Energy Saving Trust Q&A Centre

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

gogreen99 wrote: »

I've found that XXXXXXXXX.co.uk have an excellent range of cheap energy efficient bulbs and they wholeheartedly support the change too.

:spam: reported.

Martyn1981

Fruit_and_Nut_Case wrote: »

:spam: reported.

Awh, spoilsport, I wanted to learn how to save £200pa on my lighting bill, that is normal right?

Maybe I should stop lighting (and heating) my house with 1,000 halogen bulbs, that'll probably do it!

Mart.

rogerblack

Addressing the question, rather than the spam.

LED is getting lots better, rapidly.

What can technically be achieved is quite amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWx_2fqhzOQ - Cree are one of the leaders in the field of LED manufacture - they do not sell normal lights.

This example LED fixture uses under half the power of a normal energy saving light, and puts out as much light.

http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/XMLAWT-00-0000-000LT20E7/XMLAWT-00-0000-000LT20E7TR-ND/2615381 is an example of one of the current crop of LEDs.

Two of them produce a warm white light comparable with a 100W bulb, for around 8 quid total in large quantities.

In the proper fixture, this could produce 1300lm using about 20W.
But, even in large quantities, the cost to produce will be about 15 quid.

This is to produce a lamp that will realistically last ten years or so of use.

It'd cost about 30 quid in the shops, if it got there.

This is a _RAPIDLY_ moving field.

In 10 years, power LEDs have gone from 20 to 160lm/W. (for cool white).

The cost continues to tumble, and new innovations are spreading through the market.

Unfortunately, LED fixtures are at the consumer level unpredictable.

The reliability, light output, efficiency all varies wildly.

Selling by 'watts' - when this can vary tenfold in the light output per watt - is common.

I'd advise waiting a couple of years.

Can LED lamps be made now with twice the efficiency of CFL - yes.
Will you be able to buy them in the next year - no.

John_Pierpoint

....and when you have such a bulb on a two way wire joining (say) the upstairs and downstairs switches, it will glow in the dark. thus lighting your way to the smallest room in the middle of the night.

Pje39

Can anyone recommend or provide more information on the intelligent boiler controls systems called 'Energy Minder' or 'Kli-mat' which say Save money on your heating bill.
The Energy Minder:
• Is easy to use
• Provides central heating savings of *20%
• No new plumbing required
• Works with your existing boiler controls
• Reacts to changes in temperature
• Reduces fuel consumption by making your existing boiler more efficient
• Reduces your greenhouse gas emissions
• Reduces your carbon footprint
• Works with oil/gas fired combi, condensing & back boilers
• Let us install it for you or DIY installation available
• Energy Saving Trust 'Recommended'
Eco Energy Controls Ltd Kli-Mat« 2007 Full ProgrammerK2007™ is the fully automatic, self -adjusting, maintenance free, Intelligent Electronic Central Heating Control for "wet" systems. The Kli-Mat® K2007™ Intelligent Control will enhance the performance of all types of "wet" central heating systems currently in operation that use gas, LPG, domestic fuel oil or electricity regardless of their age and significantly reduce the amount of fuel currently used by any of them in order to generate a comparable amount of warmth and stored domestic hot water.
Do these products really work? and do you have any evidence these save you cash?

Pje39

Checkout passivEnergy systems - passivsystems.com .. Its too expensive for most folk.

Peter3 wrote: »

Does anyone know of a low cost way of remotely switching on/off a central heating boiler via a mobile phone?

Like many people, I'm often away from home and the central heating is operated by a simple twice on, twice off each day timer. It means that I'm often heating an empty house.

I reckon if the government made all boiler controls have this facility, we would save more than all that fibre glass going into our lofts! Even if on average every household in the country switched off one day in 7, this would massively reduce our CO2 footprint and bills for very low cost.

rogerblack

Peter3 wrote: »

Does anyone know of a low cost way of remotely switching on/off a central heating boiler via a mobile phone?
.

Though the OP has likely wandered off, as it's been some time.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GSM-TIMER-CONTROL-MOBILE-PHONE-TIMER-REMOTE-10-AMP-RELAY-/320873723693?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4ab590772d - and similar are available.

You would simply need to arrange it so that it can remove power to the boiler, or is wired in series with the thermostat.

philknight100

Hello. My house has oil Central heating and a separate fire in the main room running on bottled gas, which is so expensive we never use it.

Would we be eligible for RHPP support for replacing the bottled-gas fire with a wood burning stove?

Thanks.

zeupater

philknight100 wrote: »

Hello. My house has oil Central heating and a separate fire in the main room running on bottled gas, which is so expensive we never use it.

Would we be eligible for RHPP support for replacing the bottled-gas fire with a wood burning stove?

Thanks.

Hi

Are you talking about a standard log burner, or a wood burning heating system ? ...

There's a difference according to RHI/RHPP - can't for the life of me understand why as they both provide heat & a suitably sized logburner can provide the majority of the winter heat requirements if the property is suitably insulated - perhaps the schemes are really exposed as being a job creation scheme from more complex labour intensive installs and industry lobbying on behalf of their own margins than carbon reduction.

HTH
Z

philknight100

zeupater wrote: »

Hi

Are you talking about a standard log burner, or a wood burning heating system ? ...

There's a difference according to RHI/RHPP - can't for the life of me understand why as they both provide heat & a suitably sized logburner can provide the majority of the winter heat requirements if the property is suitably insulated - perhaps the schemes are really exposed as being a job creation scheme from more complex labour intensive installs and industry lobbying on behalf of their own margins than carbon reduction.

HTH
Z

As I'm not planning on replacing the oil CH system I guess I'm talking about a standard log burner. I don't really understand the difference either.

You have made me think though as we need a new hot water tank and the current one is electric immersion heater only so there might be an opportunity to use a wood burning system to provide hot water as well?

Phil