charity woman working in co-working area

 

 

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 me to carry out your energy assessment.

Please contact me for an initial discussion.

You can find out here if you meet the eligibility criteria here.  If you don’t qualify for a free assessment, then contact me for a bespoke quote.  

 

heat pump in snow

 

Energy confidence

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 out of action for a short while in December 2022 as a lorry had ran into us on the motorway (the lorry driver has since admitted responsibility), fortunately our injuries were minor. 

So it was February 2023 before I was able to go see them in Coventry.

By doing a whole-house survey with thermal imaging I was able to advise them that:

  • There were a number of issues with the design of the heat pump, mainly around hot water flow rates and temperatures
  • Some of their insulation and glazing was not performing as expected
  • Their radiators were not ideal for a low temperature heat pump
  • Their heating controls were not as good as the kind of intelligent systems that have emerged in the last decade.  

I was able to recommend a number of low and medium cost measures that could be taken, short of replacing the heat pump.  

They thought about it over the summer and then decided to replace the heat pump, which was coming up to 13 years old, and also because they were thinking of selling the house.

They got a desktop quote from a heat pump installer that had been recommended to them.  They came back to me and we agreed an additional fee for me to do some hand-holding.  

I looked at the desktop quote and was able to advise the householders on:

  • The suitability of the recommended replacement heat pump
  • The heat loss calculation that the installer had carried out
  • The proposal that the installer had made regarding new radiators, heating controls
  • My view on whether the proposed installer had the necessary skills that were needed.

I told the householders that I was happy for them to proceed with getting a full site survey and quote from the installer, and what questions to ask the installer.

I will update this blog when I have heard back from the householders.  Watch this space!

Sadly this is not the only occasion where I have been asked to help a household with an under-performing heat pump.  The good news is that if you get it right then a heat pump is a game-changer for thermal comfort, running costs and greenhouse gas emissions.  Heat pumps do work in the UK climate if you get the design parameters right.

Below you can see videos of two of my clients who are over the moon with their new heat pumps.

First of all, Ben;

Next up, Maggie and Dave (turn your sound up as the sound quality isn’t brilliant, or watch on YouTube and turn the subtitles on).

 

This week has seen good news that the grant available to homeowners and private landlords for replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump has risen to £7,500. 

If you are a householder, landlord or business thinking about major energy saving measures such as a heat pump, insulation, or solar, then please check out my energy saving advice packages.  I’m completely impartial and not tied to any installer or manufacturer.

learn more

 

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).

 

learn more

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)

 

Clean growth grants

Energy confidence

 

Consumers want to buy off businesses that are ethical and sustainable.  If you are a small business in Greater Birmingham and Solihull, then you could qualify for subsidised help with decarbonising your business.  Help is also available for your business to take advantage of clean growth opportunities.

I am one of the suppliers to the GBSLEP Clean Growth Programme.

This means you could get help from me at around 20% of what you would normally pay.  Everyone loves a bargain!  You will need to get quotes from three potential consultants in total.  

You must be an SME to qualify, with 11-249 employees, three years’ trading history, based in a non-domestic building, in the following local authority areas: Birmingham, Solihull, East Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Tamworth, Redditch, Bromsgrove, Wyre Forest.  You must be incorporated (this includes companies limited by guarantee).  The programme funds 80% of the consultancy costs; you will need to contribute the other 20%.  

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

Some of the things I can help you with include:

  • 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.

Contact me now to see how I could help you through the Clean Growth programme.  Tell me what makes your business great, and let’s work to make it greener and more profitable!  

 

learn more

 

 

If you don’t qualify for the Clean Growth programme then I can still help you with my value for money energy saving advice packages.

 

 

 

 

TESTIMONIALS

Nathalie Rush

Nathalie Rush

Phil is truly an expert in his field. I can understand why most people around the West Midlands choose to go to Phil for energy-saving consultancy. Phil has a thorough understanding of energy conservation and sustainable living. Would highly recommend.  Nathalie Rush, MD, Six Star Insulation.

