Blog
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Rainproof your home to protect your electrics
It's summer, so there are a host of DIY jobs to do. And though decking, edging the lawn and wearing a ridiculous apron while getting stuck into a barbeque should be top of the list, look outside. Just look. So, rainproofing your home: it's not as difficult as you'd think, and an afternoon spent pottering around in the drizzle making Read more...
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Improve your home with lighting
When you were young and harboured flighty dreams of becoming an astronaut and a vet (SuperVet, the movie of your life would be called), it's likely that, at some point, your mum did pat you on the head and say that you could 'do anything'. "You can do anything, [reader of a website about consumer electrical goods]," she said Read more...
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Energy efficiency upgrade from single to double glazing is 'remarkable'
The energy efficiency upgrade given by switching from single to double glazing is 'remarkable', according to comments made this week by an industry expert. Phil Turley, business manager for PVC-u window and door specialist Kommerling UK, said that boosting the glazing that surrounds your home can have fantastic benefits for both heat Read more...
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WEEE collection rates unchanged despite digital switchover
London and many other parts of the UK have recently switched to digital television, so you would think the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment being collected in the UK would have risen as old televisions become ineffectual. But new figures show this is not the case. According to letsrecycle.com, data published by the Environment Read more...
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Concerns raised over smart meter privacy
If smart meters are to be widely adopted and welcomed into homes around the European Union then concerns over privacy must be addressed. This is the view of the European Data Protection Supervisor, which has warned that the devices could reveal sensitive personal data that may be used to 'snoop' on people. For example, the information Read more...
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Landlords are 'unaware' of energy efficiency of their real estate
Landlords have a number of concerns to deal with: damp, rogue infestations, and untenable tenants being chief among them. But energy efficiency is clearly not too high up on the to-do list, if a recent survey by the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) is anything to go by. The landlording body found that more than half (51 per cent) of Read more...
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Government Green Deal legislation 'a good start'
The government has this week backed secondary legislation that will greenlight an energy efficiency market as part of the much-vaulted Green Deal, that will see a programme introduced to help bill payers make energy-efficient improvements to their home. According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), leaky homes are a primary Read more...
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American consumers more concerned with energy than holidays, says poll
Driving energy bills are still a major concern for many British householders, particularly in light of recent findings published this week by price comparison website uSwitch.com - it predicted fuel bills will become "unaffordable" for 59 per cent of Brits by 2015 if costs continue to escalate at their current rate, which will be a Read more...
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Heating systems are more energy efficient than ever, says expert
With the British summer in full, grizzly swing, it's hard not to think about heating systems around the home; and with the country under severe wind and rain warnings during June, if you don't have the right heating in place come winter, it's going to get chilly - that's a given. However, for many homeowners, increasingly mounting energy bills are Read more...
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Universal plug could soon be a reality, says BBC
Passport? Check. Luggage? All packed. Complicated system of pulleys, levers and converters that allow you to plug your phone in to charge overseas? According to the BBC, not anymore. As global business correspondent Peter Day reports, the days of each country having it's own switches and sockets could be a thing of the past, as developments Read more...