in Europe, these measures will ensure that tenants, those paying the electricity bills in draughty homes, will be empowered to better the premises they live in.
The measure will be particularly welcome amongst the fuel poor: any household that has to spend more than 10% of its income on adequate heating. It is thought that a quarter of a million of the most poorly insulated homes are fuel poor.
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, commented that 'the proposals provide a voice for tenants living in poorly insulated, draughty homes. The Green Deal is a win-win opportunity for landlords by removing the upfront cost of work to upgrade the property making it cheaper to run, more environmentally friendly and ultimately more attractive to rent.
For those landlords who don't take up the Green Deal then we will get tough so that by 2018 the poorest performing rented housing stock is brought up to a decent standard'.
10th March 2011
On the 10th March 2011 the government released a much-anticipated policy document outling the finer details of the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme. The RHI, originally devised by the Labour government in March 2010, faced a grave future after being 'left out' of Coalition government talks and the Spending Review but now looks to at least enjoy a launch in July 2011.
There will be a provisional launch of the RHI scheme in 2011, with eligible installations receiving the Renewable Heat Premium Payments, before the full RHI is launched in 2012 to coincide with the government's Green Deal.
Those familiar with feed-in tariffs will recognise some of the details: such as the tiered tariff table of payments. However, there are some key differences to FITs. The RHI will be funded directly from the government's coffers, rather than through electricity suppliers and those seeking to claim the payments will have to liaise directly with Ofgem.
Like FITs, heat generating technologies installed before 15th July 2009 will not be covered.
The RHI and Green Deal are the flagship projects of the 'greenest government ever'. Only time will tell if they live up to the promise.
6th March 2011
LoCO2 Energy is pleased to announce that we are installing the turbine and generator at Greenholme Mill today.
With sunny and clear weather, we aren't foreseeing any problems at all. If everything goes to plan the installation will be complete today.
The turbine itself has been built and supplied by French firm Hydreo.
After installation, we will run tests for a few weeks and we expect to 'switch on' the turbine and generator and connect up to the National Grid at the end of March.
January 2011
Ofgem has released new average annual energy consumption figures.
- Single rate electricity consumption: 3300kWh
- Multi-rate (economy 7) electricity consumption: 5000kWh
- Gas consumption: 16,500kWh
The big news here is that average gas consumption seems to have fallen by nearly 20% from 20,500kWh.
Ofgem thinks this is because people are cutting energy usage, installing more energy efficient boilers and putting down more insulation. All steps in the right direction!
Electricity, on the other hand, appears to be more or less static for customers on single rate tariffs, although time-of-use consumption is reckoned to have fallen from 6,600kWh.
The report suggests that even though our appliances and lighting are becoming evermore efficient, we are still hungry for more energy-intensive gadgets like large plasma TVs and laptops.
Interestingly, LoCO2 Energy's customers tend to use above the average - all the more reason to buy from a renewable supplier!
January 2011
First of all, we would like to wish all our customers a very happy new year, and all the best for 2011!
On the 4th January 2011, the government raised the VAT rate from 17.5% to 20%. We would like to make it clear to all our domestic customers that energy is not affected by this VAT rise. Customers pay a different 5% rate on electricity, so you don't have to worry about your bills.
December 2010
Cheap, green and flexible – LoCO2 Energy’s new fixed-rate electricity tariff
Pocket Fixed – our new fixed-rate electricity tariff – is cheap, green and has flexible terms for customers. But in an industry already awash with complicated energy tariffs, and fixed-rate options among the most expensive and burdensome, how can consumers benefit from LoCO2 Energy’s new fixed-rate electricity tariff?
First and foremost, Pocket Fixed should be cheaper than almost all other fixed-rate contracts and will represent a bargain for most customers when compared to standard, variable tariffs. When compared with other renewable energy tariffs, it is one of the cheapest available. Flexibility was also a key concern, so we have a low cancellation fee that doesn’t heavily penalise customers who want to leave and contracts which can be moved to new addresses if you move house.
Pocket Fixed isn’t our greenest tariff, but with at least 20% of the electricity coming from renewable sources, it will help you to make a meaningful impact on your carbon emissions. The remaining electricity is sourced from combined heat and power (CHP) plants, a form of low-carbon, energy recycling.
In devising Pocket Fixed, we identified multiple issues within the electricity industry that we felt could be addressed by the launch of a new fixed-rate, low-carbon tariff: a continuing desire to switch to a more sustainable energy source coupled with reduced budgets brought about by the financial crisis and widely publicised looming electricity price rises.
