292 Brook Lane outside

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Phil Beardmore

Announcements by government ministers and energy companies give the impression that funding is readily available to everyone for energy saving measures. The reality is very different and there is not a universally available pot of money with your name on it. Here’s a summary of the situation in February 2024. There are strings attached […]

Feb

Join us for a small group visit to Shivaji and Magdalen’s house in Birmingham to see their whole-house, fabric-first energy saving makeover. We are really excited that you’ll be able to see: wood fibre insulation – a sustainable alternative to plastic-based insulation products, for improved moisture performance the use of Hempcrete – a sustainable, hemp-based […]

Feb

If you manage a voluntary, community or social enterprise building you might qualify for a free energy saving assessment. I am one of the expert advisors on the VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, funded by central government, for organisations in the East and West Midlands. If you qualify for the scheme you can choose […]

Nov

I often get asked, “which is better, heating the whole house, or just heating one or two rooms”? Recently (October 2023) my central heating system broke down and so I had no option but to only heat one or two rooms, using portable electric radiators, for a period of 14 days. So once my […]

Sep

In December 2022 I was contacted by a household in Coventry who had a heat pump installed in 2010, but it wasn’t performing as well as expected. The house had a number of insulation measures fitted so they were a bit puzzled as to why it was struggling to heat the home. I was […]

Sep

Your 15-minute neighbourhood energy expert … that’s me, and my small team of helpers. If I can walk to your home or small business in 15 minutes or fewer, then I will give you a 5% discount on my energy advice services. My office base is at the Old Print Works, Birmingham, B12 9AH, […]

Jul

In 2022 I gave energy saving advice to Selly Oak Friends Meeting House, through the Footsteps programme. One of the things I found was that because they have high ceilings, they were wasting heat due to a stratification effect. This is when warm air rises to the top, and pushes colder air downwards. I advised […]

Jul

I was not at all surprised to read a recent report from Citizens’ Advice which said that homeowners who want to fit energy saving measures, do not wish to take out unsecured loans to fund them. My experience is that able-to-pay homeowners see energy saving measures as a home improvement project, to be […]