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npower Braces For England Vs Slovenia Power Surge

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npower is bracing itself for a huge surge in demand at 3pm on 23rd June, as thousands of businesses turn on TVs across the country to watch England take on Slovenia in the final crucial qualifying match in South Africa.

According to new research from npower, official supporter of the England 2018 FIFA World Cup Bid, 58% of businesses plan to let footie fans watch the big game, with over a third (39%) planning to screen the match at their places of work to boost morale.

Data from National Grid shows that England’s last crucial match on a working day, against Brazil in the 2002 World Cup, created the second biggest TV pick-up of all time at 2,570MW, as the nation tuned into to see if England could beat the eventual winners.

To save energy while watching the game, npower is now urging businesses to turn off computers, copiers and other non-essential equipment to keep energy consumption to a minimum.

Office equipment is responsible for approximately 20% of energy use in most offices and half of this stems from PCs and monitors at a cost of £300 million per annum to businesses, according to the Carbon Trust. Switching equipment off for even just a few hours will stop energy waste and save money.

Via EPR Network
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npower Celebrates Football League Partnership With New Football Saver Tariff

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npower has announced that it is providing customers with the chance to opt for a 7% saving by choosing to switch to npower’s new Football Saver tariff.

npower Celebrates Football League Partnership With New Football Saver Tariff

Launched to celebrate npower’s new partnership with the Football League, its appeal will go beyond football supporters as it’s the cheapest direct debit deal available offline for dual fuel customers*.

‘npower Football Saver‘ is on average £68 per year cheaper than the British Gas standard monthly direct debit dual fuel offering, and over £90 cheaper than the Scottish & Southern Energy equivalent.

In fact the new npower tariff guarantees to be 7% cheaper than standard direct debit dual fuel prices, including any decreases and / or increases to standard monthly direct debit prices until 30 September 2011.

The npower Football Saver is also available for new customers who pay by Quarterly Variable Direct Debit as well as single fuel off-gas grid electricity customers who pay by direct debit.

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npower Launches New Price Beater Offer For Small Business Customers

npower, official supporter of the bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup(TM), is offering to beat SME businesses’ renewal offers by 10% throughout the England 2018 Back the Bid campaign.

npower Launches New Price Beater Offer For Small Business Customers

npower believes that hosting the FIFA World Cup(TM) would bring a much-needed boost to the economy and to British businesses. It’s the reason why, throughout the Back the Bid campaign, npower is offering to beat SME businesses’ first renewal offers by at least 10% – so for example, for every £20 of energy charged by a company’s current supplier, npower could only charge £18. This could provide big savings for many small to medium sized businesses across the UK.

Andy Bickers, head of business sales at npower, said, “Hosting the FIFA World Cup(TM) in 2018 could bring an extra £3.2 billion to the economy, which would give businesses a fantastic lift. 82% of businesses surveyed believe that a FIFA World Cup (TM) in England would be great for business, with 63% saying it will boost morale. But we don’t want to wait until 2018 to help businesses, which is why we’ve launched our Price Beater offer, giving new customers the chance to save on the cost of renewing their energy contract.”

The new Back the Bid offer is being made available until 15th November 2010 and is based on the first written renewal quote from the existing supplier.

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National Grid Seeking Billions in Future Natural Gas Rate Adjustments in Massachusetts

National Grid in Massachusetts, filed for new rates from its Massachusetts natural gas customers. The rate filing dated April 16, 2010, proposes billions of dollars in infrastructure replacement programs with an estimated completion timeframe of over 20 years.

The rate increase National Grid is seeking is actually three years prior to the deadline of the current 10 year rate case approved by Massachusetts state utility regulatory agency the Department of Public Utilities, or the “DPU” in 2003 under DPU docket 03-40.

The New England Gas Workers Association (NEGWA) opposes the rate proposal as planned, stating the rate plan as filed is certainly not in the best interest of ratepayers and their families, as well as their members who most are ratepayers as well.

NEGWA’s president, Mark McDonald, had this to say regarding NEGWA’s opposition to the company’s plans;

The infrastructure replacement program, the key component in this rate plan in our opinion, is not good for anyone other than their shareholders.

