Author: Phil Beardmore

Creating a psychologically safe space for you to make big decisions about energy saving

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
energy saving

 

 

Energy confidence

Saving energy in your home or business should be easy.   The reaction to Boris Johnson’s bungled August 2022 speech about buying a new kettle shows that most people know it’s quite complicated.  And also potentially hard work, because you have to put hours and hours of research into finding out what is the right thing to do, and that can cause a headache.  

I help to take the headache out of big decisions about energy saving. 

I have a calm and reassuring manner.  I understand the concerns you might have about making big changes to your home.  There are risks involved in retrofitting energy saving measures.  I have spent years studying these risks and learning from well-publicised mistakes that have been made on some government-funded energy saving programmes.  I understand why many sustainability initiatives fail, and will help you to learn from mistakes made in good faith by risk-takers.  I will help you to identify these risks and come up with strategies to mitigate them.  So you can save energy in your home or business with confidence.  I want you feel that you can make big decisions about energy saving in a psychologically safe environment.

YOUR GREEN BUSINESS

Consumers want to buy off businesses that are ethical and sustainable.  Tell me what makes your business great, and we will work together to make it greener and more profitable.

 

  • Expert advice on decarbonising your business
  • Independent and impartial 
  • What are the right measures for you?
  • Site visits, video meetings, thermal imaging
  • Energy saving and renewable energy
  • Energy procurement
  • Monitoring and reporting
  • Payment by instalments available

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Energy saving expert advice
  • Independent and impartial 
  • Tell me about your home 
  • What are the right measures for you?
  • Site visits, Zoom meetings, thermal imaging
  • Payment by instalments available

 

YOUR GREEN HOME

Do you want to make your home greener but don’t know where to start?  Maybe you are thinking about insulation or a heat pump?  Book one of my energy saving advice packages  for independent and impartial advice on how to make your home greener.  I help you to make big decisions about the energy efficiency of your home in a psychologically safe space.

 

Update September 2022 – I now have some appointments available for householders from November  – if you can’t find a suitable date then please sign up to my mailing list and I will keep you informed.

  • Site visitswill be undertaken in accordance with sensible social distancing precautions.
  • Thermal imaging is available depending on the time of year – November-April is best for thermal imaging – if you book outside of these times then I will come back in the winter to do thermal imaging for you.

 

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Are you ready to be energy confident?

We face a Climate Emergency – you can make a difference

 

 

 

Phil with laptop

 

 

 

 

“What do you want to do about climate change?”

YOU’RE READY TO TAKE ACTION.

 

You’re here because you know that government and big business should do more, but you don’t want to wait for them.  You’re committed to do whatever you can.

What will you do next?  What help do you need from me?

Tell me about your home or your business, and I will advise you on a whole-building plan, looking at all the fabric of the building and its appliances.  I will show you how the ways people live, work, sleep, relax, wash, cook and eat in your building cause it to waste energy and water.  I will show you the right things you can do for your home, your family or co-workers, and for the planet.  I will also tell you if you’re doing any of the wrong things, and show you how to make changes.  

 

Working with me will give you:

  • Clarity on where to begin
  • Confidence that you are taking the right actions for your building
  • Cost-effective use of your money and resources
  • Carbon savings by implementing the right measures and monitoring their effectiveness.

Contact me now and let’s get you energy confident.“

Phil Beardmore FRSA AIEMA, Low Carbon Coach and Founder, Energy Confidence 

 

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Read what my clients say about me on Trustpilot, or leave a review.

My Trustpilot reviews

 

 

 

 

Trustpilot

 

Trustpilot

 

 

What are scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and why do you need my help with them?

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions

 

 

 

Energy confidence

 

 

Your business has three types of greenhouse gas emissions.

    • Scope 1
      – Burning natural gas, LPG, heating oil in your building; for space heating, domestic hot water, industrial processes
      – Burning transport fuels such as diesel and petrol in vehicles that your business owns.
    • Scope 2
      – Is mainly from energy that you buy; e.g. electricity from the grid; heating or cooling from a district energy system.
    • Scope 3
      – Is emissions that you do not cause directly, but which arise from actions in your value chain. The goods and services that you buy in, have scope 3 emissions. Remote working and staff travel are also examples of scope 3 emissions.

