Energy supplier British gas has come with an energy efficiency initiative that is designed to help some of the country’s 50,000 most hard-pressed households cut their bills.

And the energy efficiency initiatives come in the form of assessments and schemes (such as loft insulation) which could cut the average bill by around £250 a year. Some £10 million has been allocated to the scheme.

And British Gas reckon that as well as making savings in terms of their bills, households will also be helping the environment, saving an estimated 10,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

The boss of British Gas, Phil Bentley, said:
“Improving energy efficiency in our homes is the quickest way to cut our bills and lower carbon emissions. And this initiative will particularly help our most vulnerable and hard-pressed families.

“By targeting free energy assessments and other measures at those who need it most, we can make a real difference to the quality of their lives and do our bit for the planet at the same time.”

Working alongside British Gas will be a number of charities including the Money Advice Trust and Scope, the RNIB and the National Energy Action. Local MPs will also be on hand to provide advice and ensure that the energy initiatives are properly targeted.

Those eligible for the scheme include British Gas customers who are aged over 70, or those who are receiving income, or disability benefits.

Coming within the scheme’s remit is a major energy efficiency survey of the household. This will include an insulation survey, as well as a printed and personalised energy assessment (which comes complete with behavioural pattern assessments). Free products will range from standby savers, to energy monitors and insulation products.

This energy efficiency announcement from British Gas is one of a number of initiatives including £15 million of solar panels for up to 750 schools.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

The number of British Gas new customers has risen by almost 250,000 in the first half of 2010.

News of the rise in British gas new customers came when the company announced operating profits just shy of £600 million for the first six months of 2010. This represented a rise of almost double, some 98%.

British Gas stated that it had benefited from the very cold winter and demand for energy increased dramatically. The Group is a supplier to over half of the UK households and reports that the usage of gas rose by nearly 10%. Furthermore, after cutting prices in February, 2010, it added 223,000 new residential customers, which means that it now has 15.79 million accounts, more than it did in 2008.

The owners of British Gas, Centrica, actually stated that overall there was a fall in energy use, brought about by customers being more energy efficient. But that this was wiped out by the harsh winter.

Centrica’s statement said there was an underlying fall in energy use because customers were being more energy efficient, but this was offset by extra demand thanks to the freezing weather.

Figures from Centrica announced at the same time, showed that it had hiked profits to £1.56 billion, a rise of 65% over the previous period.

Centrica’s boss Sam Laidlaw said:
“This is a much bigger group than we had a year ago – a 40% increase in the size of the group as a result of the acquisitions that we did last year.

“Customers’ bills, despite the very cold winter, were actually lower this year than they were for the corresponding period last year, and that’s because we’ve reduced our prices three times in the last twelve months by some 17%.”

As regards consumer group calls for further price reductions, Mr Laidlaw added:
“This is a competitive market, so we can’t give any signals, but our position has always been to lead the market down and try to delay any price increases as long as we can.”

Although the managing director of British Gas, Phil Bentley, said:
“Probably unit prices per unit will go up. We’re not saying over the next year, but in the long term, it absolutely will.”

Experts say that it was likely the trend for increasing numbers of British Gas new customers will continue throughout 2010, especially given their major marketing campaigns.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

The British Gas energy saver initiatives continue with news that they are to give British schools £15 million worth of free solar panels.

The energy giant has said it will not only donate, but also install, free of charge solar panels in around 750 schools. This is effectively a donation worth between £20,000 and £40,000 to every school. Once installed, each school within the scheme will then be able to generate its own free, ‘green’ electricity. And this means they should be able to reduce their own individual annual electricity bills by about 20%.

Overall, British Gas say that combined, the schools’ panels should be able to create in the region of £1.3 million every year for the next 25 years. This money will be used to invest in installing more solar panels for more schools, increasing the number of schools participating to well over 1,000.

And this particular British Gas energy saver initiative is not only about saving money, but also saving carbon emissions. It’s thought that this scheme will reduce emissions by around 1,500 tonnes every year. This is the same as taking 400 cars off the road.

Managing Director of British Gas, Phil Bentley, said:
“This is the biggest investment of its kind in solar technology for our nation’s schools, which will help them cut both their carbon emissions and their electricity bills – as well as learn about renewable energy in a hands-on way.

