Mistergreen.co.uk provides advice, information, energy saving home improvements, renewable energy advice, renewable energy, energy saving, green advice, green energy information,refurbishment
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Mister Green

Welcome to MisterGreen


We hope that you enjoy our site and find it useful.

MisterGreen is aimed at homeowners and businesses with older properties with an interest in energy saving.

There are many excellent websites, such as the Energy Saving Trust , providing advice and information on energy efficiency and green issues, but at Mister Green we believe that there is also a wealth of information about saving energy (and money) to be had from manufacturers, suppliers and installers when carrying out home improvements - tips and hints, where to find things and how to do it.

  • Click on a TOPIC in the panel on the left for an introduction to the energy conservation home improvement subject and advice and information.
  • The A-Z button leads to helpful definitions and links to more energy saving information.
  • Use the SEARCH  button above to find all the references on the site to a query about renewable energy, energy saving and their relevance to home improvement.
  • Hints and tips-from MisterGreen and contributors, including a handy printable contract for simple building works.
  • Contact us-we welcome energy conservation related contributions and comments from visitors to the site-please email us with your feedback. We will attribute all contributions...unless you wish to remain anonymous!
  • Click on the  'What's New'  button above for news, the MisterGreen blog and innovative products.

ASK MISTERGREEN! TO POST A QUESTION ON OUR NEW FORUM CLICK HERE

(or click on a topic on the panel on the left)

We do not sell products or services on the Mistergreen website. Please contact manufacturers and suppliers directly. Please see our ‘Small Print' for more details.

We believe that it is the small things that matter and we look at issues such as draught stripping, secondary glazing, insulation etc. We believe in sensible answers to  questions, such as...................

Environmental impact is a global issue but the small steps we can take to utilise green energy, as individuals, to make our homes more comfortable and save costs, all contribute.
The occupiers of older buildings are locked into consuming energy and generating carbon emissions. But if we can reduce energy consumption we will make our homes more comfortable at lower cost.

New buildings are coming under increasing regulatory control over emissions, insulation and sustainability, but most people live and work in older buildings, built when green issues were low on the agenda. Upgrades to old buildings are less influenced by government controls and more by the actions and needs of the occupants.

A government report states: There are more than 26 million homes at present in the UK and between them they contribute more than a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions. The government believes that 3 million more homes will be built in the next 12 years and that as far as possible they will be carbon neutral, but it is estimated that over 23 million of the homes that exist today will still be in use in 50 years time. The average household living in an existing home is responsible for about twice as much carbon emission as one in a newly-built home. (House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee report:Existing Housing and Climate Change 2008)

 

It is often really only cost effective to install energy saving measures when other works such as an extension are being carried out. New extensions often involve alterations to existing plumbing so it is an ideal opportunity to consider energy saving measures which go over and above the requirements of the Building Regulations. One way to judge how cost effective extra works are is to obtain prices for the basic scheme and then to list additional energy saving measures such as solar water heating, insulation to insides of external walls and draught stripping  as ‘extra over' prices. One thing that does have to be borne in mind however is VAT- there are different rules for supplying and installing energy saving measures when they are ‘stand alone' measures and may be reduced rated and where they are part of a larger project-where they will be standard rated.

The internet has made it possible for businesses to specialise and develop expertise in particular products and services. Through the internet, they have access to a huge number of potential customers and can develop niche sites. Mister Green brings together many of these sites in one place with lots of other useful green information.
Information on the ‘Topic Pages' is provided from our own resources, by visitors to the site and by suppliers installers and experts  who are not tied to one particular product or process. We do our best to make sure that the information is up to date and authoritative, but please let us know if you find anything amiss.


If you are using MG to find information and advice, please have a look at our small print. We don't like small print any more than anyone else and we have tried to keep it to a minimum. We have some basic terms and conditions of use of the site and a privacy policy for your protection.

 


Mister Green is a website for energy saving home improvements, renewable energy advice, renewable energy, energy saving, energy efficiiency, green advice, green energy information

 

news and views
Latest News

Misted double glazing

Misted double glazing seems to be a hot topic now the weather is getting warmer

 

 

HOW GREEN IS MY BUDGET?

 

 HOW GREEN IS MY BUDGET?

How green was the UK budget? ...Green Investment Bank delayed to 2015...Feed-in tariffs for medium and

large installations reduced. Not much incentive to capitalise on the potential for green growth and

green jobs. Nothing on the Green Deal?. Over all a big disappointment for green business

Green register course for Eco refurbishers

Becoming an Eco-refurbisher

20 May 2011
 THE GREEN REGISTER has a one-day course for architects interested in 'eco-refurbishment'  from  taking place at Voluntary Action Islington, 200a Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JP

Are you...

