Law change means renters and flat owners may be able to cut bills as energy costs soar amid Iran war

British households will be able to buy plug-in solar panels later this summer after the government changed the law so the UK’s biggest retailers could bring them to market for the first time.

People across the country will be able to join the millions across Europe generating their own electricity using “balcony solar panels” from 27 August, according to legislation passed last week.

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© Photograph: Ronald Rampsch/Alamy

© Photograph: Ronald Rampsch/Alamy

© Photograph: Ronald Rampsch/Alamy

The Trump administration is undoing fuel-saving efforts even as war in Iran, data centers and heat waves are pushing up gasoline and electricity costs.

© Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Metered data centre demand has reached 23% of national electricity, and with grid connections near saturation, tightening renewable

Tesla, Sunrun and Renew Home plan to tap solar panels, batteries, thermostats and other devices installed in millions of homes to meet the energy demands of artificial intelligence.

© Collin Chappelle for The New York Times

Tesla, Sunrun and Renew Home plan to tap solar panels, batteries, thermostats and other devices installed in millions of homes to meet the energy demands of artificial intelligence.

Top 10% generate climate and biodiversity damage bill that exceeds economies of most countries, say researchers

The environmental damage bill racked up by the highest-consuming 10% of the world’s population has reached up to $5.7tn a year – larger than the economy of every country except the US and China, a study has found.

Mega-consumers in this group are concentrated in the global north, accounting for more than half the population of the US and 40-45% of people in the EU.

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© Photograph: Francis R Malasig/EPA

© Photograph: Francis R Malasig/EPA

© Photograph: Francis R Malasig/EPA

A well-heeled homeowner has spent nearly £1 million converting his home so that it could achieve an Energy Performance Certificate with an ‘A’ rating – and demonstrated just how unaffordable Net Zero is.

The post £900,000 – The Price of An A-rated Energy Performance Certificate appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Asda, Amazon and B&Q among retailers in talks to sell devices that feed into household sockets and can cut electricity bills by 30%

• Spanish homes save €10 a month via renewables expansion

Bosses of some of Britain’s biggest retailers are discussing plans with the government to start selling plug-in solar panels as part of a drive to encourage more UK homes to generate their own electricity.

Executives from brands including Currys, B&Q and Amazon met Martin McCluskey, the minister for energy consumers, on Tuesday to discuss guidelines for selling “balcony solar panels” to the British public.

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© Photograph: Climate Central

© Photograph: Climate Central

© Photograph: Climate Central

New guidance from the Energy Department would prevent people from receiving rebates after making such swaps.

© Bing Guan for The New York Times

As summers become hotter, air conditioner sales are booming. If you’re looking to invest, here’s what to consider

When a heatwave struck the UK this week, Jon Connorton, a software developer, began monitoring temperatures inside his east Hampshire terrace house. With some rooms reaching close to 40C, it was time to deploy the air conditioner. “We just wheel it out in emergencies,” he said. “We were having trouble sleeping.”

Connorton and his wife have a portable air conditioner. These plug-in devices cool interior air by removing heat from it and blowing that heat outside, typically via a large hose slung from a window or door.

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© Photograph: LeoPatrizi/Getty Images

© Photograph: LeoPatrizi/Getty Images

© Photograph: LeoPatrizi/Getty Images

Government should fit solar panels to power air con units where vulnerable people live, say green advocates

As the country baked in record May temperatures, climate campaigners have said the UK government needs to urgently start installing air conditioning units in schools, care homes and places where vulnerable people live.

In 2022, when temperatures spiked above 40C (104F), about 3,000 people in Britain died of causes associated with heat. Studies show air conditioning can cut heat related deaths by 75%.

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© Photograph: mar-fre/Alamy

© Photograph: mar-fre/Alamy

© Photograph: mar-fre/Alamy