“The companies plan is to have Massachusetts ratepayers build National Grid a “new” gas company and reduce staffing and services for its customers, while generating valuable gains for National Grid in terms of increased throughput designed to allow the ability to add thousands of ratepayers, as well as relieving the burden of gaming access to hundreds of thousands of homes to perform regular mandated maintenance, by moving gas meters outside the home at their current customers expense.”

McDonald is clear in adding, NEGWA is not supporting leaving leak ridden, hazardous piping in the ground”. “What we would like to see is a fiscal approach to updating, and maintaining our infrastructure”.

This could easily be established with necessary replacement plans, as well as a maintain plan, designed to control aging leaks with repair and increased efforts in monitoring gas leaks that are not repaired immediately.

McDonald also points to pending legislation sponsored by State Representative Lori Ehrlich (Dem) from Marblehead, designed to require gas companies in the state, perform efficient and safe leak repairs within 36 months from detection. There are also several triggers designed to protect trees and vegetation from damage due to oxygen displacement caused by gas leaks. “If this legislation reaches the approval of Beacon Hill, it would mandate all gas company’s in the state, including National Grid take aggressive steps in maintaining OUR gas distribution system and negate the debate over questionable infrastructure replacement programs costing billions of dollars more out of our pockets each winter!”

To add insult to injury NEGWA notes, the company is planning on bringing out of state workers in excess of 400 into Massachusetts (National Grid has even held discussions with their United Kingdom sub-contractors on this subject), to perform this questionable work, and then take the money from Massachusetts ratepayers and return home to boost their state or countries economy!

McDonald mentions in closing, “we would like to see National Grid do the right thing here in Massachusetts, and agree to a reasonable approach to infrastructure replacement and leak management, as well as promoting the future of its employees and their families, which in turn will help support the Massachusetts economy instead of sending large sums of money back to England”.

Does this sound familiar to Massachusetts residents??

Via EPR Network
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npower Hometeam Hunts For Britains Oldest Boiler

npower hometeam has overseen the removal of hundreds of ancient boilers across the length and breadth of the country since the Government’s boiler scrappage scheme launched in January. Now npower hometeam is on a nationwide hunt to find Britain’s Oldest Boiler.

With record numbers of Brits taking advantage of the boiler scrappage scheme, which offers consumers £400 off a new, energy efficient boiler when replacing one which is G-Rated, hometeam engineers have uncovered several antique systems.

Inspired by these discoveries, npower hometeam is launching a nationwide hunt to find Britain’s Oldest Boiler.

Richard Cotton, head of sales for npower hometeam, commented: “If your boiler is particularly old – perhaps the same age as your grown-up children, or has been in the house longer than you have been married – you could be the owner of Britain’s Oldest Boiler.”

The owner of the oldest system uncovered will win £3,000 towards a brand new A-rated energy efficient boiler, and installation.

npower was the first energy supplier to pledge to continue its boiler scrappage scheme once the Government scheme closed, meaning consumers could still be eligible to receive as much as £400 towards the cost of a new boiler; almost a third off the cost of a typical installation.

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Opus Energy Exceeds £10k Charity Target For The Friends Of Cynthia Spencer Hospice

After 12 months of fundraising, Opus Energy employees have exceeded their original £10,000 target in aid of the Friends of Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

Opus Energy Exceeds £10k Charity Target For The Friends Of Cynthia Spencer Hospice

The business energy supplier, based in Northampton, took part in a variety of fundraising activities such as the New York Marathon, It’s a knock-out and charity fun days to reach their goal.

Andy Nash, Operations Director at Opus Energy, commented:
“Opus Energy is thrilled to present this donation to the Cynthia Spencer Hospice. It’s an organisation that provides people across Northamptonshire an exceptional level of bereavement and spiritual care at the end of life. They provide a comprehensive service for mainly cancer patients, and their families, for whom a cure may no longer be possible.

“We hope that our contribution to this worthy cause will go a long way to help support the hospice and care for those affected.”

The hospice relies heavily on the generosity of donations to help maintain an exceptional quality of care. Although primarily funded by the NHS, they have to raise a further £650,000 each year through charitable donations and fundraising activities, to continue the services they offer at a time when people need it most.

