Affordable Warmth - The ability of a household to heat their home without incurring excessive fuel bills.
Affordable Warmth Strategy - Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire have produced a strategy that aims to ensure all homes have access to affordable warmth by 2016. Implementation of the strategy is overseen by a steering group with representation from local authorities, and the health and voluntary sectors.
Beacon Councils - Councils who are identified as having good practise in certain fields. Councils apply to be designated Beacon Councils in an annual competition and, if successful, are given funding to promote their good practise to other Councils. Fuel poverty was a Beacon Council theme in 2002.
Carbon Capture and Storage - a set of technologies for removing the bulk of CO2 emissions from coal and gas power stations, compressing and storing it underground. Still in development and not commercialised, CCS is seen as a very important future option for low-carbon generation.
Carbon Index - A relatively new method of rating a property's energy efficiency that attempts to measure the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a properties heating systems. A Carbon index of 8.0 is roughly equivalent of a SAP of 100.
Carbon Trust - A governmental organisation that promotes and funds development of low carbon technology, primarily to business and large public sector energy users. Funded through an energy use tax use on UK businesses.
Cavity Wall Insulation - The process of injecting insulation into the gap between a property's inner and outer wall skins. It greatly reduces heat loss through the walls, and is a standard feature of recently-built homes.
CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb) - These can replace standard bayonet and screw fit bulbs, and use only 20% of the electricity of standard bulbs
CHP (Combined Heat and Power) - Technology that generates both space heating and electricity on site, ranging in scale from units that supply whole towns (district heating) to individual households (micro CHP). This technology is normally more efficient than producing electricity and space heating separately.
Combination (Combi) Boiler - Gas or oil boilers that heat hot water as it is needed, and therefore need no separate hot water storage tank. These systems are common in flats and small houses, where space is at a premium.
Condensing Boiler - A type of boiler that uses an extra large heat exchanger to achieve very high efficiencies (90%+), now standard in modern houses. Condensing refers to the fact that flue gases are cooled to a temperature where the water vapour starts to condense out, releasing latent heat.
DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) - the UK government department responsible for sustainable energy deployment at all scales, and for co-ordinating the country's response to climate change. DECC was only established in 2008, taking over functions from BERR and DEFRA.
EAGA (Energy Action Grants Agency) - A not-for-profit organisation providing management and support for energy efficiency programmes. They are managers of the Warm Front scheme in most parts of England
ECF (Energy Cost Factor) - The annual cost of heating a property per square meter of floor area.
EEC (Energy Efficiency Commitment) - An obligation placed on gas and electricity supply companies by OFGEM as a condition of their licence. EEC places targets for energy savings to be achieved in domestic residences, the target is based on the number of customers the company has. In practise this means companies deliver schemes to encourage take up of insulation and efficient electrical items. Schemes are delivered by the company itself or in partnership with other organisations. EEC superseded the Standards of Performance in 2002, and will run until 2005.
Energy Star - A labelling scheme for energy efficient products set up by the US Department of Environment. Although a US programme Energy Star labelled products are often seen in the UK, particularly with PCs and their accessories.
ESCO (Energy Services COmpany) - A company that sells heat and power rather than simply fuel. An ESCO would look at the whole approach to supplying a households heat and power, for example they may install insulation in the property to reduce the amount of fuel needed to heat it.
EST (Energy Saving Trust) - an independent body set up after the 1992 Rio 'Earth Summit' that attempts to reduce energy use in the UK. The EST is involved in several schemes to aid Local Authorities in their HECA work, and also fund the EEAC network.
ESTAC (Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre) - Independent impartial advice service for householders funded by the Energy Saving Trust.
Fuel cell - an electro-chemical device for converting fuel into electricity, with water being the only typical by-product. Fuel cells can run on hydrogen, methanol and other fuels, and have many stationary and mobile applications.
Fuel Poverty - a household is said to be fuel poor if it spends more than 10% of its income on fuel for heating.
Feed-In Tariff - a common mechanism for encouraging investment in renewable generation, mainly at small scales. A feed-in tariff is essentially a premium rate paid for clean generation, eg from solar panels or small wind turbines, and guaranteed for a long time period. The UK has had a feed-in tariff system operating since April 2010.
GEEG (Gloucestershire Energy Efficiency Grant) council funded grant available through Warm & Well
HECA (Home Energy Conservation Act) - a 1995 private members bill that forms the basis of local authority energy efficiency activities.