Claire Spencer

Claire Spencer

His knowledge of community-led sustainability is second to none, and his perspective on local and national issues is invaluable to us. He adds value, and is everything a good consultant should be, and I would recommend him to anyone in our field  Claire Spencer, Sustainable Moseley.

Rosemary Coyne

Rosemary Coyne

It has been hugely inspiring to work with Phil.  While others talk, Phil gets on and does it.  Rosemary Coyne, Coordinator, Sustainable Housing Action Partnership

Ray Walker

Ray Walker

In working with Phil I have been impressed by his level of knowledge and enthusiasm. He has a vast array of contacts and has brought us into contact with other stakeholder in the energy business that would have been much more difficult to achieve without him. I am also struck by his commitment to supporting communities and the most vulnerable client groups.

Ray Walker, Disability Resource Centre

Karen McCarthy

Cllr Karen McCarthy

Phil Beardmore has a long association with Localise West Midlands and is a valued associate on environmental, housing and fuel poverty projects. 

He works with us both as an individual practitioner and leading multi-disciplinary teams on larger projects, delivering high quality results on time and on budget.

 Cllr Karen McCarthy, Localise West Midlands 

MY VALUES

WHY I GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING

Canal smiling

 

 

You need impartial expert advice on energy saving in your home or business.  I don’t want you to lose opportunities to save energy because you missed out on my expertise.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY

I am one of life’s doers.  I like to work out what to do next, and then get on and do it.

If I see something that needs to change, I will say it needs changing, and I will change it if I can.

I deliver on my promises, on time and within budget.

COOPERATION OVER COMPETITION

I don’t “chase the money”.

I am not afraid to give bad news.  If I think something isn’t going to work for you, I will tell you, and suggest alternatives.  I want you to get it right.

I prefer cooperation over competition.  I want everyone to win at life.  

 

Learn more

Sign up for the Energy Confidence newsletter today.

I will send you occasional updates, you can unsubscribe at any time.

 

 

 

The Fab 55
 
 
Saving the planet with The Fab 55

Does your home or small business have a combination boiler?  With no hot water cylinder? You could save energy, money and greenhouse gas emissions by turning the boiler temperature to your radiators down to 55 degrees or below.  

If you have a boiler with a hot water cylinder or heat store?  You could still save – but it’s slightly more complicated with this type of boiler.  So read on …

Making better use of existing heating controls is one thing almost every home or business can do to reduce their Greenhouse Gas emissions NOW … and it’s free.

The government has recently announced that on all new heating systems, the maximum boiler temperature should be set to 55 degrees.  This is long overdue.  But you don’t have to wait until you have a new heating system.  You can be part of The Fab 55 right now.

The Fab 55

If your boiler has been installed in the last 15 years, it is almost certainly a condensing boiler, whether it’s mains gas, heating oil, or LPG.  It is designed to run at lower temperatures than older gas boilers.  In fact it MUST be run at 55 degrees or lower in order to operate in condensing mode.  If you run it at too high a temperature, then the water going back to the boiler from your radiators or under-floor heating will be too hot, and this excess heat will escape through the flue.  This is not how condensing boilers were designed to work.  Condensing boilers have a second heat exchanger, which is what makes them potentially more efficient than older boilers.  But if the boiler temperature to the radiators is too high, then the boiler will run in non-condensing mode, wasting energy, money and greenhouse gases.  Unfortunately I often see clients, both householders and businesses, where the boiler temperature to the radiators has been set to 60 or even 70 degrees.  

Will it be cold if I turn the boiler temperature down?

You can get the same amount of heat to keep your home or business warm by running the heating for longer.  A steady background heat during the heating season is more efficient than short bursts of on/off using the timer.  You should also regularly monitor your room thermostats.  You should not treat the thermostatic radiator valves like a motorbike throttle – it’s not good to turn them up and down too frequently.  It’s best not to let temperatures fall below 16 degrees in a home at night, because that can be dangerous for people with cold related medical conditions.  