Sue Bownass, Community Fundraiser, added:
“The Friends of Cynthia Spencer Hospice were absolutely delighted that Opus Energy chose us as their charity of the year and have very much enjoyed working alongside them on some of their fundraising events.

“The money has helped the hospice to continue employing staff for the benefits of patients; making sure their stay is as comfortable as possible.

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npower Kicks Off A Football-Filled Summer With The Hairy Bikers

npower is kicking off its ‘Big Cook Off’ with the Hairy Bikers in an effort to introduce Britain to Smart Cooking, great football and great food. As the nation gets ready for football fever this summer, npower has teamed up with the Hairy Bikers to prepare a football-themed cookbook.

npower Kicks Off A Football-Filled Summer With The Hairy Bikers

The 32 energy-rated dishes are all inspired by the nations taking part in the big tournament. The recipes, cooked by energetic chefs and football fans the Hairy Bikers, have all been given star ratings to indicate how energy efficient they are to prepare.

The Hairy Bikers have filmed their own energy saving tips, together with simple demonstrations of how to prepare a selection of the dishes, to help budding cooks save both power and money. The cookbook contains a delicious array of options, f r o m England’s Steak and Ale pie to host nation South Africa’s Pumpkin Fritters.

npower is an Official Supporter of the campaign to bring the FIFA World Cup(TM) to England in 2018 and is encouraging the public to do their bit to Back the Bid this summer by visiting the npower website to download smart cooking recipes and register their support for the Bid campaign.

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npower Receives A Tail Wagging Hello From Guide Dogs

npower has been receiving visits from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association at sites across the north east of England to raise awareness of its services for blind and partially-sighted people.

npower Receives A Tail Wagging Hello From Guide Dogs

Over the past two months staff f r o m npower have been meeting guide dog owners and their respective guide dogs during selected lunchtime visits to its offices across the north east. Guide Dogs had previously been invited to the npower site in Worcester and was selected by npower to receive a £20,000 donation, which was used to sponsor four guide dog puppies through their training.

At these visits npower employees have been encouraged to sponsor a puppy, recycle for the charity and get involved in volunteering and payroll giving.

Nicola Wilson, Guide Dogs’ Development Fundraiser for the North said: “We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to visit the north east sites of npower. We’ve had an incredibly warm welcome so far and thanks to everyone’s support Guide Dogs will receive an extra £792 annually and we still have three more site visits to attend. npower and their staff have been extremely supportive of Guide Dogs and we simply cannot thank them enough for their continued generosity and support.

“The dogs love all the attention they receive at these visits and the volunteers who dedicate their time enjoy answering all the queries and talking about their experiences as guide dog owners and/or volunteers.”

npower currently sponsor four guide dog puppies at Tibury power station and its offices in Swindon and Worcester. Orbie, a five month old golden Labrador is sponsored by the offices in the North East.

Gary Doig, npower’s Community Investment Manager in the North East said, “npower was delighted to sponsor our own guide dog puppy, Orbie, through the corporate charity committee. The Guide Dog visits to our North East sites will undoubtedly create a lot of interest amongst our employees, enabling them to learn more about the dogs themselves as well as increase awareness of the great work done by the charity. Hopefully Guide Dogs will also be able to recruit some future fundraisers f r o m amongst our people.”

There are around 4,600 guide dog partnerships throughout the UK; each costing about£50,000. The charity relies entirely on voluntary donations to funds its guide dog service.

Nicola explained: “Without the help of employers and staff like npower, Guide Dogs couldn’t provide its services for visually impaired people.

“There are still thousands of blind or partially sighted people who never leave the house alone because they lack the confidence and support to do so. Guide Dogs want to change this and provide independence and freedom to every visually impaired person who needs it.”

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npower Launches New Wallace & Gromit Ad – Hand Of Dog

While many England fans still bear the scars of the fateful game where Maradona proclaimed that the ‘Hand of God’ knocked England out in 1986, Wallace and Gromit exact their revenge in the new npower TV ad.

npower Launches New Wallace & Gromit Ad - Hand Of Dog

The new TV ad supports the Back the Bid 2018 campaign for England to host the FIFA World Cup(TM). As an official supporter of the bid npower is getting behind England 2018, as hosting the World Cup would provide a huge boost for British businesses large and small.

