A group of elderly residents in Theale, near Reading, are coping with fuel poverty by generating their own electricity at their sheltered housing scheme.

Residents of the James Butcher Housing Association (JBHA) have had new, highly efficient boilers installed, together with a combined heat and power unit (CHP). The new boilers are similar to large car engines and constantly produce 15 kilo watts of electricity and 30 kilo watts of heat. Combined with a new CHP, they distribute electricity and heat to all the residents.

The JBHA team behind the installations say that the investments in the new boilers and CHP system has proved to be very successful. The system performs more efficiently at lower maintenance costs and they are able to generate their own electricity, passing on all the savings to residents.

They claim that carbon dioxide emissions will fall by 25% with the new system and that the total amount of gas used will drop by just over 5%. Support was provided by a major energy supplier and local contractors.

JBHA intend to roll out similar schemes, including those making use of solar panels together with CHP, over other of their developments. They have also received many enquiries from other housing schemes, who see the concept as a way of helping their residents beat the poverty fuel trap.

CHP systems are designed to generate heat and electricity from localised sources – such as small community power stations – and distribute the heat and power, via a pipe system, to local residents and businesses. They are becoming more and more popular as a way of reducing carbon emissions and making the generation of power more efficient. They are already very popular in many Scandinavian countries.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

For landlords seeking the maximum return on their properties, letting agencies are advising they consider upgrading their properties’ heating systems to include condensing boilers with heating controls.

Landlords are now obliged to show prospective tenants the properties’ Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which rates each flat, or house, according to their energy efficiency.

Letting agents are pointing out to their landlords that in a competitive market, with a lot of property around, a good EPC rating can make all the difference. Prospective tenants want to know that their money will not be wasted on properties which are expensive to heat and maintain.

Loft and cavity wall insulation can also play a key part, as well as double glazing. But a condensing boiler, which is over 90% efficient, will be a major plus point and will be recognised as such within the EPC report. Unlike old fashioned boilers, this modern design uses the heat from the main combustion process and the heat from the resulting exhaust gases. And its this ability to make use of all the heat generated that makes them up to 30% more efficient than other designs.

Such is their efficiency, that their installation is now mandatory and a part of the Building Regulations. There are exceptions, but this mainly comes down to the type of property in which a new boiler is to be fitted. For example, terrace cottages with back boilers might not have an external wall on which a condensing boiler with its different flue and drainage system can be fixed.

But this different flue (which requires a fan) and drainage system (which takes out fluid from the second heat process) that is necessary for a condensing boiler, does illustrate its only downside: it’s more expensive to buy and fit.

Although once installed, the boiler will make a quick return on the initial investment, especially in attracting tenants to rent a property.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

The European Green Capital in 2010 will be Stockholm, followed by Hamburg in 2011. The two cities were chosen from eight finalists, the other six being Amsterdam, Bristol, Copenhagen, Freiburg im Breisgau, Münster and Oslo. Over 30 cities entered originally to be considered for the award.

The Green Capital Award scheme was created in 2008 by The European Commission and managed by the European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potočnik. It is designed to promote the quality of urban life. It recognises those cities that make a genuine attempt to improve the quality of their citizens lives by considering the environment by urban planning.

At the awards ceremony to announce the two winners, European Commissioner Dimas said: “With their measures to tackle air pollution, traffic and congestion levels, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste and waste water management, Stockholm and Hamburg can act as role models for the rest of Europe.”

The cities were judged by a panel which included members from the Committee of the Regions, European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E), the European Environment Agency and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. They looked for a number of environmental criteria to be met by the cities, including environmental improvement, sustainable development and their role as influencers on other cities.

Stockholm, the capital of Sweden with nearly one million inhabitants, particularly attracted the panel’s attention because of its approach to City planning. Called the Integrated Management System, it recognises the importance of environmental issues within the City’s budget and operations.

It won plaudits in a number of areas. Nearly all of the City’s population live less than 300 metres from green areas which allow them to benefit from a non-dense urban environment. It also has an ambition to create more beaches on which people can relax and bathe. It also has some of Europe’s highest recycling rates, helped by underground vacuum systems and thanks to traffic control measures and an innovative congestion charge system, it has delivered a 25% reduction since 1990 in per capita CO2 emissions.

