National Grid boss warns Britain risks power blackouts due to a decaying electricity network as he asks Ofgem for right to raise customers’ bills Sheffield is at heightened risk of blackouts, as it is served by just two power lines Should one fail, the city could only rely on the other to provide all of … Read more
A Texas meteorologist reporting on Hurricane Laura was live on the air just before the arrival of the monstrous Category 4 storm when a transformer attached to electrical power lines blew up, causing quite a scare. Justin Horne of San Antonio-based KSAT-TV was doing a live shot from the coastal town of Orange, Texas, near … Read more
‘Smart’ bricks costing as little as 50p each can store electricity just like batteries and could be used to power lighting in buildings Researchers found a way to use the material inside red bricks to store energy Red bricks are one of the cheapest and most commonly used building materials The team say it could … Read more
Mobile giant Vodafone has brought forward its target to have its entire European network to be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity. The telco will create a green network for customers across 11 European markets using only power from wind, solar or hydro sources by no later than July 2021. This is more than … Read more
Britain’s National Grid has started constructing its ‘Viking Link’ – an interconnector system that will allow the exchange of electricity between Denmark and the UK. The undersea cable will stretch 475 miles between Lincolnshire in England and South Jutland in Denmark, allowing clean energy to be shared between the nations. The 1.4 gigawatt high-voltage electricity interconnector will … Read more
A mum bought a quaint cottage for just £59 for her dream escape to the country – and after taking 22 YEARS to fix it up is now worth £450,000. Jane Beck, 54, bought the cottage when she fell in love with it on a holiday break two decades ago. She piled her four children … Read more
Scientists say they’ve created a device that allows electricity to be generated from the shadows thanks to different illumination angles. The shadow-effect energy generator (SEG), developed in Singapore, makes use of the contrast in illumination between lit and shadowed areas to generate electricity. The low-cost flexible device, which powered a watch in experiments, even gives … Read more
In our Consumer Fightback column, Helen Dewdney – otherwise known as the Complaining Cow – will arm readers with the knowledge they need to solve problems with companies. This week, she gives her advice on how to hit back against a common consumer complaint – issues with gas and electricity bills. From price cap changes, … Read more
The slump in demand for electricity has been worse than previously thought and could knock British Gas owner Centrica hard, according to analysts at Jefferies. The utility giant was among the biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 after the US investment bank downgraded its stock from ‘buy’ to ‘hold’, slashed earnings forecasts by a third … Read more
Scientists develop new regenerating hydrogel that can cool overheating phones and computers and convert waste heat into electricity Thin hydrogel film straps to phone batteries to convert waste heat to electricity The new polymer-based film transfers electrons when heated to generate power Water inside the hydrogel then evaporates to cool the patch has a cooling … Read more