For years, green electricity has been sold to consumers either by small suppliers at a large premiums or through ‘green-washing’ by some of the larger energy companies. Pocket Fixed offers a new choice. It’s priced to compete with standard brown electricity tariffs but offers a genuine greener alternative whilst giving customers peace of mind against electricity price rises.
October 2010
Micro-hydro schemes saw rare government attention following a visit by the Climate Change Minisiter, Greg Barker, to a new hydropower station, Torrs Hydro, in the Peak District.
Mr Barker celebrated the endeavour to expand micro-hydro in the UK, stating ‘hydropower is currently a missed opportunity… there is more to renewable energy than just large wind turbines’.
Torrs Hydro, a pre-existing weir, has been renovated and updated to support a renewable hydropower energy generating system or, as the minister put it, ‘unlock{ing} the clean energy of our past as well as our future’.
The renovation of pre-existing mills and weirs is something that LoCO2 Energy’s hydropower development sister company, TLS Hydro, has a great deal of experience doing. Greenholme Mill, an old cotton mill updated to provide renewable electricity in a joint venture with Derwent Hydro, will be starting up in early 2011. TLS Hydro also operates hydropower turbines at other old sites, including the National Trust property at Aberdulais in south Wales and Nenthead Mine in Cumbria.
The government has further shown its commitment to hydropower in the UK by announcing at Torrs Hydro that ‘remanufactured as new’ hydro equipment, such as old waterwheels and turbines, will now be eligible for the Feed-in Tariff scheme.
If you have an asset which you think might be uses for a micro-hydro scheme, then call us on 01923 713 840 and one of our engineers from TLS Hydro will be happy to speak with you.
September 2010
Renewable electricity at the Start London Event – a garden party to make a difference
LoCO2 Energy attended the Prince’s Trust Charities Foundation Start London Event at Clarence House last week, resplendent with psychedelic pencils and toting marigold seeds (for all those that asked, the BBC’s gardening guide will fill you in on a little more about how marigolds can help out in your garden).
It was good to meet some of our renewable electricity customers in the flesh, and it’s rare to get such an opportunity to chat with prospective green energy clients. The level of interest in renewable electricity was strong (and the level of knowledge often frightening) and we felt proud to offer an effectual sustainable choice. We were also surprised to hear how many households had already installed renewable electricity sources and were looking to sell their surplus onto a renewable electricity supplier in order to take advantage of the new feed-in tariffs: an encouraging sign for DECC’s new policy.
The concept of a Great Exhibition for the sustainable age is certainly a bold and laudable gesture and ingenuity was not hard to find: see-through solar panels and coarse wool loft insulation were amongst our favourites. At the same time, we also found elements of the event veered towards the aspirational over the practical but this did allow plenty of entertaining stalls to bring a light-hearted feel to the event. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful chance to see sustainability take centre stage in the heart of London.
If you talked to us at the event and want to switch to a renewable electricity supplier then please do get in touch and we can take you through our renewable electricity tariffs. Similarly, if you don’t want to talk about renewable electricity but want to share your thoughts about the event, just drop us a line.
LoCO2 Energy is the preferred electricity supplier of the Fintry Development Trust (FDT) who recently held their annual event FRESh10. The event was a great success and we hope to work closely in the future with FDT to promote the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the community.
March 2010
We've dropped our prices! Since last year our prices have dropped by just under 3%, this means our tariffs are even more competitive and of course are renewable and low carbon too! Check the prices in your area and see if you could save money. SWITCH NOW!
February 2010
A new certification scheme was launched on 9th February to label green electricity tariffs which have been certified as having genuine environmental benefits. LoCO2 Energy are in the process of gaining accreditation to the scheme to further prove their green credentials. We hope to have some exciting news soon!
Previous Events:
LoCO2 Energy recently participated in their local town, Rickmansworth's Victorian Evening and held a charity raffle. The lucky winner of the raffle received £100 off their electricity bill. The local community's generous donations have already been sent to STEPS charity.
Team LoCO Motion participated in the Rickmansworth Charity Pancake Race on Tuesday 16th February. Through the driving rain we managed to come a tidy second to last but we raised some money for Watford Mencap all the same!
One Watford Green Business Pledge:
LoCO2 Energy Ltd is part of the One Watford Green Business Pledge and is certified at Gold level for its involvement with renewable energy. For press enquiries please contact our media team on 0845 074 3601 or email info@loco2energy.com