In one of the funniest football ads to be shown on British TV for many years, Wallace & Gromit, the eternal entrepreneurs, are all set to profit from a tournament in England with their madcap pie-making business – “WAG’s Pies Ltd”. As usual, their best-laid plans are threatened when Wallace’s latest invention – a pie-delivery machine – threatens the game with an errant pie.

Gromit sprints through the stands and onto the pitch making a leap for the runaway pie. As he flies through the air and catches hold of the pie, his other paw accidentally makes contact with the football sending it hurtling past the goalie and into the goal.

The advert ends with Wallace smugly viewing the success of his small business venture and Gromit enjoying a read of the local rag. The front page carries a photo of a very familiar dog scoring a goal under the headline “Hand of Dog”.

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Biogas Set To Power Our Homes

Biogas was once the domain of third world countries, but people at build-a-biogas-plant.com show that as energy costs skyrocket and new biogas designs come on the market, even people in a Western city can benefit from a biogas digester.

Biogas Set To Power Our Homes

Biogas is produced when organic matter is broken down by bacteria. The organic matter could be cow dung, but equally it could be the food scraps we throw away every day in our homes. Instead of these scraps going to landfill, they could be put far better use and go into a digester to produce biogas.

The biogas is made up of a large amount of methane, and methane is the important ingredient in biogas. Like natural-gas, biogas can be burned and used to heat water, create lighting or run our cooking stoves and it can even be used to run generators which produce electricity.

“We have been overwhelmed by the response to access the biogas information,” said Simon, a staffer at www.build-a-biogas-plant.com. “Our digester designs cater for individual’s household use, but larger systems are also available for communities, farms and other commercial businesses”.

In the United States alone, billions of tonnes of manure are produced each year by millions of cattle, pigs and chickens. Imagine how much electricity would be produced if all this dung was processed in biogas digesters? Not only would it replace a lot of natural gas but the residue makes a wonderful fertilizer (often better than commercially prepared products).

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Consumers Get Latest Electrical News with Specialist Site Electric.co.uk

Any consumer who wants to keep informed of the latest news from the energy and electrical industries is now able to do so thanks to re-launched website Electric.co.uk. The website is home to all the latest news updates on all the important electricity issues and details on other energy and power sources.

The website is owned and managed by leading web business stable ASAP Ventures and offers consumers news on a manner of energy sectors. The site carries all the very latest news from the electricity industry as well as all sorts of useful tips and hints on ways of cutting domestic power usage and saving energy.

With more people than ever now keen to stay aware of news on energy sources, Electric.co.uk can help them to stay on top of electrical energy news as well as other sources such as wind power, solar power, biomass energy and other renewable powers. The website was introduced by ASAP Ventures a year ago and the company recently re-launched the site with more features to celebrate its first birthday.

Anthony Jackson, spokesperson for Electric.co.uk, comments, “We believe that more people than ever now want to stay informed of all the latest developments in the energy industry, as there are massive environmental and financial implications for people. Our site can help them to remain informed on the latest green and renewable energy resources and all manner of other electric issues.”

For further information please visit www.electric.co.uk

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npower Assists Companies With The CRC

npower has launched a new service to help organisations manage compliance with the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC), and benefit from the incentives it offers.

CRC Assist offers a full service provision to organisations affected by the carbon reduction commitment It provides support to help businesses understand the CRC; assists them with the development of an energy management strategy; and manages their participation in the scheme.

Dave Lewis, head of business energy services at npower, said: “We believe it’s crucial that organisations understand the CRC and the management strategies they should implement to succeed within it. The scheme has been developed to offer significant incentives for the most successful participants and we have developed CRC Assist to ensure organisations are best placed to benefit from these.”

CRC Assist offers support for businesses across the full scope of the CRC legislation and provides an understanding of the CRC. It’s vital that all of the expected 5,000 full participant organisations, and the additional 15,000 participants who will need to register, understand the scheme and what is required of them. CRC Assist promises to cut through the complexities and help businesses understand their involvement in the scheme.

As part of CRC Assist, npower will help participants develop energy management strategies. In the longer term, it will also assist them with managing their performance in the CRC’s league table, which will detail the best and worst performers in terms of emissions reduction. Through effective energy management, organisations will be able to achieve a higher position on the league table.

