The country's appetite for energy is growing. The UK currently uses 358 billion megawatts of electricity, and is expected to consume 381 billion kilowatts by 2020.
Where is the extra capacity going to come from? The government argues that the UK will need to invest more in risky and costly nuclear power generation, if it is to meet demand for electricity and the country's responsibility to reduce CO2 emission targets over the coming years.
Yet the focus on how to generate energy to meet future demand has so far prevented an in-depth look at what should be done to help Britons become better at using energy.
Energy suppliers are currently trialling the use of Smart Meters. Smart meters display an in-depth profile of energy usage, with some prototypes even able to pinpoint the cost of running specific appliances in the home. Experts believe that households with smart meters could use the information to reduce their energy consumption by up to 10%.
A recent breakthrough might finally spell the end of the wasteful tungsten light bulb. 30% of electricity bills currently go toward paying toward lighting, yet a standard lightbulb converts only 10% of the electricity it uses into light. Organic light-emitting diodes might provide an answer: A spin-off from flat screen technology, OLEDs are printed on wafer thin sheets, which means that they can be moulded to any surface in the home, even windows. Connected to an electricity supply, OLEDs do not heat up, and produce quality light that is closer to natural daylight than a standard lightbulb.
Combined Heat and Power electricity generation is a promising concept that might help reduce energy wastage and involve the consumer in the generation process. Greenpeace estimates that up to two thirds of energy is wasted during electricity generation, as heat that escapes from cooling towers or from the grid during overland transmission. With CHP, local gas-fired electricity stations supply their surrounding community with electricity, while heating adjacent buildings with the surplus heat produced by the generation process. Consumers will benefit from the introduction of new types of gas boilers which will convert the heat from their boiler into electricity, which can be re-exported into the national grid.
While the future is bright, we are not there yet with all this new technology - so what can consumers do right now to help reduce the demand for energy, and their sky-high energy bills. It all starts with awareness, and unfortunately the UK consumer appears to be ill-prepared for the challenge: An astounding 90% of respondents to a national survey on energy wastage, conducted by IT services company LogicaCMG, indicated that they had little concept of how much energy they used, and how much they could save through better practice, yet 75% stated that they would be willing to change their lifestyle and do their bit against global warming and high energy costs if they had the right information.
Start with the following tips - which can help you reduce the consumption of energy in your home in ways that do not involve much investment:
1. Take regular meter readings. Do you know how many kilowatt hours of energy you use per year? The UK average medium consumption is 3,300 kWh for electricity and 20,500kWh for gas (households without a gas supply use about 6,600 kWh of electricity). Is your consumption above average? More importantly - do you regularly call your supplier with these meter readings, to ensure that you are being billed on actual, not estimated consumption? And while you are on the phone - why not ask your supplier if they offer a smart metering trial in your area…
2. Find a cheaper deal. Energy suppliers compete for your business, and some offer greatly discounted prices, depending on where you live. Use our unravelit energy price comparison service and you can easily save £150 per year, even if you have switched supplier before.
3. Until OLED-based light fixtures become a mass-produced reality, consider replacing your traditional lightbulb with Compact Fluorescent Bulbs - each of which promise to reduce your electricity bill by £7 per year while lasting up to twelve times longer than standard bulbs. Visit www.banthebulb.org for more information on the evil tungsten bulb!
4. Turn of things you do not use. For example, running a 250W towel rail 24 hours a day, can consume up to 180 kilowatt hours per month - an equivalent cost of approximately £10 per month at current electricity prices.
5. 60% of heat loss in UK homes is via the windows. Double-glazing can reduce your energy bills by 10% to 12%, according to the Energy Savings Trust. What's better, you may be eligible for a grant by your local council or supplier - follow this link to see what may be available for you: http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/gid/
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