Eco-friendly couple wipe out fuel bills - view on video
ECO-FRIENDLY Barrie Horwell is a shining example to us all when it comes to thinking green.
The Waltham resident has wiped out his fuel bills by harnessing solar power – and is now encouraging other residents of North East Lincolnshire to bounce back from the recession and do the same.
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Barrie and Barbara Horwell have wiped out their fuel bills after switching to solar-powered energy at their home.
Not only can Mr Horwell run the electrical gadgets in his Danesfield Avenue home with ease, he also has enough left over to make money selling back power to the National Grid.
Every day he contributes enough electricity to run a 100 watt light bulb for a day or an electric fire for eight hours.
Mr Horwell, a former teacher at Hereford school, said he switched to solar energy after visiting Switzerland and decided to copy mountain residents' success with solar power.
The cost of installing solar panels on an average property can be around £3,000, according to one of the suppliers of solar panels, Solarwall, with most people re-couping their investment within five years.
The Government is also offering incentives to encourage more people to switch on to solar panels and wind turbines – with grants of up to £900.
Find out more
For more on this story – and thinking green – pick up today's Grimsby Telegraph.
2 Comments
by Ian Bradley, South Lincs
Thursday, September 10 2009, 8:54AM
“You're right about the maths Jim, and this makes this story misleading. The ordinary householder is largely uninformed about these technologies . Another common misconception, perpetuated by unscrupulous salesmen of solar thermal systems, is that solar thermal panels can heat your home: the maths doesn't work there either but this technology can provide most of your hot water in the Summer, and a bit of it in the winter. The message here must be do your own sums so that you know what you're buying. If you aren't sure, ask someone independent like the National Energy Foundation or the Energy Saving Trust. There is anther consideration though: how long does it take a gas boiler to pay for itself? Getting ANY payback from an energy supply system is pretty good, but savings can be improved by insulating first. I can only hope this note gets some people asking questions and doing some homework!”
by Jim, Regina
Wednesday, September 09 2009, 6:24PM
“There is something wrong with this story.
!00watts for a day=2.4 kw/hrs.. An average electric heater uses 2kw/hrs per hour. So you don't get 8 hrs you get2.4 hrs.per day. That is if the sun shines. (we are talking about Britain aren't we?) 2.4 kw/hrs per day is nothing. A drop in the ocean.
How is he going to heat his house in the winter with 2.4 kw-hrs? Then in mid-winter there will be 5 hours of sun & 19 hours of dark. the sun being south of the equator will be not even providing a fraction of the 2.4 kw/hrs. It is a totally impossible situation.
Somebody suggested wind power. this is another lemon that never lives up to it's promise.
Don' waste money & effort on things that promise a lot., but yield little.”