If you have a combination boiler, you can experiment with turning your boiler temperature to the radiators to below 55 degrees – to 45 degrees.  Do it in stages, not all at once.  

How do I know if I have a combination boiler?

These are the signs:

  • A combination boiler doesn’t have a hot water cylinder or heat store
  • Google the manual for your boiler make and model – it will tell you if it’s a combination boiler.

If your boiler does have a hot water cylinder or heat store, then it’s not a combination boiler.  See below.

How do I know if I have a condensing boiler?
insulated condensate pipe
Insulated condensate pipe

All boilers can be condensing boilers.  This includes combination boilers, and boilers with a hot water cylinder/heat store. 

  • A condensing boiler will have a condensate pipe (see photo) that evacuates condensed flue gases down your drain.  This will usually be an insulated diagonal pipe outside.  If your washing machine is below your boiler then the installer might have done a very clever thing where the condensed flue gases run out of your washing machine outlet pipe, so there won’t be an additional condensing pipe outside your home.
  • Google the manual for your boiler make and model – it will tell you if it’s a condensing boiler.
If you don’t have a combination boiler …

Then you can still have the boiler temperature for the radiators at 55 degrees or lower, but it’s too complicated to explain in a blog as it varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.  Google the manual for your boiler make and model.

If you have a hot water cylinder or heat store, then you must ensure that the stored hot water is not at risk of legionella bacteria.  Normally this means making sure the temperature is raised to 60 degrees periodically to kill off the bacteria.  Do not take risks with a hot water cylinder temperature – consult the boiler manual.

If your home is heated by a different type of heating system, e,g, electric radiators or storage heaters, then the same principle applies, that a steady background heat is preferable, although this might be harder to achieve with storage heaters.

Getting your building “heat pump ready”

If you are considering having a heat pump, then it is essential that you run the heat pump at lower temperatures of 55 degrees or lower.  Practising running your existing boiler at lower temperatures is one of the most important thing you can do to make your home or business heat pump ready.

Let’s make you energy confident

If you sign up to one of my energy advice packages, I will help you get energy confident so you know you are doing the right things to reduce the environmental impact of your home, business or non-profit.  

 

learn more

 

 

 

About me

Grinning at Moor Street Station

 

I am the West Midlands’ leading expert in:

  • energy saving
  • renewable energy
  • procurement of energy saving products
  • water saving.

My customers include householders, landlords, public bodies, small businesses, charities and coops.

I am independent and impartial.

Phil Beardmore, FRSA AIEMA.

CONTACT ME NOW

TESTIMONIALS

Nathalie Rush

Nathalie Rush

Phil is truly an expert in his field. I can understand why most people around the West Midlands choose to go to Phil for energy-saving consultancy. Phil has a thorough understanding of energy conservation and sustainable living. Would highly recommend.  Nathalie Rush, MD, Six Star Insulation.

Claire Spencer

Claire Spencer

His knowledge of community-led sustainability is second to none, and his perspective on local and national issues is invaluable to us. He adds value, and is everything a good consultant should be, and I would recommend him to anyone in our field  Claire Spencer, Sustainable Moseley.

Rosemary Coyne

Rosemary Coyne

It has been hugely inspiring to work with Phil.  While others talk, Phil gets on and does it.  Rosemary Coyne, Coordinator, Sustainable Housing Action Partnership

Ray Walker

Ray Walker

In working with Phil I have been impressed by his level of knowledge and enthusiasm. He has a vast array of contacts and has brought us into contact with other stakeholder in the energy business that would have been much more difficult to achieve without him. I am also struck by his commitment to supporting communities and the most vulnerable client groups.

Ray Walker, Disability Resource Centre

Karen McCarthy

Cllr Karen McCarthy

 

 

 

Phil Beardmore has a long association with Localise West Midlands and is a valued associate on environmental, housing and fuel poverty projects. 

