Like charity and family values, energy efficiency begins at home. So with your washing on at 30 and the kettle half full you might be looking at your rickety old boiler as the biggest energy thief in the kitchen, but before you rush out and buy the combi-boiler they’ve got next door, take a minute to check out Greenheart Installations and their renewable plumbing services.

They offer a variety of systems designed to reduce energy costs and carbon consumption, as well as prolonging the life of your boiler by cutting its workload. Their systems include Solar Thermal Heating, Air Source Heat Pumps, Biomass Boilers and Under Floor Heating.

Solar Thermal Heating involves hooking up a specialist boiler to a solar panel on the roof; this collects solar energy which is then used to heat water for your system. Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) uses energy from the condensation of gas to liquid within a closed system to heat water, and with 1Kw of electrical energy producing 2.5Kw of heat energy it is a very efficient method of doing so. As you might expect biomass boilers are just like normal boilers except they run on wood and biomass rather than gas or electricity. Under Floor Heating (USH) is exactly as it sounds, it constantly pumps water through small pipes under the floor, but at a lower temperature than normal central heating meaning it has a less work to do and thus saves energy.

We spoke to Rob Holmes at Greenheart to find out more:

“Each system we install is tailor made to the customers needs. For example a big family will have a higher water consumption so will need a bigger tank and more solar panels than a couple living alone.”

“To help customers make the right choice for them we conduct a site survey and discuss what they want. Some ring up and say they just want some renewable technology and we go over the options and recommend certain products, others have particular ideas and we’ll do the research on the products they want. We’re flexible and work with the customer to get what they want out of it.”

As you might expect installation costs for these systems are not cheap, but with the savings made on your energy bills they’re still a worthwhile investment if you own your home. There are also grants available as part of the governments Low Carbon Buildings Program (LCBP) and, if you live in the Chichester area, from the Chichester District Council (go to www.lowcarbonbuildings.org or www.greenheartinstallations.co.uk/government-grants for more info).

“With a typical Solar Heating system you can go six months to a year without using gas and customers generally save at least 50% on their bill, with some even saving as much as 70%. If you have an Air Source Heat Pump you don’t use gas at all for heating water. The average time to recoup installation costs is roughly 5-7 years, but it can be as little as 3.”

“You can apply for the government grant online, we give them the information they need and it’s fairly simple. With the council grant we give them the names and numbers and talk them through it, it’s fairly straightforward and the grants come through pretty quickly.”

These new technologies are not only renewable but reliable as well:

“The only maintenance required is an annual check up. This is a simple inspection that only takes about half an hour and it’s another service we provide. We always endeavour to give customer satisfaction and we even service systems that have been installed by other companies.”

If you want to make a carbon difference in your own home then Greenheart could help you take a significant chunk out of your footprint. They offer renewable energy alternatives to cut down on harm to the environment and the cost of your bill, so if you’re interested in killing two birds with one green stone then check out www.greenheartinstallations.co.uk

Many have claimed to produce tasty, organic baby food but my babies have always shunned the stuff.  Ultra heat-treated and slimy-textured, they may be labelled differently but they all taste the same.  Babies of discerning taste who love home-cooking are not easily fooled.

But sometimes, as a mum, I need a break.  Taking a road trip, visiting friends or even, let’s face it, making life easier for myself at home, it is good to have pre-prepared baby food in stock.  The Owl and The Pussycat’s new range of chilled baby food is all it purports to be.  “Just the way you’d make it,” is the claim and, I would argue, slightly better than I would have made it, in fact.

The recipes are adventurous and tasty (even by adult standards) with the texture of real ingredients.  The fact that it’s organic is just the icing on the cake.

Each pack of The Owl and The Pussycat chilled baby food contains two individual 100g pots, for £2.79.  It’s pricy, yes, but you’re getting high-quality, organic food that is genuinely tasty and nutritious.  To me, there is no comparison with conventional jars of baby food, which I simply would not buy for my children.

You can find The Owl and The Pussycat food in the fridge section of Waitrose or online at Ocado.  If, like me, you don’t regularly shop there, you can stock up the freezer as you would with portions of home-made food.