Scope 3 emissions are easy to overlook. I can help you to understand and measure your scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Most importantly, I can help you to develop a strategy to manage and reduce your emissions. There is no point understanding your “carbon footprint” for the sake of it.

 

Consumers want to buy goods and services from businesses that are ethical and sustainable.  Understanding and measuring your scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions means you can prove to your customers that you are serious about greening your business.

If you need my help in reducing your business greenhouse gas emissions, please contact me now.  

Photo – me helping a business with their scope 1, 2, 3 emissions (credit – Richard Beard).

 

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Eunice Foote, the woman who discovered the greenhouse effect

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
Eunice Foote

 

 

Eunice Newton Foote  (July 17, 1819 – September 30, 1888) was the first person to discover that an increase in the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would lead to a warming effect.  In 1856, her work was presented at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), not by Eunice herself, but by a male colleague, Joseph Henry.  In 1857, Eunice wrote a paper for the American Journal of Science, entitled “Circumstances affecting the heat of the sun’s rays”.  

As is the case with many women scientists, Eunice’s work did not receive the recognition it deserved.  

Between 1859 and 1861, John Tyndall also identified that carbon dioxide caused a greenhouse effect.  There is some debate about whether he was aware of Eunice Foote’s work.  John Tyndall’s work was rightly recognised and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research was founded at the University of East Anglia in 2000.  Eunice Foote’s work was highlighted by American feminists from the 1970s onwards but her name is still less well known than that of male climate scientists.

Eunice Foote was also involved in the early women’s rights movement in the USA.  In 1848, she attended the Seneca Falls Convention, the first gathering in the USA to centre women’s rights as its sole focus.  She was also involved in the anti-slavery movement.

We’ve known about climate change for nearly two centuries.  We only have a limited time to do something about it.  

Here’s a short film about Eunice Foote.

 

 

 

Drawing of Eunice Foote – by Carlyn Iverson, NOAA Climate.gov

See also – https://www.climate.gov/news-features/features/happy-200th-birthday-eunice-foote-hidden-climate-science-pioneer

 

 

 

How to use thermal imaging in energy saving projects – webinar recording

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
thermal imaging

 

Thermal imaging is a great way to understand how heat is being lost from a building. In this webinar I show you what to look out for when doing thermal imaging, and how to use a camera and software. Plus general hints and tips on energy saving and also ventilation. This webinar was held as part of Community Energy Fortnight 2022. I am grateful to Civic Square and Dark Matter Labs for their support in putting on this webinar.

Click on the video link below to watch the recording.  

I offer thermal imaging services as part of a whole-building approach to saving energy in your home or business.  Householders please click here for more information, businesses please click here.  

 

Beware of people mis-selling you energy saving measures

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
pushy sales person

 

 

Many householders, landlords and businesses are thinking about what they can do to save energy.  It’s not always easy to decide where to start.  Unfortunately unscrupulous sales people are taking advantage of this uncertainty to mis-sell energy saving measures.  These are some of the examples I have heard of recently:

  • A solar company offering my client a solar electricity system that was too big for the building.  The building did not use much electricity and would not have used the electricity generated by a solar system that was too big.   The client would not have benefited financially from the proposed system, and the actual greenhouse gas emissions savings would have been significantly less than those claimed by the seller.
  • Replacing a gas boiler with … another gas boiler.   Most gas boilers currently in use are as efficient as gas boilers are ever going to get.  In this instance the proposed new boiler was actually less efficient than the existing boiler.  I did some calculations that showed that the new boiler would make little or no impact on fuel bills.  It would also increase the lifetime greenhouse gas emissions from the house by prolonging the length of time that gas would be used as a heating fuel.  It is also common to mis-sell gas boilers that are too big for the house or business.  It’s the gas industry trying to cling on to a doomed business model.
  • Selling electric batteries to households with low electricity consumption.  The household’s electricity consumption was too low to benefit from battery storage.
  • Offering thermal imaging surveys to schools during the summer holidays.  Thermal imaging is a great way to diagnose heat loss but it is best done on a winter evening.  Thermal imaging during the summer can give misleading results.
  • An energy broker misleading a business by saying that they wouldn’t get a cheaper price elsewhere.  It was only after signing a contract that the business did some shopping around, and found that they could have got a better tariff elsewhere.
  • Poorly-designed insulation that still allows unnecessary heat loss.
  • Windows that aren’t fitted properly, and French doors that increase heat loss, which will show up on a thermal imaging camera.
  • A company selling a householder a report on “Part L of the Building Regulations Compliance” (yes really) when what the householder really needed was impartial advice on where to start with making her home more energy efficient.  The funny thing is that the company concerned were probably capable of giving the householder what she needed.  But they didn’t find out what it was she actually wanted.
  • Householders being sold finance packages for solar panels that led to the household being worse off.

