With rampant consumerism all around and the effect of the recession set to impact on our lives (and wallets) for 5 more years, it seems certain that the next big thing for us all is to get back to the good old-fashioned world of sharing. Whether it’s sharing resources, such as tools or equipment, skills, knowledge or even a lift …
Go Go Gadget: This Summer’s Must-Have Green Gizmos
Well, it seems summer is finally here, so our thoughts here in the studio are turning to camping, festivals and getting outside to catch some rays in the garden. Hooray! But we certainly wouldn’t want to be caught short outside without a full armoury of summer eco gadgets. So, I thought I’d share with you what we’ll be playing with …
Beat the drought….simple eco water saving measures at home
I don’t know why im quite so obsessed by water use, perhaps it’s because I grew up in Brighton, swimming in the sea from an early age, or even that I was even a windsurfing instructor for a few years – which teaches you to respect water and the sea, that’s for sure. Or perhaps quite simply unlike gas or …
Superhomes – energy efficient eco homes opening up in your neighbourhood soon!
Last summer I had the pleasure of giving Greg Barker MP Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, a tour of my home. And if you thought I only open my home for Royalty and the occasional passing MP well you’d be wrong. As it happens Greg was the 98th visitor to take a guided tour of my now …
Eco homes need more sustainable heat and power. How decentralised heating systems and combined heat and power (CHP) systems could be the power stations for eco home of the future.
I have been asked to give a talk at the launch of a scheme delivering renewable heat and power to homes from a single local power plant, and not a coal-fired power station. So, what’s the benefit and is it really relevant for supplying the heat and power to today’s homes? The talk is  for Origin Renewable Energy (Origin), …
Sustainable communities and The Big Switch
This year, a quarter of all households in England and Wales have fallen into fuel poverty thanks to a high increase in energy bills this autumn. According to a report by Consumer Focus, there are just under 7m households in Britain living in fuel poverty, the highest figure on record. Apparently, four out of 10 people are worried they will not be …
Eco Cuppa Anyone? What Is The Best Way To Heat A Cup Of Water?
Sometimes changing tiny, seemingly insignificant actions can lead to larger changes in lifestyle. Small changes can add up to big differences for our carbon footprints and energy bills. Making a cup of tea is a great example. Now, we all know rule number seven in the eco guru handbook is that we should only boil as much water as …
Eco Drying At Home: Hang Your Tumble Dryer Out To Dry
Statistics show that of all our domestic appliances, tumble dryers are the most energy hungry, with power consumption ranging from around 2 kWh to 5 kWh per cycle. This can result in CO2 emissions of around 330 kg to over 800 kg per year. According to statistics, out of nearly 25 million households in the UK, 54% own a …
Eco Washing Machines: Cleaner Clothes, Brighter Future
A study released by Cambridge University, titled ‘Well Dressed?‘, demonstrates that a shocking 60% of the greenhouse gases generated over the life of a T-shirt come from washing and drying machines. All of the energy and carbon emissions used to grow, manufacture, ship and sell clothes doesn’t even come close to the energy and emissions needed to clean them. …
Nanotechnology – tiny solutions to big problems facing eco homes?
Most people have heard of nanotechnology but cant quite picture the benefits. That’s hardly surprising when you consider that nanotechnology refers to actions below a scale of 110 nm (where one nm is one-billionth of a metre). And to put that into perspective, a hazelnut is roughly one-billionth the size of Earth. That’s pretty tiny but we are just …