The green “trade show” UK Aware was held at the exhibition centre Olympia 2, West London, England on 17th April.
I was talking with the lady from Good Energy. First of all we discussed their proposal to offer a dual fuel tariff, and the fact that there is still no green gas available to domestic customers.
I asked for a few more details about what Good Energy will be doing to “green up” their gas, and was pleased to hear they’re not considering anything like “Carbon offsetting”.
They don’t seem to have considered yet the possibilities and legislative framework needs of working to supply BioMethane into the National Grid.
https://www.nationalgrid.com/corporate/Media+Centre/Press+Releases/Global+Press+Releases/020209.htm
What they are offering is something they’re calling the Renewable Heat Initiative, where they will use some of the profits from selling Natural Gas to pay back those customers who use Solar Thermal units to heat water at home.
“By joining the Good Energy Renewable Heat Initiative your investment in renewable heating will be rewarded by payment for every unit of heat you generate.”
“Our ambition is for Good Energy customers to have an alternative to putting money in the bank – by putting it on their roof.”
Here’s the full details :-
https://www.goodenergy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/good-energy-gas-and-heat.pdf
https://www.goodenergy.co.uk/about-good-energy/our-heat
The lady from Good Energy tells me that the company has been deluged with interest from potential gas customers, and that they will be launching the scheme soon. Get on the list.
The lady from Good Energy tried to interest me in some products : smart meters and the like that she had on the display stand.
I told her no, I’m not interested in product purchases. I can get products from everywhere now. What I need is help with fitting products.
I explained to her that Good Energy could make a huge leap forward with their green plans if they trained Renewable Heat installers.
That we need a “Carbon Army” to fit all the new equipment and insulation that people are going to need in their homes once Carbon pricing is enforced.
She and I discussed the history of renewables in the UK, the rogue traders and fitters, the dodgy installations with wild claims.
I explained that’s why we need one of the large energy companies with a large professional trades workforce to retrain into domestic Renewables and Insulation fitting.
We need to build trust, create trust. We have to ask people to accept changes to the fabric of their homes. We have to ask people to accept trades people into the sanctuary of their homes.
I said that nobody could expect people to be sufficiently organised to DIY their way to lower Carbon homes. It’s hard enough coping with the normal demands of house maintenance and the management of services in and to the home, sorting out bills, decorating, furnishing.
Many people have great intentions about insulation but never get round to it. We need a team of professionals offering manageably priced energy reduction services. There would be plenty of business.
The vast proportion of UK homes needs adaptation to protect people from fuel poverty in future, either because of inflationary pressures on Energy generally, or Carbon Pricing by Taxation, Trading or Quotas.
I think she got it. I wonder if she’ll tell her manager.