Royal Academy report on heating

[mikepepler]

Press Release here: http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/releases/s ... NewsID=712

Report here: http://www.raeng.org.uk/heat

Just reading it now for work - can't help wondering where the money to pay for all this comes from... Interesting stuff though.

[emordnilap]

This sounds like a slice of reality, Mike; does the RAofE have any teeth?

AIC would have had fun with this paragraph and our uber-freemarketeers will no doubt have something to say about the emboldened:

In theory, heat pumps can ‘amplify’ the energy provided by the electricity grid, thus allowing a smaller amount of renewable energy to provide a given amount of heat.

In practice, heat pump trials have shown that only a few domestic level installations live up to this promise in terms of carbon performance. Whether or not a heat pump is suitable for a particular household depends on the characteristics of the house and the lifestyle of the inhabitants.

The most suitable households are those which are least likely to be able to afford the cost of installation; the social groups most likely to be able to afford the installation are those for which a heat pump is unlikely to be the best option.

What the hell would RAofE know?

[biffvernon]

I like the line

In difficult economic circumstances, it becomes even more
essential for government policy to signal firm, long-standing commitments to
emissions targets in order to encourage and promote investment in
infrastructure and technology.

On the day the government has to appear in court to defend it's retrospective reduction of the FiT.

[SleeperService]

Most of the houses that will exist in 2050 have already been built. New houses should be built to the highest standard of energy efficiency but that, by itself, will not be enough. If we are to meet the 2050 targets, says the report, major improvements will have to be made to the existing housing stock. This will be disruptive to householders and expensive. There are various options for funding this but it will undoubtedly add to householders' bills (only partially mitigated by lower energy costs). Other than basic insulation and draft-proofing, households are likely to need a financial incentive (such as substantially increased carbon taxes and/or subsidies of energy saving technology) to persuade them to act

They can't be a government department as this bit from the Press release is pure common sense. I hope kenneal sees it. Bit of an eye opener to how much work the carbon reduction proposed would require

[biffvernon]

does the RAofE have any teeth?

Probably not teeth like the Big Six who can tell government "Kill micro-generation and we might do a pretend show of dropping prices".

[JohnB]

You'll love this
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16552404

More than a million households will miss out on getting help to insulate lofts and cavity walls as a result of changes to government subsidies, research suggests.

Changes proposed in the Green Deal mean 1.5 million homes will no longer qualify, Europe Economics said.

It added the changes would deprive the UK economy of £5bn and cost the insulation industry 3,000 jobs.

[ujoni08]

You couldn't make it up!

Retrofitting is probably one of the biggest steps we can take towards solving our energy-hogging lives, and they're acting like it's unimportant...

[biffvernon]

I had to check that the date line was merely Friday 13th not April 1st.

[Peter1010]

does the RAofE have any teeth?

Probably not teeth like the Big Six who can tell government "Kill micro-generation and we might do a pretend show of dropping prices".

Arrh well spotted, I did wonder why all the energy companies have started cutting gas prices in the middle of the winter.

[SleeperService]

does the RAofE have any teeth?

Probably not teeth like the Big Six who can tell government "Kill micro-generation and we might do a pretend show of dropping prices".

Arrh well spotted, I did wonder why all the energy companies have started cutting gas prices in the middle of the winter.

+1

Sometimes I think I'm being too cynical, then something like this happens and I realise I'm being realistic.

Co op energy here I come.

[biffvernon]

Radio 4's Money programme today was about just what a pretence the price cuts are. Things like a gas company reducing the price of electricity to its few electricity prices and an electricity company reducing its gas prices to its few gas customers; another only reducing prices to the few customers of non-fixed tariffs etc etc.

[Tarrel]

EDF's changes don't come into effect until March which is, funnily enough, just when it starts to warm up!

[woodburner]

You couldn't make it up!

Retrofitting is probably one of the biggest steps we can take towards solving our energy-hogging lives, and they're acting like it's unimportant...

I think encouraging the wearing of appropriate clothing in cold weather would be a more efficient approach. This applies to indoors as well as out. This could be a realistic option for most of the UK.

[Snail]

You couldn't make it up!

Retrofitting is probably one of the biggest steps we can take towards solving our energy-hogging lives, and they're acting like it's unimportant...

I think encouraging the wearing of appropriate clothing in cold weather would be a more efficient approach. This applies to indoors as well as out. This could be a realistic option for most of the UK.

+10. Instead of constant coverage of 'fuel poverty', why not run adverts promoting the use of wearing blankets in the living room. And the humble hot-water bottle. And thermals. Or an extra jumper. Surely better than telling old folk just to turn up the gas. What, can't afford it - too bad then. Some practical advice is needed.

[woodburner]

I wear thermals everyday in the winter, indoors and out. Indoors I wear a Matalan (I know, it's plastic) jumper thingy, and outdoors I wear same jumper and one, sometimes two fleeces. I wear them indoors too if I'm sitting down. Last year we needed blankets too. With a couple of fleeces on indoors, it's really cosy, and if I want to sweep the carpets (only takes a couple of minutes), or mop the floors, I can remove a couple of layers so I don't get hot. All this and without having to have a stuffy atmosphere.

We don't have central heating, we don't need it.