Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2012/January 2013 | Page 130
EcoGUIDE
Facts, tips and advice by Sa mantha Robinson
Did you
know...?
Time to
generate
your own
electricity
Energy costs are increasing by
more than 10 per cent year on
year, so what can you do about it?
The answer is: generate your own
You can insulate
your floor. Just like
our walls and loft
can be insulated,
so can your floor.
If you are not keen
on taking up the
floorboards you
can draught-proof
the floor by sealing
gaps between
floorboards and/
or skirting boards.
Either call in a
professional or use
a tube of sealant
from your local DIY
store.
Buy an eco kettle
Boil less, get an eco kettle.
and CO2: the Energy
A recent survey revealed
Saving Trust reckons we
over a quarter of us overfill
could power the nation's
the kettle when we're
street lamps if we all just
boiling a cuppa. As well as
boiled the right amount.
wasting your time waiting
for a brew, it wastes energy
electricity!
A 4KW 16-panel Solar
No significant rate decrease
PV system costs around
£7,000-£9,000. It can generate as
much as 3,500 Kwh of electricity
The national FIT
per year. The current domestic
rate is fixed until
Feed in Tariff (FIT) will provide
February 1, but is
a first-year return of around
not decreasing as
£550.00. This payment is for 20
significantly as people
years and increases with annual
inflation rates.
Further saving on energy bills
will be between £200 and £400
per year, resulting in overall
returns of 10 to 12 per cent per
annum, guaranteed for 20 years.
It is extremely difficult to find
a savings rate this attractive
anywhere else.
130
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Place a radiator
panel behind
your radiator and
reflect 95 per
cent of the lost
heat back into the
room.
believe. The decrease
on November 1 was
only 0.56p. The FIT
is index fixed for 20
years from the day you sign up, so as energy, petrol and
diesel prices continue to increase, your payments from the
Government will not decrease. The sooner you invest in the
future, the better off you will be. Solar PV produces electricity
from sunlight not heat.