New Baxi boilers and heating solutions will heat Cornwall County Hall.

The Baxi low carbon heating solution with new boiler will not only substantially improve energy efficiency says the company, but it will also cut carbon emissions at the Cornwall County hall which is based in Truro.

The low carbon heating solution is made-up of new Baxi boilers, which are highly energy efficient and fully integrated with the company’s advanced heat recovery devices which are branded Multifit GasSaver.

The Cornwall County Hall is home to nearly 1,000 employees and was experiencing performance problems with its heating and hot water system. The Hall is a concrete and glass building, first built in the 1960s.

Mark Mingo, Director of County Heating, the company commissioned to install the low carbon heating solution, said.
“We really like this new system. It was easy to install, freed up valuable space in the plant room and, with the addition of the GasSaver on the condensing Baxi boilers, it generates a real energy efficiency improvement.”

Integral to the low carbon heating solution is the Multifit GasSaver device that is located between each of the Baxi 40kW Duo-tec boiler and their flues. The device recycles the heat created by the flue gases and this heat is then used to pre-heat the cold water coming into the boiler. This warmer water coming from the cold water mains supply means that significantly less gas is needed to heat it to the correct temperature. Baxi reckons that 37% less gas is used a year by using the Multifit GasSaver devices.

The new boilers in use are from the Baxi Duo-tec Combi HE range. They are compact, combination boilers which are SEDBUK “A” rated.

The Multifit GasSaver devices were originally developed by a company called Zenex, who formed an agreement by which Baxi could promote its advanced energy efficiency technologies.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

It turns out that the Worcester, Bosch Group – makers of some of the UK’s best gas boilers – are big rugby football fans.

And it’s no surprise which team the Worcester, Bosch Group support. They have just signed a three year contract to become the Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club new shirt sponsor.

Now the Worcester, Bosch Group name and logo will adorn the team home and away shirts until the end of the 2012/13 season.

The Worcester, Bosch Group is actually owned by the holding company Bosch Thermotechnology Limited which is the largest private employer in Worcester. And they have been long term sponsors of the team with a connection that goes back to the Chairman Cecil Duckworth OBE, who founded the company in 1962 under the name of Worcester Engineering Limited.

The Worcester, Bosch Group claim to be the market leader in domestic heating and hot water systems. It is a major British company and Bosch Thermotechnology employs 1,800 people at offices and manufacturing facilities in Worcester and Derbyshire.

Kathy Leather, Commercial Director of Worcester Warriors, said: “Worcester Warriors is delighted to announce that Worcester, Bosch Group will be the club’s shirt sponsor over the coming three seasons and we can continue to grow and develop our successful partnership.
We feel it is important to build strong relationships with local companies and so it is fantastic news that the club can now proudly display the name and logo of one of the city’s biggest and most successful firms.

“Worcester, Bosch Group shares our ambition for the coming years and we look forward to working with them as Warriors bid to make an immediate return to the Guinness Premiership.”

Richard Soper, Managing Director of Bosch Thermotechnology, said:
“As a company Worcester has been an avid supporter of the Warriors for many years and we are pleased to both demonstrate and strengthen our links to the club. As a local company ourselves, it is great we are able to lend our support to our home team and wish them every success in the coming season. We have no doubt it will be a winning year for the team.”

So will fans of Worcester warriors be treated to a very hot performance in the coming seasons, thanks to the Worcester, Bosch Group.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

The Daily Telegraph is reporting a number of water companies are being accused by plumbers’ groups of turning down the mains pressure and thereby threatening boilers and power showers.

The newspaper reminds its readers that Ofwat, the water industry regulator, has already fined a number of water companies, notably Severn Trent and Southern Water, for giving false information, not reducing bills and telling porkies about leaks.

And it quotes two major plumbing firms which say that complaints about water pressure are on the increase, about five times what they were three years ago.

The plumbers feel frustrated because low mains water pressure means a boiler will not fire up properly and the consumer calls out a plumber to investigate. By the time they arrive, the pressure has reverted back to its normal levels, but the customer still has to pay the call-out charge, causing ill-feeling all around.

And the plumbers are saying customers feel that Ofwat, hard on the water companies in many areas, are not taking the problem seriously enough.

It’s pointed out if a customer sees their water supply drop below a certain level for more than an hour on two occasions in a month, they can claim £25 in compensation. But to prove their case, a customer is required to time how long it takes to fill a gallon of water into a bucket.

How many consumers will be bothered to conduct such tests, plus all the necessary paperwork, for a £25 refund remains to be seen, but a number of water companies asked for their opinion seemed to downplay the issues involved.

One replied that water pressure changes were designed not to help the water companies themselves, but the consumer. They point out that a too high water pressure causes many more problems, mainly leaking joints and pipes. And if they have to reduce water pressure on certain grids, then they let customers know when it’s to happen.

Another water company said they had reduced leakage by a quarter in the last four years and one way they did this was to ‘stabilise’ water pressure. Whether the word stabilise means decrease wasn’t clear, but with complaints rising all the time, it will remain a problem for plumbers and their customers for some time.

