Property firm providing homeowners with free energy
January 29, 2009 at 3:50 pm
During recent months, numerous companies have been offering great deals in an attempt to keep customers happy whilst letting them hold on to a few more pennies than usual. In this time of economic uncertainty, we are all looking to save as much money as possible. We have seen car insurance companies offering free insurance for two months provided a twelve month policy is taken out, we have seen broadband companies offering free access to the net, and we have seen high-street fashion stores flogging jackets and jeans for the price of a cup of coffee.
Now, a housing firm has joined the trend. Barratt Thames Valley is currently offering buyers free energy and water for one whole year, in an attempt to combat the worrying property downturn. The offer applies to its Downley Park development and it is sure to attract buyers, who could save thousands of pounds as a result of the deal. The prospect of using gas, electricity, and water for free for twelve months is bound to tempt buyers originally put off by the prices of the properties in the development. The starting price in the development is £279,000. This will buy a smart two-bedroom house, with the price rising to £294,000 for an extra bedroom. A four-bedroom house in the development will cost £483,000.
The managing director for the housing firm, Michael O’Leary, revealed that paying energy bills is “one of the biggest variables in most households’ disposable income”. He mirrored the feelings of a lot of homeowners currently feeling the pinch by stating that “when gas and electricity prices are as high as they are now, everyone feels the strain”.
Npower fined £1.8m
January 23, 2009 at 2:18 am
Industry regulator, Ofgem, has fined RWE Npower £1.8 million for deliberately lying to its customers. The energy provider has been accused of engaging in illicit behaviour that directly undermines its customer base, including the falsification of contracts and the conscious mis-selling of its products.
The scandal was blown wide open by an investigative reporter working for the Sunday Times. Over a three-week period, the anonymous agent discovered that, not only were Npower ignoring correspondence, but customers were being offered bogus savings that often left them worse-off than before.
Ofgem has had a busy year. In December, the regulator threatened to refer a number of energy companies to the Competition Commission amid fears that householders were not being treated sympathetically with regards to outstanding bills.
The watchdog is hoping to remove almost £700 million in excessive bill premiums over the next few years in an effort to protect customers who are struggling to make ends meet. In particular, customers who are not currently connected to the mainland gas grid (and thus, cannot benefit from the cheaper dual-fuel deals) could see their energy bills shrink.
Greg Clark, the shadow Energy Secretary, is concerned that the plans are mostly speculative, and will not help save the vulnerable from the frosty January climate.
Npower joins a long list of energy companies that have incurred the wrath of Ofgem, and the company has since apologised for the incident.
Customers who have a persistent problem with their energy company should visit the Consumer Direct website as soon as possible. Ofgem does not deal directly with consumer complaints.
Water mills to generate electricity
January 14, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Some of the oldest water mills in the United Kingdom are set to help combat global climate change. Several of the old water mills date back as far as the eleventh century but will be refurbished by their owners before turbines are installed. These state-of-the-art turbines will be able to generate electricity which will appeal to those concerned about the state of the environment.
Hydropower is a very clean source of energy and the government has revealed that, if the resource is used properly, the old mills could provide approximately three per cent of Britain’s electricity demand. This percentage equates at approximately 10,000 GWh per year and Anthony Battersby, the director of Mendip Power Group, believes that the process of creating hydropower is already well underway. He has personally spent thousands of pounds trying to convert Tellisford Mill so that it is able to generate 60kW of energy, which is enough to satisfy the demands of fifty homes in the United Kingdom.
The good news for those worried about the environment is that the transformed water mills could save up to 5.5 million tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the conversions of the old water mills are providing useful income for local communities. David Williams, who is in charge of the British Hydropower Association, has revealed his excitement at the refurbishments, since he believes that old mill sites have been ignored for far too long. However, environmental campaigners have also expressed their anxiety that important parts of the government’s energy bill will not be strengthened in their favour when the bill is debated.
