Category: Energy & Efficiency
TIER partners with Northvolt for ‘greener’ e-scooter batteries
European micro-mobility company TIER has announced a partnership with battery company Northvolt to improve the environmental impact of batteries used for the company’s electric vehicles. A first pilot project will see 5000 TIER scooters equipped with batteries from the Swedish manufacturer. The mining of raw materials for batteries and battery manufacturing processes account for the…
10 million Smart Meters now installed in Britain
10 million smart meters now connected to Britain’s national network Smartmeters reduce CO2 emissions by 275K tonnes per year – carbon emitted by 95,000 households Millions more households benefit from accurate, not estimated, bills and ability to switch suppliers The Data Communications Company (DCC) has confirmed that the 10 millionth smart meter has been connected…
World’s first bio-derived fuel powered rocket launched
A company that hopes to become the “Uber for space” has launched the world’s first rocket powered by bio-derived fuel. Strapped to a trailer and pulled by a pick-up truck along a runway in Maine once used by B-52 bombers in the Cold War, bluShift Aerospace’s 20ft unmanned prototype hit an altitude of around 4,000ft…
Wind to provide two-thirds of global power by 2030
Last weekend The Guardian reported on how a new reactor in the Essex village of Bradwell could overshadow an area of outstanding natural beauty and a unique Saxon church, writes Ashley Norris of Transition Earth. Do we need nuclear power though? A new report from Rethink Energy predicts that wind power will become ‘the backbone’…
Outfox the Market tops Which? annual energy survey
Outfox the Market has knocked Octopus Energy off the top spot in Which?’s annual energy satisfaction survey, while the traditional industry giants languish at the bottom of the rankings - again. In a year when millions of people have been living under lockdown and racking up substantial gas and electricity bills, finding a good-value energy…
Harvst launches app-controlled smart greenhouses
If you love the idea of owning a greenhouse but are put off by all the work that's involved in growing fruit and vegetables then a Welsh startup has a solution for you, according to Transition Earth. Harvst is a new-ish green-tech company which has just launched a range of smart, self-watering, climate-controlled mini greenhouses.…
OVO Energy links smart thermostat to smart meter
OVO Energy is offering beta testers a tado° Smart Thermostat that is linked to their smart meter and able to extrapolate data to provide bespoke advice on how to save money on their energy bills. By reducing the amount of energy used, consumers will also reduce their carbon footprint. The initial beta test will be…
Energy firms keep customers on hold for over 20 minutes, claims Which?
Some of Britain’s biggest energy companies are keeping customers waiting on the phone for longer than 20 minutes, while one firm in Which?’s latest snapshot investigation had callers holding for more than 40 minutes on average. In a mystery shop investigation, the consumer champion made 384 calls to 32 energy providers to reveal how long…
Brits buying 145 million extra presents online
Brits are due to buy an extra 145 million presents online this year due to the Covid-19 crisis – meaning more than one billion presents will be purchased electronically. Experts have calculated that the excess packaging from all the presents being delivered online is going to see an additional 150,000 trips by delivery vans –…
New petrol and diesel cars to be banned from 2030
New cars and vans powered wholly by petrol and diesel will not be sold in the UK from 2030 - ten years earlier than originally planned - Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed. However, some hybrids will still be allowed, he confirmed. It is part of what Mr Johnson calls a "green industrial revolution" to…