HEES (Home Energy Efficiency Scheme) - The name of the Warm Front scheme in Wales and former name for Warm Front in England.
Home Energy Check (HEC) - a HEC form asks simple questions about a person#s home. When people fill these in and return them to the EEAC they are sent a report detailing energy saving improvements they could make to their home.
HRA (Home Repair Assistance) - a form of grant offered by local authorities. Many Councils offers HRA's for energy efficiency measures
IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) - An advanced power station type, which can be used with coal or biomass, and involves gasifying the fuel and then burning it in a gas turbine. Waste heat is then used to raise steam for a steam turbine, as in a gas-fired power station.
Joules - a unit of energy, equal to raising a one Newton weight over one metre (Nm). One joule per second is one Watt
kW (kilowatt) - A unit of power - one thousand watts - one kilowatt refers to a thousand joules being either consumed or produced every second.
kWh (kilowatt hour) - A unit of energy commonly used on fuel bills. One kWh would power a device that consumes a kilowatt of power for an hour, or a 100 watt lightbulb for 10 hours, etc.
kWp (kilowatt peak) - The peak kilowatt input or output of a device, for example the highest possible output from a PV solar panel under ideal conditions. This is also known as its 'rated capacity'.
LCBP (Low Carbon Buildings Programme) - a Government grant scheme to encourage take up of renewables in the home and for community groups. This has run sinze 2007, replacing earlier grant schemes.
LED (Light Emitting Diode) - a semi-conductor or 'solid state' light source. LEDs can produce a very bright light for a small amount of power. LEDs are now used in many applications e.g. car brake lights, traffic lights, but white coloured LEDs are a relatively new technology.
Low Emissitivity (Low E) Glass - glass that reflects radiated heat by means of a special coating on the inner surface, therefore further reducing heat loss through double-glazed windows
Market Transformation Programme - A DTI funded programme that aims to speed the introduction of best practise technology into the market. This includes energy efficient goods.
MW (Megawatt) - a unit of energy equivalent to 1,000,000 Watts. A single medium-large wind turbine would generate one MW at full output.
NEA (National Energy Action) - A national charity campaigning for energy efficiency as a solution for fuel poverty.
NHBC (National House-Building Council) - An independent regulator for the new homes industry.
NHER (National Homes Energy Rating) A measure of the total fuel and running costs of a property based on standard occupancy patterns on a scale of 0 (tent with electric fire!) -10 ( excellent heating and insulation)
OFGEM (Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets) - The regulator of the UK gas and electricity markets
OFTEC (Oil Firing Technical Association) - The standards body for oil fired heating systems.
PhotoVoltaic (PV) - PV technology produces electricity directly from sunlight, and is used in solar electric panels. Refined crystalline silicon is the main material in a PV panel.
RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) - a forthcoming UK subsidy for renewable heat, eg from biomass, heat pumps and solar thermal systems. This will complement the FIT and reward low-carbon heat sources, and is planned to be in introduced during 2011.
ROC (Renewables Obligation Certificate) - a mechanism for subsidising and encouraging renewable energy generation in the UK, mainly at larger scales. Generators are awarded one ROC per MWh of green electricity, and they can be traded.
SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) - An energy efficiency rating system for homes. SAP 2005 scores energy efficiency from 0 (very poor) to 100 (very good)
SWEA (Severn Wye Energy Agency) - an independent charity based near Gloucester that manages a portfolio of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. SWEA works very closely with the Gloucestershire authorities, and manages the EEAC, the LASP, and the Warm and Well scheme.
Warm and Well - a Gloucestershire scheme that is attempting to improve energy efficiency in the homes of people with poor health. The scheme is making links with the health sector to enhance awarneness of the cold homes - poor health link, and to build up a referral network. The scheme involves the 6 Gloucestershire local authorities and South Gloucestershire Council, and is managed by the Severn Wye Energy Agency. The scheme hotline is 0800 512 012
Warm Front - A government funded grant scheme managed by EAGA in the South West. The scheme provides insulation and heating grants to households in receipt of qualifying benefits.
Warm Zone - A trial whereby areas with high concentrations of fuel poverty have been declared 'Warm Zones' and concentrated efforts made to eradicate the problem. Most Warm Zones have been in the Midlands and have received funding from the energy supply company npower.