British households look set to be hit with increased energy bills after a green White Paper was unveiled last week. The charges have been dubbed by some as ‘green stealth taxes’. The funds raised will be used to help tackle climate change by building alternative power generators such as wind turbines.

At present, the renewables part of power bills stands at around £55 on average. Subsidising renewable energy further could more than double this figure to as much as £120 per year by 2014. The UK Energy Research Centre has predicted by 2050, the renewable energy subsidy will cost the economy £17 billion a year – around £700 per household.  Read more... (277 words, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)

The UK government is considering charging households extra council tax and stamp duty if they refuse to make their properties greener.

Households who don’t want to install double glazing or insulation may be penalised according to the latest proposals drawn up by ministers. To encourage households to install the greener measures, a carrot and stick approach will be used by introducing ‘green mortgages’ where homeowners can apply for loans to spend on green equipment such as solar panels or new, more efficient boilers.

As yet there has been no official statement regarding the proposals and none is expected before the autumn.  Read more... (259 words, estimated 1:02 mins reading time)

A pilot biogas conversion power plant is being built in Manchester, England, with the hopes that it will be generating power for 5,000 homes in the next two years. If the project is successful, other plants are planned in the hope that sewage gas will help provide energy for thousands more homes.  Read more... (218 words, estimated 52 secs reading time)

Many people in cities have taken to paving over their front gardens so that they have somewhere safe to park their cars. Unfortunately replacing grass and plants with concrete can help cause flooding in urban areas as there is less area that can absorb rainfall during sudden rushes of water, even when there is a drainage system in the area.

And it isn’t just the flooding we should be concerned about – losing gardens to concrete also has an impact on the local wildlife, particularly birds and insects. The loss of greenery also helps contribute to the ‘urban heat island effect’ – a phenomenon where areas with lots of hard surfaces such as in towns and cities have a higher temperature than those with less hard surfaces.  Read more... (251 words, estimated 1:00 mins reading time)

Skyscraper farming appears to be becoming the latest green craze. The concept is not a new one however more architecture firms are turning to skyscraper farming and churning out new concepts.

There are plenty of variations on the theme, most of which revolve around vertical farming. This is, essentially, a larger scale vertical garden with plants growing on the outsides of buildings. Not only does this help with retain heat in the building in winter and help keep the building cool in summer, the vertical farm can also help produce food to feed the people in the building. The plants will also catch some rainfall thus helping to reduce the risk of flash floods.  Read more... (261 words, estimated 1:03 mins reading time)

Many people are looking at ways to green up their homes – from water reuse and reduction of electricity consumption through to solar panels. Wind turbines are a popular idea however they may not be as great as the marketing blurb would like you to think.

Wind turbines often aren’t particularly effective when used in a residential situation.

- Firstly, buildings cause turbulence and wind turbines dislike turbulence. Wind turbines much prefer smooth flows of air. Unfortunately, buildings redirect wind causing small eddies and different streams and this can lead to a confused turbine that doesn’t perform brilliantly even when the wind is fairly strong.  Read more... (264 words, estimated 1:03 mins reading time)

Homemade cleaners can be just as effective as those expensive cleaners you buy in the supermarket. Here are GreenUpAndGo.com, we have put together some tips and recipes if you want to try making your own cleaning products.

Vinegar
Vinegar is a great all-purpose home-made cleaning solution. Mix an equal quantity of water with an equal quantity of vinegar and use to clean windows. Make sure you use non-coloured newspaper for a streak-free finish to your windows – and recycle or compost the newspaper afterwards. The same mix can also be used for cleaning floors as the vinegar will help cut through grease and dirt.  Read more... (525 words, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)