He works with us both as an individual practitioner and leading multi-disciplinary teams on larger projects, delivering high quality results on time and on budget.

 Cllr Karen McCarthy, Localise West Midlands

learn more

AECB

Membership of the AECB – Association of Environmentally Conscious Buildings – enables me to keep my skills up to date

making birmingham green

I won a Making Birmingham Greener Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement.

green leader

I was nominated twice by my peers as one of the top Green Leaders in the West Midlands

 

 

working in bar

 

 

If your business rents an office or shop premises from a landlord, then don’t worry, there are still many things you can do to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.

And most importantly, however much or little you are able to do, you must tell your customers what you are doing.  People like to buy from businesses that are ethical and sustainable.  

Here are my top tips for improving the environmental performance of your business if you rent:

  • Turn off lights, computers and other machines when not in use.  Put up stickers, particularly in parts of the building that are intermittently used – e.g. kitchens and bathrooms.
  • Make sure doors and windows are closed in cold weather.  The Close the Door campaign shows how you can do this without losing trade.
  • Can you reduce the number of journeys made by car or van?  Where journeys are unavoidable, are your staff aware of eco-driving techniques?  Has home working and remote working had a positive or negative impact on your environmental performance?
  • How local is your supply chain?  Can you buy local?
  • If there are heating and air conditioning controls that you have access to, have you reviewed how you use them?  Better control of heating and air conditioning is one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy consumption.
  • Are there any empty fridges or freezers?  Are they turned off?  Where there are fridges that have stuff in them, are they kept full and frost-free?
  • Devise a simple monitoring strategy to show how you are getting on.  Take photos.  Tell your customers via your website, social media, in your window.  They will feel good about buying from you if they know you are an environmentally business.

Can you think of any others?  My workbook (pay as you feel) will help.

If you need expert help with taking environmental action then check out my energy advice packages for small businesses.  Tell me what makes your business great and we’ll make it greener and more profitable.  #EnergyConfident

 

learn more

 

Energy confidence

 

 

working in bar

The Heat and Buildings Strategy is a plan from the government to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced by heating buildings.  It has strengths, but also limitations.  

There is financial support in the Strategy for homeowners, landlords and the public sector to decarbonise homes and public buildings.  Heat pump grants for householders are likely to be predominantly taken up by more affluent households with higher carbon footprints.

There is no financial support for small businesses in the Heat and Buildings Strategy.  All is not lost, however, because there are many things that your small business can do to save the earth, without costing the earth. 

Here are my top tips for what you can do now:

  • Review the way you use your heating controls.  In every single building that I have ever helped, I have advised on better use of existing heating controls.  More strategic use of existing heating controls needs no capital investment.  Upgrading to smart heating controls is a cost-effective way of saving carbon.
  • Switch to LED lighting throughout the business and don’t forget lighting controls – for example, passive infra-red controls in areas of intermittent occupancy such as bathrooms and corridors.
  • Consider the impact of home working and flexible working on your business.  Just because there are fewer people in your building, it doesn’t always follow that your building is using less energy.  Now is a good time to undertake an energy audit. 
  • Improve the airtightness of your building.  Look for gaps where the floors meet the walls and where the roof meets the walls.  They can be sealed quite cheaply and will effectively stop heat escaping from your building.  This is particularly useful in older buildings where it is difficult and expensive to insulate the walls and floors.  But if you can insulate, then walls, roofs, floors, and window reveals.  Thermal imaging is great for identifying priority areas.
  • Move desks and equipment to make use of natural light.
  • Use laptops instead of desktops as they use less energy.

 

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

If you’re a business that needs expert help with energy saving then please check out my energy advice packages.

If you’re a homeowner please click here.  I specialise in advising homeowners on whether a heat pump is suitable for their home. 

If you’re a charity, public sector body or housing provider please click here.

Consumers want to buy off businesses that are ethical and sustainable.  Now is the time to act on the climate emergency.

