Feed-in tariff suggested to reduce future electricity bills

The government should pay home-owners and businesses to reduce electricity use, to help save the environment and reduce electricity bills in the future, an environmental think tank (the Green Alliance) has suggested.

The suggested feed-in tariff would mean the government should pay out now, so that everyone can save money in the future - by cutting the demand for electricity companies to build new power stations.

If this were to go ahead, it wouldn't be the first time the government has introduced incentives for energy saving - with the boiler scrappage scheme being offered across the country to offer people discounts on more efficient boilers.

But could an energy saving incentive work if consumers had to pay up front? According to Dustin Benton, senior policy writer at the Green Alliance, it would be possible, as it could tie in with the governments electricity market reforms and could be implemented quickly to provide a solution to the rising concerns over electricity bills.

Carers could have heating bills reduced

The Scottish Government has announced that a new scheme could help reduce the heating bills of up to 7000 carers in the country.

The energy assistance package, which currently helps the elderly and vulnerable people, is being altered to include those recieving a carers' allowance, said Infrastructure and Capital Investment Secretary Alex Neil. This will mean that carers may be eligable to have a boiler or heating system fitted at a reduced prices, or even get free or discount home insulation improved.

This will no doubt be welcome to carers who may have to stay at home to look after a friend or family member and are not able to take up full time employment.

200,000 people have recieved home heating advice through the energy assistance package since it's launch in 2009, and 21,000 have had access to discount heating or free insulation. This new alteration to the package is designed to help a further 7000 people in Scotland, and further prevent vulnerable groups from getting heating bills they cannot afford.