Stockholm has also claimed that it intends to be fossil free by 2050.

Hamburg is nearly twice as big as Stockholm and is nearly as ambitious. It claims it will have reduced its CO2 emissions by 40% by the year 2020 and by 80% by 2050. It also impressed the panel with it’s current air quality and its long term commitment to a number of environmental projects.

It has replaced over 500 old boiler systems with new, high efficiency condensing boilers and this measure alone, which cost in the region of €18 million, has reduced emissions by 15%. And it has also replaced over 200,000 conventional light bulbs in over 400 public buildings, replacing them with more energy efficient models. Also Hamburg boasts that all of its citizens are within 300 metres of public transport, which is more can be said for most cities. It also puts a great emphasis on green spaces for its citizens, with a large number of open spaces and parks for them to enjoy.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Residential landlords are confused as to whether they can apply for a tax allowance should they wish to replace old boilers in their rental properties.

A number of professional bodies are voicing criticism over the current tax laws which they say are confusing. It comes down to whether all the costs (direct and related) of a boiler replacement in a residential property can be claimed as part of the ten per cent tax deduction which is allowed for improvements made to a rental property. The Revenue, claim the professional bodies, are not making matters clear and this is only having an adverse effect on landlords replacing new boilers for old.

New condensing boilers can be up to 40% more efficient than old boilers and, say the experts, if the landlords of private homes were encouraged to replace more through advantageous tax concessions, then it would greatly benefit the environment.

And what’s more, it might help curb a growing trend for landlords, in these harder economic times, to try and repair their old boilers themselves in order to put back their eventual replacement. A report from the Gas Safe Register concluded that landlords making DIY boiler repairs were on the increase and were putting tenants at risk. Landlords should be well aware, say the authorities, that only CORGI registered engineers are allowed, by law, to work on boilers, in order to try and reduce the number of deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning every year.

So, say the experts, good visible tax benefits will have the dual effect of helping the environment and tenant safety.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

When the temperature drops, out come the cowboys.

And we’re not talking about men wearing large hats, riding horses and carrying six shooters. We’re talking about guys wearing woolly hats, carrying tool boxes and masquerading as qualified tradesmen.

When cold weather strikes and inevitably pipes bursts, boilers stop and radiators rupture, your first thought is to get the repair done as quickly, and cheaply, as possible. And that’s what the cowboys prey on; a sense of urgency and desperation.

But professional bodies are warning people to be on their guard against bogus tradesmen. Few people when stressed over a broken pipe, or faulty boiler, think to check the qualifications of the people answering the urgent call to put things right. But, say the trade organisations, its vital to ask to see if they are registered with a recognised body before they start work.

And unfortunately, these tradesmen are often the cheapest and, say the professionals, the ones more likely to offer ‘cash deals’ (which don’t involve VAT). This is usually a sign that the tradesmen does not have the proper status.

This is especially important when it comes to work on a boiler say the professionals. They point out that people are still not aware that for anyone to work on a boiler, they should be CORGI-registered. And this is not just a recommendation, it is the law of the land with stiff penalties for those that break the rules. Over 30 people are killed in the U.K. every year through carbon monoxide poisoning and this is usually caused by boilers which have not been serviced regularly, or have been serviced by a non-registered workman.

There is also a growing trend for landlords to service their own boilers and heating systems, in this time of economic austerity. This, believes the health and safety executive, will lead to more avoidable deaths as boilers go without proper checks.

But it not just boilers. Plumbers should ideally be qualified to at least full City and Guilds NVQ Level 3 Qualified Plumber Certification. And what’s more, all tradesmen, should have in place a public liability insurance which protects them should things go wrong with their work and they cause actual bodily injury.

So, recommend the trades bodies, you’d do well to ask your plumber, or heating engineer, to see copies of their relevant certification, or qualifications. And what’s more, when the weather turns cold, you can bet that the cowboys will start riding across the horizon, raring to help you. But beware, you literally could be putting your life at risk.

Guest Article by Neil Camp