Renewable Energy

If you have followed the advice to create an energy efficient home and you are keen to reduce your energy bills further you may be considering harnessing renewable energy.

Renewable energy comes from naturally unlimited sources, for example from the sun, wind or waves.

Once you have invested in the harnessing technology, the energy you receive will be free. However, the initial outlay for the technology is fairly high but the energy savings you will make will on average be equal to the cost of the technology over its lifetime. The benefit to using renewable energy is that it does not come from fossil fuels and therefore does not cause the emission of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It also enables you to have security of energy supply, and can even provide power if you are not connected to the national grid. For more information on renewable energy, contact the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012.

If you are looking at installing renewable technologies, you can search for approved installers who are registered under the 'Microgeneration Certification Scheme' (MCS). This is an independent scheme that certifies 'microgeneration' (renewable generation) products and installers in accordance with consistent standards, in order to provide greater protection for consumers. For more information on the MCS visit their website. You can also search for MCS certified installers in your area on the Energy Saving Trust website.

Feed-in Tariffs

Feed-in Tariffs, or FITs, are a government incentive which became available in April 2010. The scheme is known as 'clean energy cashback' as it means that householders and communities who generate their own electricity from renewable or low carbon sources can receive a payment from their energy supplier per unit of electricity they generate. For a full explanation of the scheme visit the Energy Saving Trust website. Please note, FITs have replaced the grants which were previously available through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. However, there are some other sources of grant funding available, see our Sustainable Communities page for details.