These are all examples of taking advantage of people’s uncertainty to mis-sell energy saving measures.  In all of these examples there were other courses of action available that would have given lower fuel bills and more greenhouse gas emissions.  As there is rising concern over the climate emergency, energy security, and fuel prices, we can expect to see more mis-selling.  You don’t need to be a genius to work out that there will be a lot of mis-selling of heat pumps (although I am a big fan of heat pumps and I can advise you on  the suitability of a heat pump for your home or business).

If you are thinking of buying energy saving goods or services, my advice is:

  • Get three quotes if you can
  • Ask potential suppliers to back up their claims about fuel bill savings by showing you their methodology
  • Find out about their trading history – beware of companies that set up to take advantage of government funding and then close down when the funding disappears
  • Check out consumer reviews on TrustPilot, Google, etc.
  • Remember – Buyer Beware!

If you need impartial advice on energy saving then please check out my energy saving packages for householders and businesses.  I will show you all the options available to you and help you to choose the right path for you.  Taking action to make your home or business more energy efficient can be quite a stressful process.  My aim is to ease your headaches.  

Energy confidence

Relaunched – business energy bill audit – FREE for your first site

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
woman working at desk

 

Energy confidence

 

Businesses are rightly concerned about rising fuel bills.  I have heard some shocking stories from businesses over the last few weeks.

That’s why I’m relaunching my business energy bill audit service.  If you have one site (with one electricity meter and one gas meter), it’s FREE.  If you have more than one site, then your first site (1 gas meter and one electricity meter) is FREE.  For your second and subsequent sites, or if you have more than one gas or electricity meter on site, there is a charge of £50 per meter.

 

This will be available for a limited period only until 30th April 2022; I will only take on up to two clients during this time.  If you would like to apply, please contact me.

I have many years experience helping clients to understand energy bills and to make sure they are being billed correctly.  My greatest success was when I saved a client more than £30,000 on their fuel bill.  You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

What you’ll get:

  • I will check your gas and electricity bills for billing errors
  • If I find any errors, I will get a letter of authority from you to take it up with your energy supplier on your behalf
  • If as a result, there is a reduction or crediting of your fuel bill charges, then we split the income 50/50.  I will invoice you for my share.
  • If I don’t find any errors in your bills, which sometimes happens, then I will tell you straight away, I won’t waste your time and mine on a lost cause.

Are you a landlord trying to help your tenants afford their fuel bills? Read my top tips

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
fuel bill concern

Energy confidence

Are you a landlord who is looking to help their tenants to keep their fuel bills affordable?  Are you concerned that rising fuel costs will make it more difficult for your tenants to afford their rent?   Do you want to avoid the expense of having to deal with condensation related damp?  Read my top tips for rented properties.