“The electricity generated by these schools will help pay for the scheme to be extended to even more schools throughout the country, which is great news for school leaders, parents and pupils who are all looking for ways to save money during these tough economic times.”

The new government schools minister Nick Gibb said:
“This is a very generous offer and I’m sure many schools will feel they can benefit from solar panels. Cutting down on energy costs and reducing carbon emissions are absolutely the right thing to do. It’s a valuable lesson for pupils that we can all help to use energy sparingly, and where possible, generate it from sustainable or renewable resources.”

Every school taking part in this British Gas energy saver initiative will be given a smart meter. This will tell the school’s pupils and teaching staff the amount of energy being saved. What’s more, the energy giant will also be providing Generation Green lesson plans which will help children understand the main ideas behind renewable energy.

Schools interested in being a part of the scheme should register for an application form.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Despite the 2009/2010 winter being one of the coldest on record, British Gas claims that its customers paid less for their fuel than during the previous winter of 2008/2009.

And this is mainly down to energy price cuts, but also the energy efficiency tips that they have been heavily promoting over the last few years. As well as the British Gas boiler scheme where by they gave added discounts on new boilers.

British Gas are keen to highlight their findings, as they believe it refutes other claims that the first quarter of 2010 has seen householders face increased fuel costs over the same period last year.

In a study, British Gas, who has more than ten million customers, has taken the fuel bills it issues and analysed the figures. It discovered that the average bill for the first quarter of 2010 was £373, actually £8 less than the first quarter of 2009.  

They explain this by saying that the increased gas and electricity consumption over the colder period was effectively negated by overall reductions in use, due to greater use of energy efficiency strategies, and the 7% price drop which kicked-in during February, 2010. 

Phil Bentley, Managing Director of British Gas, said:

“We are absolutely focussed on helping our customers use less energy and cut their fuel bills. This extensive analysis of all our customers’ winter bills shows that, despite the increased gas use during the severe cold snap, we are succeeding in making overall reductions in the use of gas and electricity, against the reported trend in the UK. This is great news for the environment and household budgets.”

British Gas maintain that they are the cheapest major supplier, on average, of standard electricity and dual fuel in the UK, with two price cuts last year and more in 2010.

How the rest of 2010 will shape up in terms of supplier prices from the likes of British Gas and npower, remains to be seen.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

When it comes to keeping the UK’s homes warm, the British Gas insulation initiative seems to be hotting up.

According to British Gas, one of the UK’s biggest suppliers of energy, it fitted insulation in 150,000 homes in 2010.

And the British Gas insulation drive has been given a boost by the news that it has bought Hillserve Ltd, which they claim is a company which serves the North West of England and Wales with top insulation services and products.

The British Gas insulation push is being taken so seriously, that the energy giant has formed a separate insulation business, of which Hillserve forms a part. It’s raison d’etre is to help as many households as possible in the UK fit effective, low cost insulation. It currently employs over 1,000 technicians.

British Gas paid £5 million to acquire Hillserve and believes the company, which employs nearly 160 people, will add high technical expertise and customer service standards to its existing operation.

And the British Gas insulation effort comes at a good time, with figures suggesting that for every four pounds currently spent on domestic energy, 25%, or one pound, is wasted due to poor insulation. And by 2015 predicts British Gas, the amount of money spent on domestic insulation will have risen from £600 million to £1.4 billion.

And British Gas insulation has the ambition to be the leading supplier out there, offering insulation products and services as part of a comprehensive range of energy solutions.

Managing Director of British Gas Phil Bentley, said:
“At British Gas, we are building the country’s leading insulation business, reducing household carbon emissions, and helping our customers lower their energy bills. The insulation market is growing, and insulating homes is the cheapest way to reduce energy bills. Hillserve Ltd, like British Gas, has a real passion for great customer service, and we are delighted to have secured the skills of the Hillserve team.”

Managing Director of Hillserve Julie Hadfield, said:
“This is a great result for Hillserve, and is testament to the hard work and skill of all our people. It’s great news for our customers as well as our staff who will be part of one of Britain’s most successful companies.
Hillserve was founded by my dad, Harry Hearsum, 25 years ago this week. We look forward to the next 25 years and beyond as part of British Gas.”

Guest Article by Neil Camp