CRC Assist also offers businesses advice on carbon allowance purchasing, helping to make the ‘cap and trade’ element of the scheme easy. In addition, npower will also support organisations with their records and submissions within the scheme.

The CRC Assist proposal from npower will be specific to the size, scope and strategic objectives of each organisation it works with and is available to all organisations affected by the CRC – whether current, former or prospective customers of npower.

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npower Pledges To Continue Boiler Scrappage Scheme

npower has become the first energy supplier to pledge to continue its boiler scrappage scheme once the Government scheme closes.

The Government’s boiler scrappage scheme launched in January and in the first six weeks alone, over 50,000 households benefited from the initiative*, from a total allocation of 125,000.

npower became the first energy supplier to launch its own boiler scrappage scheme when it promised to match the Government’s £400 grant. The combination of the two scrappage schemes means customers could be eligible to receive as much as £800 towards the cost of a new boiler, when replacing a G rated boiler with an energy efficient A rated boiler.

Kevin Miles, CEO npower retail, said: “The scrappage scheme has proven to be extremely popular and if take-up continues at the same rate, we expect the Government’s scheme to close in April. However, there are still approximately four million households with G-Rated boilers in the UK, which is why we are pledging to continue npower’s boiler scrappage scheme.”

npower’s scheme differs from the Government’s scheme in that customers only have to have a boiler that is over 10 years old to be eligible to receive a £400 discount on a new boiler installation from npower hometeam.

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Brit’s Nasty TV Habits Revealed Due to Lack of Family Shows

Millions of Brits are wasting energy by watching one of their three household televisions alone while housemates or relatives watch the same TV show in another room*, according to new research by energy supplier npower.

Lack of family friendly programmes has led to this division in the home showing that the days of family bonding over a favourite television show are sadly long gone – and 46% of Brits have absolutely no idea how much energy they are wasting as a result of this fragmented viewing.

The poll of 2,000 people showed that the reason behind the nation’s disjointed viewing habits seems to have come down to what’s on the box. Last year there were only two shows which brought the family together for communal viewing and both are thanks to Simon Cowell – X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.

With three televisions on average per household and no shared preference regarding what’s on, it’s no surprise that the overall energy consumption in homes is responsible for over a quarter of all UK emissions of carbon dioxide. Cutting out certain behaviours like wasteful TV consumption can reduce carbon emissions and save households over £300 a year.

Further figures showed:
– 47% of Brits put the telly on just to keep them company
– 42% of the nation is glued to the screen for approximately four hours a day
– 19% of Brits have a TV dinner every night of the week
– 15% of Brits put the telly on while they’re getting ready in the morning even though they don’t watch it

Reassuringly, the poll revealed that people are not happy with this state of affairs. 32% of the population think television should be a sociable activity and 21% of viewers would prefer to watch television in the company of the rest of the household.

In response, npower has launched its smartpower campaign to encourage the public to watch TV programmes as a unit again and then monitor the difference in their energy consumption and bills via a free smartpower electricity monitor.

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Wallace & Gromit Get Smart With npower On The Small Screen

Fans of Oscar-nominated Wallace and Gromit are to be treated to another dose of the favourite duo as they appear in npower’s new TV advert.

The nation’s favourite animated characters are up to their usual ‘inventive’ mischief in delivering npower’s message of sensible energy consumption in the home. The loveable duo soon learns a valuable lesson in monitoring energy, as another invention goes wrong.

The new advertising campaign created by VCCP for npower is in a 30 and a 40 second format and breaks on 29 March until 7 May on ITV (Mid West & North) and Channel 4.

The 30 second advert opens in a darkened room where Wallace is in a state of panic. Hidden behind a cushion he watches a horror movie on his latest invention, a homemade widescreen TV. Wallace’s widescreen TV defies convention, consisting of multiple TV’s taped together.

However, a scary movie is not the only thing poor Wallace has to worry about when the penny finally drops that his pile of TV’s has in fact become an energy consuming monster.

Luckily, the savvier Gromit saves the day when he receives advice from customer care advisor Penny on how to cut energy consumption.

Our heroine informs Gromit about the npower smartpower electricity monitor, which allows customers to keep an eye on how much energy is being eaten up by all household appliances.