An Ofwat official was quoted as saying:
“Companies work hard to maintain pressure within an optimal range so that it is neither too high nor too low.”

Guest Article by Neil Camp

The largest supplier of residential gas in the UK, British Gas, has cut its standard gas prices by an average of 7%.

For the average gas customer, this will mean a reduction of around £55 a year from their bill. It is thought that some eight million households will benefit from the cuts and the price changes take effect immediately.

Bearing in mind this is the third British Gas price cut in the past 12 months, it means that nearly £190 has been chopped off the average annual dual fuel bill.

Phil Bentley, British Gas Managing Director, said:
“At British Gas, we know household budgets are stretched, and that our customers are concerned about the effect the recent cold weather will have on their winter fuel bills. I’m pleased we’re able to offer our customers some extra help with this gas price cut – and that we’re able to do this while it’s still winter, allowing our customers to really feel the benefit.

“This latest price cut means that, no matter where you live in Britain, British Gas is offering on average the cheapest standard gas, electricity and dual fuel prices – beating all other major suppliers. But, at British Gas, we know that cutting prices is just part of the picture in helping our customers cut their fuel bills; we’re also doing more than any other supplier to help our customers use less energy. As well as cutting prices three times in the past year, we have been helping our customers improve their energy efficiency and cut their energy use by 7%.”

British Gas claim that last year, they cut both standard gas and electricity prices by an average 10%. And the May 2009 electricity price reduction saw British Gas become on average the cheapest supplier of standard electricity across the UK.

What’s more claim British Gas, this latest gas price cut means that they are now also the cheapest major supplier of standard gas at average consumption, and therefore of dual fuel, right across the UK.

In another move, British Gas has also removed the price ‘differential’ for gas pre-payment meter accounts, meaning that pre-pay gas customers are now paying, on average, the same for their energy as customers who pay by cash, or cheque.

Find out more about British Gas here.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Ofgem says it’s going to cost the UK £200 billion to secure energy supplies and meet carbon targets.

The figure was revealed after Ofgem’s report that they claim is their most comprehensive review of Britain’s energy supplies yet.

Labelled Project Discovery, the initial report outlines the challenges for Britain’s energy industry and concludes that if the targets are to be met, then customers could face potential price rises to fund this investment.

The report focussed on the challenges facing Britain’s gas and electricity supplies, and identified that the main cause of concern is the country’s exposure to a volatile global gas market and power stations nearing the end of their life.

As part of the report, Ofgem has drawn up a total of four energy scenarios applicable for the next ten to 15 years. And in each of the four scenarios there are reductions in carbon emissions of between 12% and 43% (from 2005 levels) and increases in energy infrastructure investment of between £95 billion and £200 billion.

The first scenario is called Green Transition. This one involves rapid economic recovery and a significant expansion in investment in green measures. Targets for domestic renewables are met and energy efficiency measures are effective. Also, UK gas demand falls, but electricity demand increases due to greater use of electric vehicles and heat pumps. This causes quite a hike on domestic consumer bills, with an increase of 23% by 2020.

The next scenario is Green Stimulus and this one is based on a slow recovery from the recession and restricted availability of finance. As a result, world Governments implement green stimulus packages to achieve environmental goals and boost economic activities. High carbon prices and government policies support investment in renewables, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage. Consumer bill impact is less at 14% by 2020.

Third up is the Dash for Energy scenario and plays out the theory that global economies bounce back strongly, but security of supply concerns outweigh the emphasis on environmental targets. This means that the UK’s renewables targets and the Government’s carbon budgets are missed. The result is competition between countries for energy resources, which in turn leads to tight gas supplies and high fuel prices. What’s worse is that planning and supply chain constraints means that new nuclear power stations can’t become operational before 2020. This leads to a doomsday scenario of an incredible 60% rise in domestic consumer bills by 2016, before eventually falling back.

The final scenario is called Slow Growth. This plays out the scene of a continuing recession which results in gas and electricity infrastructure being considerably lower than before the credit crunch. Once again, nuclear power cannot save the day, because incentives to rush to the atom are reduced because of low gas and electricity prices. And the result, an increased dependence on imported gas for new gas-fired power stations. And domestic consumer bills get clobbered by 22% by 2020.

Alistair Buchanan, Ofgem chief executive, said:
“Our scenarios suggest that Britain faces a tough challenge in maintaining secure supplies whilst at the same time meeting its climate change targets. However, there is still time to act. Ofgem will be putting forward proposals in the New Year based on today’s consultation to ensure that Britain’s energy industry can meet the challenges ahead.

“These are big challenges. Consumers are already enduring high energy prices,” said Mr Buchanan. “This is why we are consulting with consumer and environmental groups, the academic community and industry to ensure any policy proposals we make are grounded on the best evidence available. Early action can avoid hasty and expensive measures later.”

Guest Article by Neil Camp