 

  •  Boiler temperature.  If your tenant has a combination boiler then the radiator temperature on the boiler should be set no higher than 55 degrees.  Click here to find out why.  
  • Storage heater controls.  In homes with night storage heaters, it’s important to make sure that the controls are set to charge during the night and discharge during the day.  The video at the bottom of this page shows how to set the controls on a night storage heater.
  • Insulating the home is the most effective way to help your tenants keep their homes warm affordably.  In most homes, the greatest heat loss is through the walls, followed by the roof and the floor.  Properly designed insulation, with adequate ventilation, reduces the risk of condensation.
  • LED lighting is a very cost-effective way of keeping running costs down.  Don’t forget fixed lighting in kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, stairs, corridors and external lighting.
  • Tariff and payment method.  Tenants often move into a home with no idea of whether they are on the best tariff or payment method.  Especially younger tenants who have no experience of running a household.  Encourage them to ask the energy supplier if they are on the best possible tariff.  If they are able to pay by direct debit then this is always a cheaper payment method than pay-as-you-go.  Modern smart meters can be easily switched from prepayment to credit mode and back again.  Homes with storage heaters should be on Economy 7 tariffs.  Homes without storage heaters should never be on an Economy 7 tariff.
  • Get impartial advice on how to improve the energy efficiency of your homes.  I have a range of home energy advice packages.  If you have more than one home then please contact me for a bespoke quote.  

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What next after your business’ ESOS report?

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
business gent with wall planner

 

 

 

 If you’re a business with more than 250 employees, you will probably have had an ESOS report done already.  ESOS = Energy Saving Opportunities.

What have you done about your ESOS report?  Many businesses don’t do anything .  This is a waste of the perfectly good money they paid for the ESOS report, and a wasted opportunity to make their business more profitable through the reputational and economic benefits of good environmental management.  

There’s nothing wrong with ESOS reports.  The people who do them are doing a fabulous job.  But ESOS scheme is a legal mechanism that misses out two very important things: 

What should you do next? 

And what organisational and cultural changes do you need to achieve your environmental goals?

This is the point where I can help you with:

  • Making your building more energy efficient
  • Sustainable transport
  • Renewable energy
  • Water saving
  • Decarbonisation action plans
  • Staff training and organisational change to decarbonise your business
  • Coaching
  • Developing low carbon products and services for the clean growth sector
  • Monitoring your achievements
  • Bid writing
  • Telling your customers about the work you are doing to make your business greener.

ESOS is a one-off, short-term intervention.  Tell me what makes your business great and we will build a long-term relationship to make it greener and more profitable.

 

 

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If you’re a business with 11-249 employees, you don’t need an ESOS report, but if you are in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull area then you could get subsidised help from me through the Clean Growth programme.

 

Energy confidence

 

 

 

 

It’s just an Energy Saving Show, on my radio

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
On Air

 

Unity FM radio were kind enough to invite me on to their Connecting Communities broadcast with Mehmooda Qureshi and Dr Peter Rooke.

This broadcast will be of interest to people who are looking for expert help with energy saving in their home or business, for two reasons:

  1. In this broadcast, I talk about how I go about an energy saving plan for a building – in this case it was a faith building, but I have a similarly strategic approach to any home, business, or community building
  2. A recent client of mine, Hitesh Kukadia, the President of Shree Ram Mandir, is also on the broadcast, in which he talks about his experience of working with me.

Please click on the widget below to listen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(In case you’re interested, the title of this blog is a tribute to The Selecter, who were part of the soundtrack to my youth)

 

96% of corporate sustainability initiatives fail. What can we do to raise the success rate?

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
breakout meeting

Energy confidence

 

Recent research shows that only 4% of sustainability initiatives undertaken by businesses, are successful.  We need to raise the success rate because there is a hidden cost of failed initiatives.

In my experience, low carbon initiatives fail in businesses, non-profits, and public bodies because:

  • There is not a strategic approach to sustainability
  • Often, businesses don’t know where to start
  • Existing organisational culture gets in the way and prevents deep change.

 

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” – Peter Drucker

Peter Drucker was right – organisational culture eats low-carbon strategy for breakfast.

Consumers want to buy from businesses that can prove that they are ethical and sustainable.  If you work with me I will:

  • Show you where to start
  • Teach your organisation how to be strategic about sustainability, to think long-term and avoid initiative-itis
  • Advise you which actions will make a difference for your organisation, and how to measure success
  • Help you to identify and tackle organisational and cultural barriers to change
  • Save you money by avoiding the wasted time and money involved in failed and unfinished initiatives.

Tell me what makes your business great, and we’ll work together to make it greener and more profitable.

 

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