The 40 second advert actually shows the viewers what movie is scaring the life out of Wallace – Revenge of the Killer Watts – as well as having an additional scene of Gromit creeping up on Wallace and passing family photographs of Frankenwallace and Dracuwallace along the way. The end of the advert cuts straight back to the ominous pile of televisions ‘sparking’ to life.

The new Wallace & Gromit advert is part of the energy supplier’s smartpower campaign to help customers monitor and reduce energy consumption in the home with the offer of free smartpower electricity monitors when existing and new customers sign up to an online account.

Kevin Peake, marketing director at npower, commented: “We’re all guilty of being like Wallace and Gromit and wasting too much energy in the home, but we want to show that there are ways where we can help our customers save energy and money.

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npower Urges Businesses To Make CRC A Board Level Priority

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npower has launched a plea for businesses to make the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) a board level concern and develop a strategy to manage participation to avoid financial loss and reputational damage.

npower Urges Businesses To Make CRC A Board Level Priority

This is the message of a new film – Understanding the CRC from energy firm npower, designed to help businesses prepare for the scheme and avoid potential pitfalls. npower’s film provides guidance on qualification for the CRC, the importance of managing energy and carbon emissions to succeed under the scheme, and the reputational implications of the CRC league table that will name and shame those participants failing to reduce emissions.

It also points out the potential financial benefits of the scheme. DECC calculates that the CRC will stimulate £1bn of cost savings for participants through better energy efficiency.

A further message coming through loud and clear from the film is the importance of having a board member responsible for the CRC. Annual ‘evidence packs’ detailing participants’ energy consumption must have board level sign off. The CRC will also require enterprise-wide investment and behaviour change to improve energy efficiency, which typically can only be sanctioned at the highest level.

Dave Lewis, head of business energy services at npower said: “A lot of businesses are turning to us for advice on the CRC and it’s clear that many are still unclear on the obligations it places on them, and the opportunities and challenges it presents. Our film answers these questions and will hopefully go some way in addressing the concerns that some organisations have. Those affected by the scheme only have until the end of September to register, so it’s important they understand what they need to do and how they can make the CRC benefit their business. This must be driven from the very top if businesses are to realise all the advantages the CRC offers.”

npower helps companies monitor and manage energy consumption to bring commercial and environmental benefits. To help achieve this, npower has developed a monitoring and targeting (M&T) tool – encompass. A web-based system, encompass gives businesses accurate and timely information on their energy consumption, providing them with the data they need to implement cost and CO2 reduction policies. The system automatically collects data from half-hourly and smart meters, providing a detailed report on a business’ energy consumption behaviour, and the related cost and environmental impacts of this. With this data, benchmarks can be set and consumption tracked, alongside mapping of carbon use and cost.

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npower Reports Solar Energy Boost From Cashback Scheme

npower has reported that, thanks to a new government cashback scheme, those who use solar power to generate their own electricity could soon earn approximately £960 per year.

npower Reports Solar Energy Boost From Cashback Scheme

Introduced by the government in April 2010, Feed in Tariffs, or FITs, as they’re more often referred to, offer homeowners with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels a payment of up to 41.3p for every unit of electricity they generate.

James Morgan, solar expert for npower, commented: “This is great news for homeowners. Put simply, owners of solar photovoltaic panels, which produce electricity, will be paid for all the energy they generate – regardless of whether they use it themselves or sell it back to the grid. So not only will your energy bills be reduced, but you will also be receiving a regular income from the energy you generate.

“Consequently, there’s never been a better time to be installing solar panels on your home. Since the introduction of the scheme, we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people interested in going solar, as the extra financial benefit offered by FITs means that the payback period has been reduced to around 15 years for a typical installation costing around £12,000.”

Solar photovoltaic (PV) uses energy from the sun to create electricity to run appliances and lighting in the home. Solar PV requires only daylight – not direct sunlight – to generate electricity, making it incredibly efficient. The system also generates no greenhouse gases, helping to reduce homeowners’ carbon footprint.

Ronald and Wendy Jordan from Cornwall are one couple who will benefit from Feed-in-Tariffs. They run their own beef farm and bed and breakfast near Lostwithiel and decided to invest their savings in solar PV panels while interest rates were low.