  • ¬concerned about how your business can survive in the economic downturn?
  • ¬realising that there is potential work in the domestic refurbishment sector now that people cannot afford to move home?
  • ¬wanting to meet a growing demand for eco-refurbishment advice and services but currently lack the information and know-how?
The Green Register is running a fascinating training course - the first of its kind in the UK - based around actual case studies and designed to provide all the information construction professionals will need to advise their clients on sustainable refurbishment of their homes.

 

Participants will be registered on The Green Register's website under a new ‘Eco-Refurbisher' listing, designed to easily identify them to new clients.  This course has been held seven times already in locations such as in Bristol, Manchester and London and regularly sells out so do book early to avoid disappointment.


www.greenregister.org.uk/events.php

Older people are LESS green

AGE POLLUTION  - older people are LESS green

 

A report "Demographic Change and the Environment" by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution says that the 50-64 age group consumes more energy, travels more has more electrical goods, bigger cars and eats more imported foods. Older people stay at home more and use more energy and many better-off people can afford to turn up the heating.

No surprises there!

But the problem is that these high levels of consumption could carry through as these people move into the 65-74 age group when many people still have significant disposable income.

Most people live in older houses where they are locked into high levels of energy consumption. Retirement is an opportunity to downsize and refurbish to create an energy efficient home that is better suited to the needs of later life. Money spent now will mean lower outgoings later.

Unless the 50-64 age group tackles this, there will be a time lag in improving energy efficiency as the 65-74 age group continues to consume inefficiently.

The RCEP report identifies that demography has an important part to play. Green policies should be aimed at and tailored to different generations

 

Most energy saving technologies require significant investment and have a long payback period. Retirement is an opportunity to downsize and unlock capital in the family home to pay the premium to move to an energy efficient home and benefit. Retirement is the time to go for solar panels and passive house technologies to increase comfort and reduce outgoings as energy costs rise and income falls. Energy efficiency is as much a matter of security in old age as providing for a decent pension.

Loft insulation you CAN walk on
Ecoloft from Ecotherm Insualtion (UK) Ltd. Rigid insulation bonded to a tongued and grooved sheet of chipboard. More

Building Scrappage Scheme
Sounds like an April Fool joke but New London Architecture will be discussing this possibility on 25 February at the Building Centre London. For more info:    click here

Building Regulations
New Building Regulatons for England and Wales came into force on 1 October 2010  MORE

Asking Mistergreen

What have you been asking MisterGreen?

We have been looking at the questions you have been putting to Mistergreen.

The largest number-16% have been questions about glass and glazing: improving the thermal performance of windows, double glazing, secondary glazing and double glazing failures.
Second highest have been questions on lighting at 13%, questions such as "are uplighters more efficient than conventional lights" and "does low voltage lighting save electricity". Surprisngly questions on rainwater harvesting such as "position of rainwater soakaways for a driveway" and "how much rainwater comes from a roof" at 8% has come slightly ahead of  draughts and draught proofing at 7%. We have been asked "why does an extractor fan become noisier over time" (we hope that the blog on magnetic levitation helped with that one!) and how much energy does it take to deliver one litre of water to a house(we have been asked that twice! Can anybody help with that one?).

We hope that Mistergreen is helping you to find the answers to your questions on energy saving home improvements and we welcome your feedback and suggestions for improving the site.

Light emitting wallpaper!
Revolutionary ‘light emitting wallpaper' could start to replace light bulbs in 2012

Double glazing failures
Double glazing failure in timber window frames

windows scrappage scheme petition

windows scrappage scheme

Petition to Gordon Brown

The Big Freeze

The Big Freeze .....back to basics!

 

 

Magnetic levitation in the Bathroom!

Magnetic Levitation in the bathroom!

 

Fixing draughty floors

We found a floor that had been sanded and varnished, but with the gaps between the boards left unfilled. An ideal subject for draught proofing and energy saving potential.

High Efficiency Showers and Draught Proofing

High Efficiency Showers and Draught Proofing

US site Bankrate.com lists twelve energy saving measures in order of cost effectiveness. Way out ahead as the number one energy saving measure is a high efficiency shower head, with a payback time of 3 months and a return on investment of 400%!

INTEREST FREE LOANS

INTEREST FREE LOANS FROM THE CARBON TRUST FOR ENERGY SAVING TO SMALL BUSINESSES

Climate Change

Government's Committee on Climate Change Reports to Parliament

Save water in the shower

New from Eaga Plc

To apply go to: www.shower-smart.co.uk

Save money, help save the environment, and it's free!
 
 
eaga in conjunction with the government, are offering every household in Great Britain a free eaga ShowerSmart unit.


 
 

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