How do you fancy:

• Sweet potato with chicken, French beans and coriander,
• Tomato and celeriac risotto with cheddar cheese
  or
• Parsnip with beef and apple?

Personally, I My six-month-old daughter thought they were all delicious.  The fact that they are lightly steamed and then chilled means that the food has real flavour and nutritional value.

I have yet to sample the recently launched sweet dishes from The Owl and The Pussycat but they are sure to be delicious.  The proof of the pudding?  Only one way to find out!

Strangely enough, this is nonsense. The many and variety of ways that each person can make a difference has been reported in almost all media for several years. The continuing problem I feel is instant results. People like instant results.

A quick scan online for products to help solve the growing feeling of frustration rife in my household turned out to be surprisingly fruitless. There are a range of products available which give a read out of power usage in your house. But these are absolute values. The problem with an absolute value is you have to know 1) what your measuring, 2) the value that each appliance contributes and 3) its a bloody number. Who cares if that number one minute says 5 and the next minute says 50? Clearly something has changed but this presumably happens constantly throughout the day.

I continued my disenchanted search and finally came across wattson. Like the other devices, Wattson gives you an absolute value which is essentially useless to the layperson. But! If you plug in your rate of pay, it can forecast your yearly bill.

Wattson is also a wireless box so can be placed conveniently where you are likely to look at it. Not just in the kitchen. He will emit a glow of blue, purple or red depending on your electricity usage to encourage lower consumption.

Not to mention the digital output that allows you to study usage over time. At last, a relative reading! The wobbly line is made of absolute values but placed in a display you can clearly see the trend going up or down which is a great help. You would never go to a meeting with a Powerpoint of figures. You go with charts because people understand them.

Designed by three graduates from London College of Arts, it is the most attractive and persuasive tool for lowering electricity bills I have seen so far.

Click here to buy one now from Firebox!

Ben Rogers recently graduated with a degree in Geology from the University of Edinburgh. You can follow him on Twitter: @BonjamonRogers

Paul Graham, founder of ycombinator, discusses the value of benevolence when working with tech startups.

I’ve used their walk-throughs in the past for learning how to upgrade the RAM on the latest unibody MacBook Pro, as well as replacing the HDD in older MacBooks. In each case, it was a piece of cake.

If you follow my twitter account you’ll know that in the past I’ve gone on the record saying that I think in my opinion iFixit is one of the industries most underestimated companies. I’ve never come across any substantial publicity for them, in the form of blogs or anything else. The main attention they get as a company is for the awesome teardowns they publish. If you’re a gadget nerd, you’ll love them.

It’s rare to come across a company who’s business model is to fix the planet, and you know what, I believe them.

Today I put across the suggestion that they include more targeted advertising on their site, here’s the conversation in full:

You might be fooled into thinking that these were calculated responses, but I get the feeling that these folks are out to do some good. It’s nice to know there are successful businesses out there that have everyones best interests at heart.

If you’d like to follow iFixit on twitter, you can do so by going to @iFixit Head over to their site and check them out for yourselves, I guarantee that you’ll get back something useful.

Armin is as a freelance social media consultant and iPhone app project manager. He spends his spare time watching for the Next Big Thing. This post was originally published on ArminTalic.com.

• McDonalds were named in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the fifth year straight. They take the opportunity to ponder the meaning of Socially Responsible Investing on their CSR blog Open For Discussion
• Traidcraft relaunched their online shop – we think it looks great!
• It’s official: innocent smoothies do count as two of your five-a-day
• Facebook’s PR team prove they have a sense of humour by pranking TechCrunch
• Carpet manufacturer Interface’s CEO Ray Anderson (who’s TED talk we featured back in May) has just written a book about his company’s goal of achieving total sustainability by 2020. The book is described on the described on the TED Blog as “a guide for entrepreneurs who are looking for new models of production (especially ones with environmentally friendly attitudes) in a market that’s always reinventing itself”
• Dave McClure (profile) has had a busy summer looking after the fbFund REV social incubator program:
• Seth Godin has a great little post about the importance of teaching
• It was announced on the Howies blog – Brainfood – that they are half way to getting 1 million people to watch The Do Lectures online. Why not help them out with their ambitious goal? They also laid down the rules for the first every howies raft race!
• Method (profile) score a write-up on Inhabitat. Also on Inhabitat: Skyburbs – building suburbs in the skies!
• SuperJam (profile) are offering a free jar of jam to anyone who suggests a stockist that makes an order
• Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos (profile), has been judging the startups at TechCrunch50. He’s been questioning why they aren’t trying to change the world and also whether they really need to raise money to get going:
  