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npower Boosts Barclaycard Freedom Scheme With Reward Worth Up To £160

The reward, the first in the scheme to be paid regardless of the amount the customer spends on their card, is recorded in pounds not points, and can be spent by customers immediately with tens of thousands of participating retailers across the UK.

npower Boosts Barclaycard Freedom Scheme With Reward Worth Up To £160

Celebrating the partnership, npower is doubling its sign-up incentive to £60* of Reward Money for Barclaycard Freedom customers transferring their gas and electricity to npower before May 17th 2010. Along with the £100 annual loyalty payment for both new and existing npower customers paying by monthly direct debit for both fuels, Barclaycard Freedom holders could earn enough in a year to buy a meal out for the entire family, special treat for someone or have a shopping spree online, simply by choosing npower as their gas and electricity supplier.

Giuseppe Di Vita, Managing Director of npower Retail Markets, commented: “Our customers have told us that they would like more freedom of choice in the way that they are rewarded for joining and staying with npower. Participating in the Barclaycard Freedom scheme enables us to give our customers the choice of up to 30,000 retailers to redeem their Reward Money. Our customers will benefit from a straightforward, simple and transparent way to get more value for their money.”

Barclaycard Freedom, which launches in March, offers the concept of a rewards programme to many small and medium retailers for the first time. In addition to encompassing household names, including npower, over 30,000 retail outlets have been invited to be part of the scheme at launch. On average there will be 200 retailers within a five mile radius of where a Barclaycard cardholder lives and many more retailers are expected to join in the coming months.

Sarah Newman, Managing Director of Barclaycard Freedom, commented: “Barclaycard Freedom incorporates all of the best elements of a rewards scheme with no vouchers or coupons to collect and no points to calculate – the rewards are quite simply in pounds and pence. Offers like npower’s – the first of its kind in the Barclaycard Freedom scheme – give customers a new way that they can build up their reward balance. We hope that customers enjoy spending their Reward Money.”

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Electricity, Electricity Generation, Energy, Energy Distribution, Power Supplies, Projects, Services

$4.8 Million Dollar Energy Efficiency Program comes to the Sierra Nevada

Local governments and businesses in 14 Sierra Nevada counties will have new access to cutting edge, energy efficient technology through a new collaboration between Sierra Business Council and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). From 2010 to 2012, Sierra Business Council, a non-profit organization based in Truckee, CA will be offering free energy audits and low-cost retrofits to commercial PG&E customers in the Sierra Nevada through a new program called the Sierra Nevada Energy Watch.

$4.8 Million Dollar Energy Efficiency Program comes to the Sierra Nevada

“During this tough economic downturn, we are excited to be able to support our local businesses and governments by offering cost-cutting energy efficiency services,” said Steve Frisch, President of the Sierra Business Council. “This project embodies our long-standing mission of demonstrating that environmental quality and economic prosperity are compatible goals.”

In addition to offering energy efficiency services and products, the program will help local governments conduct greenhouse gas inventories and develop climate action plans to help the state meet its AB32 emission reduction goals. The program takes a comprehensive approach to the region’s energy needs. “We aren’t just dropping in light bulbs,” explained Program Manager, Betony Jones, “We are looking for deep, long-term savings, and we are developing the local workforce capacity to provide clean energy services far into the future.”

The Sierra Nevada Energy Watch program is funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. It offers services for municipal, special district, and non-profit facilities as well as small and medium businesses throughout the PG&E service area from Lassen to Mariposa Counties. Those interested in participating in the program or learning more should contact Sierra Business Council at 530-582-4800.

For more information about the Sierra Nevada Energy Watch Program, and to see tips on saving energy at home and the workplace, please visit www.sbcouncil.org/energywatch.

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Clean Energy, Electricity, Energy, Energy Conservation, Energy Distribution, Geothermal Energy, Green Energy, Hydrogen Power, Renewable Energy, Solar Power

Global NES of Oregon Helping To Pave A Bright Future!

Global NES of Oregon is a world leader in providing a comprehensive 360 Degree Approach to New Energy Solutions.

Global NES of Oregon specializes in energy efficiencies methodologies and renewable energy technologies powered by clean sustainable solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal energy sources. We partner with businesses, governments and industrial clients to identify, design, finance, and build new energy solutions that deliver energy efficiency and take advantage of today’s most innovative renewable energy technologies.

