British Council-Future fuel sources
Transcript of the podcast
Interviewer: Good morning, today in the studio we have Sue Booth from Eco Power, she’s here to tell us about renewable energy sources and how we can use them in our homes
Sue: Good morning
Interviewer: Sue, energy is a hot topic at the moment, with petrol prices at record highs, gas shortages and price increases everywhere, what can the average householder do to save money
Sue: Well, we’re talking about the UK here – I think there are two issues
Interviewer: What are these
Sue: Well, first we need to use energy in the home more efficiently, then we can look at a couple of ways of using renewable energy sources in the home
Interviewer: OK, how can I make my home more energy efficient
Sue: Let’s start with insulation – make sure that the roof and the walls of your house are insulated, and you’ll save money on your heating bills. Next look at your windows, do these close well? Do you have draughts? Consider installing double glazing – this is expensive initially but again you’ll save in the long term
Interviewer: Ok, so ‘insulate’ seems to be the key word
Sue: Definitely, yes, now as regards actually producing energy in the home, solar power is a solution
Interviewer: Energy from the sun? In this country
Sue: Typical reaction .. you know it is possible to produce energy from the sun even in this country. There are two possibilities, the sun’s energy can be used to produce electricity using photovoltaic cells
Interviewer: Sorry what was that
Sue: Photovoltaic cells – these convert energy from the sun into electricity
Interviewer: I see
Sue: Or solar panels can be used to produce hot water
Interviewer: Which do you recommend for the average British household
Sue: Well, of the two I’d recommend solar panels to heat water for central heating and showers
Interviewer: How much does this cost
Sue: Well it’s hard to say precisely, this depends on the size of the house, but for an average house in the UK installation costs would be four to five thousand pounds
Interviewer: Rather a lot of money
Sue: Initially yes, but within three years the system will have paid for itself and there are government grants available to help with the installation costs
Interviewer: So solar power’s the answer
Sue: It can definitely help to reduce those gas and electricity bills
Answers
F | ۱ |
F | ۲ |
T | ۳ |
T | ۴ |
T | ۵ |
F | ۶ |
F | ۷ |
T | ۸ |