 

 

 

external wall insulation

 

Are you giving your home a green makeover?  Would you like the work you have done to be certified?  Would you like to tell the world about what you have done to save the planet?

I am accredited by the Association of Environment Conscious Building (AECB) to certify housing retrofit projects as having achieved the AECB Retrofit Standard, and to list them as a case study on the Low Carbon Buildings database.   Both privately-owned and rented homes (including social landlords) can be certified.  Non-domestic buildings, including businesses, charities, coops, and places of worship can also be certified on the Low Carbon Buildings database.

Please contact me for a no-obligation discussion about helping you to get your green home makeover certified.  As an introductory offer, this service is currently priced at £299.  

 

 

Featured image credit – Levitt Bernstein, Elementa, Passivhaus Trust and Etude commissioned by West Oxfordshire, Cotswold and Forest of Dean District Councils, funded by the LGA Housing Advisers Programme.

Energy confidence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Is working from home good or bad for the environmental impact of your business?

 

The short answer is … it depends.  It depends on factors such as:

  • the comparative energy efficiency of your business building, and the homes of your staff;
  • the way in which heating controls are used in your business building, and in the homes of your staff;
  • what mode of transport employees use to commute to work, and how far they travel.

 

Some businesses could actually find that their environmental impact increases because of remote working.  Even if their employees are travelling less … even if they aren’t using heat and power in their office … the greenhouse gas emissions from their staff’s homes could cause a net increase in the environmental impact of your business.

I am now using a piece of software that means I can do a bespoke calculation for your business.

 

 

learn more

  •  

This means that I can help you to work out a meaningful answer to this dilemma for your business, and most importantly, give you expert advice on what to do to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, whether your employees are working from your premises, remotely, or a mixture of both.

The good news is that this service is included in my business energy advice packages, so you don’t have to pay the earth, to save the earth.

 

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

 

 

 

About me

Grinning at Moor Street Station

 

I am the West Midlands’ leading expert in:

  • energy saving
  • renewable energy
  • procurement of energy saving products
  • water saving.

My customers include householders, landlords, public bodies, small businesses, charities and coops.

I am independent and impartial.

Phil Beardmore, FRSA AIEMA.

CONTACT ME NOW

TESTIMONIALS

Nathalie Rush

Nathalie Rush

Phil is truly an expert in his field. I can understand why most people around the West Midlands choose to go to Phil for energy-saving consultancy. Phil has a thorough understanding of energy conservation and sustainable living. Would highly recommend.  Nathalie Rush, MD, Six Star Insulation.

Claire Spencer

Claire Spencer

His knowledge of community-led sustainability is second to none, and his perspective on local and national issues is invaluable to us. He adds value, and is everything a good consultant should be, and I would recommend him to anyone in our field  Claire Spencer, Sustainable Moseley.

Rosemary Coyne

Rosemary Coyne

It has been hugely inspiring to work with Phil.  While others talk, Phil gets on and does it.  Rosemary Coyne, Coordinator, Sustainable Housing Action Partnership

Ray Walker

Ray Walker

In working with Phil I have been impressed by his level of knowledge and enthusiasm. He has a vast array of contacts and has brought us into contact with other stakeholder in the energy business that would have been much more difficult to achieve without him. I am also struck by his commitment to supporting communities and the most vulnerable client groups.

Ray Walker, Disability Resource Centre

Karen McCarthy

Cllr Karen McCarthy

 

 

 

Phil Beardmore has a long association with Localise West Midlands and is a valued associate on environmental, housing and fuel poverty projects. 

He works with us both as an individual practitioner and leading multi-disciplinary teams on larger projects, delivering high quality results on time and on budget.

 Cllr Karen McCarthy, Localise West Midlands

learn more

AECB

Membership of the AECB – Association of Environmentally Conscious Buildings – enables me to keep my skills up to date

making birmingham green

I won a Making Birmingham Greener Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement.

green leader

I was nominated twice by my peers as one of the top Green Leaders in the West Midlands