Geothermal International has won an industry award.

The Coventry-based firm won the Business Award at the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy 2009 in recognition of its work installing systems that use geothermal energy to heat and cool buildings.

Since its establishment in 2001, Geothermal International is estimated to have saved around 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions through the use of its green system.

Patrick Sherriff, sales and marketing director at Geothermal International, said: "The award is an achievement for everyone working at Geothermal International and it places our business firmly on the international stage. The challenge now is to continue to be the best at what we do."

The company is responsible for installing the majority of Britain's ground source heat pump systems, which can cut running costs by as much as 70 per cent.

Britain intends to secure its energy future by achieving a balance between nuclear redevelopment and renewable energy projects.

Published: 19 Jun 2009

Not good enough – that’s the verdict of Consumer Focus Wales on the Assembly Government’s draft proposals to tackle fuel poverty.

Consumer Focus Wales, which has made fuel poverty one of its most high profile campaigns since it was set up last year, is warning that the current proposals simply aren’t up to scratch. It is urging the government to work with campaigners to look again at the strategy, if it is to meet the target of wiping out fuel poverty in Wales by 2018.

Fuel Poverty campaigner Liz Withers said: “The proposals are simply not fit for purpose, in terms of addressing fuel poverty in Wales. And unless the government gets this right, hundreds of thousands of households in Wales will be facing a chilly winter.

“We don’t feel enough consideration has been given to where the Welsh Assembly Government is in terms of their targets and what specific actions they are taking to re-establish their work to eradicate fuel poverty in Wales. Basically it won’t be fit for purpose unless they address these issues.”

Consumer Focus Wales predecessor organisation energywatch along with NEA Cymru had argued that the existing fuel poverty strategy was no longer fit for purpose and required a change in direction in light of the numbers of people in fuel poverty in Wales. Therefore in 2007, we welcomed the commitment to review the Assembly Government’s approach.

Ms Withers added: “We are concerned that the draft plan does not sufficiently constitute a review of the Assembly Government’s fuel poverty strategy and its associated commitment to fuel poverty. Specifically, the review should have included evidence gathering on the nature of fuel poverty in Wales and consideration of how robust data could be gathered as to the number of people affected by fuel poverty in Wales, along with a strategy to identify where these people are and how they can be effectively targeted.

“We would also have expected to see an analysis of the Assembly Government’s progress towards eradicating fuel poverty in Wales. We consider this information to be essential to informing the Assembly Government’s action and investment in the future.”

Notes:

Consumer Focus Wales has written to the Minister outlining our concerns, and submitted a detailed submission to the consultation on the National Energy Efficiency and Saving Plan.

Consumer Focus Wales want to see fuel poverty eradicated in all households in Wales by 2018. It is estimated that 340,000 (28%) households in Wales are fuel poor. (2008)

Consumer Focus Wales and NEA Cymru provide secretariat to the National Assembly’s cross party group on fuel poverty.

The definition of fuel poverty is when a household needs to spend more than 10% of their household income on all domestic fuel use including appliances to heat their home to an adequate level of warmth.

Published: 5 Jun 2009