Energy Review backs Renewables and Nuclear
July 13, 2006 at 11:02 am
The findings of the government’s energy review have been revealed with key points being saving energy, more renewable energy generation and new nuclear power plants planned.
Electricity generated by renewable sources such as wind, wave, solar and biomass will increase with 20% of all electricity coming from these sources by 2020. Power suppliers will have to buy more power from renewable sources with the new renewables obligation that the government will impose. More support will also be given to currently uneconomic technologies such as wind and wave power to encourage their development.
Nuclear energy has also been backed as although many people have safety issues with this kind of generation, it is an economically viable, secure and carbon free option therefore an important part of the UK’s future power generation. Planned closure of old nuclear stations over the next decade will mean that we will lose a large chunk of our electricity supply if new nuclear plants are not built.
It has been noted in the review that safety will be at the forefront of these new developments and they will be funded by the private sector.
Energy saving must be a key issue for the future if carbon pollution is to be reduced. Consumers will be made more aware of their electricity usage and wastage – the introduction of smart meters will contribute to this. Household appliances which are not energy efficient could be phased out and the government will encourage people to make their homes to more energy efficient.
Energy Guzzling Machines
July 7, 2006 at 6:02 am
Electricity use has doubles since the 1970s says the Energy Saving Trust and although we may now have more energy efficient appliances, we now have more of them.
Electrical equipment throughout the home, including fridges, cookers, television sets, dvds and computers are not only using double the electricity they used but are also contributing to a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions.
Consumers are getting greedy and having multiple appliances when they would have only had one in the past – a television set in every room for example. We are also getting lazy and using modern machines to do jobs for us which we used to do ourselves like dishwashers and electric juicers. These are all contributing to the large amount of energy wasted by modern day appliances.
There is an argument that appliances are being manufactured as more energy efficient then they used to be with fridges for example using 30% less energy but the actual amount of electricity used overall is more than in the past and is continuing to rise. Appliances are more sophisticated but new functions can add to increased energy use such as leaving items on standby and keeping chargers plugged in when not in use.
The measures to try and cut this consumption include tightening product standards, improving information and labelling for consumers and even perhaps taxing the most inefficient products. Consumers should always be aware when purchasing a new appliance of its energy usage and try and opt for the most energy efficient where possible.
For further reading on this subject read the Energy Saving Trust’s full review – Rise of the machines.
