Heating and Ventilating Review would like you to support a campaign for a change in the way government subsidises combined heat and power (CHP) engines.
Currently those in the UK wishing to buy CHP units can apply for an upfront allowance but the path is so difficult that many give up the struggle

Further, there is no regulation whereby utilities have to pay for any electricity sent to the national grid so it could be that spare electricity generated is sent to the grid while the unfortunate owner is charged 12p a therm when he needs to buy it back.

Contrast this with owners of CHP in Germany.

There businesses are able to charge the utilities a feed-in-tariff (when spare electricity is sent to the grid) of between 11.6 and 13 Euro-cents for every kW of electricity generated by a CHP unit.

Even when businesses generate electricity for their own use, they are rewarded with 5.11 cents per kW.

The utilties administer the subsidy on behalf of the German government which pays the subsidy.

Paul Braithwaite, editor of Heating and Ventilating Review magazine is urging all to sign his online petition calling for the UK government to change its position from upfront allowance to this feed-in-tariff system.

'The German system is fairer. The longer the CHP unit runs, the more economic it becomes. It is at its most economic when it runs all the time' said Braithwaite. 'This way, users of CHP engines are rewarded for generating spare electricity.

CHP uses gas, LPG or diesel to power an engine which generates electricity. The by-product of the engine is heat, which is captured and used to heat water.

Schools and local government buildings could use the electricity generated and the hot water during the day. In the evenings and weekends, local homes could be using the electricity.

David Shaw, managing director of Baxi-Senertec UK said 'Government is now 10 years late with the next generation of nucleur power stations and is frantic to fill the gap between the old power stations being phased out and the new ones coming on stream. CHP, properly funded, could make a significant contribution to closing the gap'.

Braithwaite added 'I urge everyone to sign this petition. For the Germans, the more electricity generated by CHP owners the fewer power stations they have to build. For the owners, the more the CHP unit is used, the more money received from government'.

To sign the petition visit //petitions.pm.gov.uk/Feed-in-tariff/