It's going to be an expensive winter

If you are already worried about your energy bills, then look at this and weep. Forward prices for gas this coming winter are currently 30-40% higher than they were this time last year. Why? Many reasons, but perhaps in 2011-12 the market is expecting our fifth consecutive colder winter in a row?

I think we'd better make this the Chart of the Month for July 2011, a bit ahead of schedule for a change. The source for those who are interested is here, the latest Ofgem market report.

UK households produce more CO2 than the entire transport sector combined

June 2011 Chart of the Month

This one hardly requires explanation, just look at the chart. Household CO2 is now greater than the entire transport sector. Bear in mind that the transport sector includes:

• All cars, trucks, motorbikes, vans, buses, HGVs, etc
• All trains, rolling stock, etc
• All domestic civil aviation and aircraft support vehicles
• All national shipping and fishing vessels
• All military transport

To me that’s astonishing. Add up the total CO2 emissions from all these things, and you come to a lower number than if you add up the emissions from electricity, gas and heating fuel that we use every day in our homes.

A footnote to the statistics maybe, but a footnote with huge implications: residential carbon is set to become the single biggest environmental pollution problem of our time.

Open publication - Free publishing - More carbon census

Planning permission for solar panels

We are getting a lot of questions about planning permission for solar. There is added confusion for people living in period properties, historic houses, listed buildings or in a Conservation Area. The correct guidance can be hard to find, so we have written a short summary here.

Click on the display below to view the document, you should be able to view, print and share easily, but any problems please use the comment space below to let us know.

Open publication - Free publishing - More consent