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ELON Musk is rumoured to have visited the UK to check out a possible Tesla gigafactory site in Somerset. According to the Daily Mirror, the tech billionaire reportedly landed in Luton in his private jet on 3 June and spent 19 hours in total on the ground. According to Property Week, the desired site is the 650-acre Gravity industrial park in...

OFGEM is ending the ­so-called “short-haul tariff” from 1 October to comply with EU regulations on harmonised prices amidst varied industry response. The regulator has opted to use a postage stamp methodology to calculate tariffs, rather than basing the fees on distance, in line with its preference in the preliminary decision published in late December. This will result in a uniform...

A CAMPAIGN to spur more ambitious climate from the private sector takes off as "Race to Zero" is launched today by High-level Champions for COP26 together with the UN climate convention. Race To Zero is a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions and investors for 'a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats,...

THE HEAT networks industry, which delivers heat to close to 500,000 customers across the country as an alternative to heating from individual gas boilers, has launched a Heat Networks Industry Council today. The Industry Council represents key stakeholders in the heat networks sector working together to put forward a coherent ask and offer to Government, so that they can 'work...

INNOVATIVE new technology which could transform how Scotland’s historic buildings are managed, maintained and repaired has been launched. A new software tool, which allows surveys and fabric inspections of traditional buildings to be carried out digitally, has been developed by Heriot Watt University, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and The University of Edinburgh. The tool uses a combination of data from laser...

'A FASTER, more efficient way' of recycling plant-based “bioplastics” has been developed by a team of scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Bath. The team has shown how their chemical recycling method not only speeds up the process, it can also be converted into a new product – a biodegradable solvent – which can be sold for use in...

RESOURCEFUL customers have helped save thousands of litres of water during lockdown by fixing their leaky loos and dripping taps.  With much of the country following Government advice to stay at home, customers across London and the Thames Valley have been making the most of their time inside to carry out DIY repairs.  Smart meter data shows up to 200,000 litres of water a day has...

ONE-THIRD of the UK’s fleet managers expect more than 50% of their company car fleets will be electric within five years, according to a new Go Ultra Low survey. The joint government and industry campaign to promote the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) recently questioned 500 key fleet managers and decision-makers that are responsible for running the full spectrum of...

RESEARCH has shown that Stoke-on-Trent, Southend, and Birmingham could benefit most from the UK Government’s £500 million Rapid Charging Fund. The funding aims to help boost the number of electric vehicles on UK roads by providing new public rapid charge points, with support for 2,500 to be installed across England by 2030. Comparison and switching service uSwitch has analysed Zap-Map and...

THE PAST is not always the best guide to the future and proactive steps are needed to ensure the UK’s infrastructure can remain resilient, according to a new report by the National Infrastructure Commission. The Commission has set out a new framework to help support change across infrastructure sectors and is calling for transparent standards of appropriate service levels, stress-testing...