Alan Pears

Beware of the efficiency claims made by heat pump manufacturers

Without effective efficiency standards for heat pumps, householders are out in the cold on how to compare heat pump hot…

October 16, 2023

Small portable electricity generators – inefficient, polluting and noisy

People in crisis and in developing countries are paying extremely high prices for small amounts of electricity while polluting our…

May 2, 2023

Heat pumps can cut your energy costs by up to 90%. It’s not magic, just physics

Typically, a heat pump costs around half as much for heating as gas. If powered by solar, it can be…

September 8, 2022

Buying emission offsets has just become easier, and cheaper

With the UN now trading carbon offsets, how can you become a voluntary abater? We road-test the options.

June 29, 2016

Peak electricity demand and going off the grid: the cooking dilemma

Whether you are on or off the grid, it is important to minimise peak electricity demand.

March 17, 2016