We develop a custom designed system, meeting the energy needs of your company and your community. Renewable Energy solutions deliver long term financial and environmental benefits that are critical for success in today’s demanding markets.

Global NES offers a 360° Approach:
• We listen to our customers in order to fully understand our clients goals and objectives
• We complete an in-depth, state of the art energy evaluation and analysis to determine efficiency, as well as, system options that meet our client’s needs
• We propose and implement energy reduction measures reducing overall energy consumption
• We design and build innovative renewable systems that reduce or eliminate energy expense
• We partner with our clients to deliver financial options and incentives that maximize Return on Investment
• We continue our relationship beyond project completion to ensure a long-term, sustainable solution was delivered

Global NES of Oregon Helping To Pave A Bright Future!

Is Renewable Energy Right For Me?
Renewable energy has a broad-based appeal. The end-line consumer is a homeowner, landlord, retail business owner, farmer, rancher, manufacturer, school, hospital, church, apartment complex owner and virtually anyone who pays a utility bill.

Your motivation:
• Supplementing your energy needs or providing 100% of the power for your location or facility
• Renewable energy offers an opportunity to become self-sufficient
• Revenue generation by selling the energy you produce to tenants or back to the utility providers themselves.
• Reduce your carbon footprint on this planet by reducing emissions and use or dependency on fossil fuels.

No matter what your needs or desires are, we have the solutions for you.

Financing and Incentives
As part of the Global NES 360 Degree Approach, we work closely with our Clients to ensure the right financing options are presented and utilized, as well as our Clients take advantage of all state and federal incentives. The coordination of financing and incentives are critical in delivering a complete project and maximizing Return on Investment.

Financing
Global NES offers a wide variety of financing options including traditional financing packages, lease options and Power Purchase Agreements (PPA). We have an extensive network of financial relationships and partners specializing in financing and investing in renewable energy solutions. Our network includes financing options from the following sources:

• Traditional Financial Institutions
• Leasing Companies
• Investment Banks
• Hedge Funds
• Insurance Companies
• Private Investors
• Venture Capital Firms

Federal and State Incentives
We work closely with our Clients to identify and present the best financial options. We then work hand in hand with our Clients and financing partners to prepare and complete a financial package that maximizes the opportunity for project completion and delivers maximum Return on Investment for our Clients.

There are currently a growing number of local, state and federal incentives designed to help companies develop and expand renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. These incentives can dramatically help fund or offset project costs, and include some of the following:

• Government and Private Grants
• Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBS)
• Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI)
• Favorable Financing Terms
• Rebates
• Tax Incentives and Deductions

With the complexity and rapidly growing number of incentives, it can be overwhelming and challenging to ensure the right incentives are identified and taken advantage of. Global NES works with corporate Clients to make sure all the local, state and federal incentives are identified and fulfilled. These incentives can play a critical role in defining a project’s overall financial outlook, determining cost savings and maximizing Return on Investment.

Energy Efficiency
As part of the Global NES 360° Approach we utilize state of the art technology to analyze and evaluate building infrastructure, systems and processes. Our expert engineering teams identify, design and implement integrated energy reduction solutions that optimize efficiency and maximize savings.

Global NES begins with an in-depth energy analysis and evaluation focusing on building construction, occupancy patterns, mechanical and electrical systems including HVAC and lighting. We design, present and coordinate energy reduction measures that improve facility efficiency, reduce operating cost and maximize shareholder value.

Benefits of Energy Reduction Measures
• Reduce operating expenses and improve cash flow by dramatically reducing energy/utility consumptions
• Identify and reduce energy waste
• Capitalize on federal tax deductions and other government incentives
• Increase the value of your facility
• Decrease maintenance time and costs
• Secure favorable interest rates and terms through Green Financing Options
• Make a positive contribution to the environment by reducing your carbon foot print and greenhouse gas emissions

Global NES also partners with our Clients to ensure maximum Return on Investment by identifying and coordinating favorable financing options and ensuring Clients take advantage of all possible rebates, grants and tax incentives. Please Feel Free To Contact Us For More Information, Or To Schedule Your Free Energy Analysis.

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