• Eric Ries has a great blog post about ‘The cardinal sin of community management‘
• Andrew Warner’s recent interview with Matt Mullenweg contains, among other things, a fascinating insight into business models around open source software
• TreeHugger reports that Google is aiming to halve the cost of solar power

Fraser’s quote explains his inspiration:

“My real inspiration is Body Shop founder Anita Roddick. When she was alive she proved you can make a successful business AND make it ethical.

“The fact she gave all her cash to charity says everything. I’d like to run my business like that.”

In the video below, the founding partners explain more:

If you know of a charity or non-profit that needs help with fundraising, marketing or communications then point them towards Beautiful World. There’s nothing to lose as the first hour’s consultation is free!

Beautiful World are also a sponsor of the upcoming NFPtweetup event.

Let’s talk about nappies. Half a ton of nappies, actually. A year’s worth of disposable nappies for just one baby. Because babies poo. A lot.

Big-brand manufacturers seem to ignore the environmental impact of disposable nappies. This is very concerning. But disposable nappies are so convenient! What’s a parent to do?

Marlene Sandberg asked herself that question. She decided to develop an environmentally-friendly disposable nappy. In the face of huge competition, Naty.com was born.

Naty is uncompromising in its quest. Their Nature Babycare nappies are made from natural, sustainable materials. They are chlorine free, GM free and mostly biodegradable with a biodegradable back-sheet.

And they work. Nature Babycare nappies have won awards for being among the top-performing nappies on the market.

Naty doesn’t shout about its achievements. It can’t afford to. Continued research and development are the spending priorities.

The company relies on word-of-mouth advertising. “We want to change the world,” they say, “And we want you to help.” Naty’s Ambassador program offers incentives for customers to spread the word. Ambassadors are also allowed to influence product development and really make a difference.

Here is a small, entrepreneurial company, competing with big brands. Huge companies may be impenetrable and faceless but Naty is approachable and keen to work with consumers. Where others focus on profit, Naty’s highest priority is the environment. This is a laudable goal and one which deserves our support. And that, if you’ll pardon the pun, is the bottom line.

Rachel Pattisson is a freelance copy writer. She writes a blog called Really Rachel and you can hire her here: ThoughtTrains.co.uk.

Earlier in the year I met up with a local lovely company. Hailing from the Team Valley Trading Estate in nearby Gateshead, EthicalSuperstore.com sells thousands of different groceries, gifts and gadgets from their easy-to-use website. I had a chat with founder and CEO Andy Redfern and he showed me round their offices and warehouse.

For a product to be stocked it must have established ethical credentials in at least one of the following areas: fair trade, organic, eco friendly, health and wellness promotion, education and awareness building. You can ‘shop by ethics‘ which supports their commitment to help ethical consumers ‘buy what you believe’.

Andy stressed the emphasis placed on customer service within the company. They have a generous 60 day refund or replace policy and occasionally give customers suprise shipping upgrades (a lovely trick borrowed from Zappos). They have a free customer service helpline shown on every page and a blog which they use to discuss issues and events in the wider community. Recent posts have included “Our Green Motoring Dilemma” and “Can Fizzy Drinks Ever Be Ethical?” and, of course, they maintain an active presence on Twitter.

With their warehouse space and expertise in e-commerce, the company also offers e-commerce and fulfillment services to other ethical businesses and charities. For example they run Cancer Research UK’s online gift shop and earlier this year they merged with Natural Collection – an established UK mail order company. More information on their business services can be found here.

So, for all your ethical shopping needs, check out EthicalSuperstore.com!