How much extra will an Energy Centre cost?
Nothing; we provide sufficient funding towards the construction & operation of the Energy Centres, when compared with your “business as usual” scenario, that we should be able to achieve “cost neutrality” for a developer, whilst giving the necessary "green credentials” and Marketing gain of discounted green utilities and state of the art Data/Entertainment services.

Are there situations when you wouldn't fund it?
Yes, for example, if the covenant of the eventual bill payer is in question, or if the installation is in a country where UK-based fund providers would be unwilling to fund.

What if the equipment breaks down?
We design all our Energy Centres with modularity and full redundancy. We are more reliable than the grid because of this.

Are there any limits in size?
Not really, the smallest we can build is 200 KWe. All the CHPC designs we are involved in, for example, are completely modular, so it is only a question of adding further modules. We have been asked to look at projects as large as 60 MWe.

Do you only use CHP and CHPC for your Energy Centres?
Not at all. We look at all forms of generation: wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, waste to energy or photovoltaics. The design challenge is to find the most reliable and environmentally responsible package.

Do you have to have a dedicated building to house the Energy Centre?
This depends very much on size. We have installed in existing plant rooms and can build below ground (subject to heat rejection, air ways etc.)

How do I know that after a year you won't double the tarrifs on utilities?
We can't do that. Under our contract with you there is a transparent tariff review mechanism to link your charges to the market rates for electricity and gas. We are also regulated by Ofgem regarding fair and reasonable pricing.

Will I be able to check my utilities bills at any time?
Yes of course, if you have access to a computer you can view all information regarding use and bills. These can even be accessed over your TV. If you like you can even build your own reports and graphs showing energy usage. We can help you be more efficient as part of ongoing management.

What if I don't have a computer?
You will be able to contact us regarding any aspect of our service through a dedicated help line.

Are the Energy Centres noisy?
No, not at all. Leading edge technology in turbine CHP has produced very low noise equipment and we build the Energy Centre enclosures and buildings are designed to make sure you would not even know it was there!

How secure is the gas supply?
Recent media comment to the effect that UK gas production has peaked and that gas is running out may well be of concern when considering that ECG’s design strategy places an increased reliance on gas as a primary fuel source. It should be noted that there are 3 new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals being constructed in the UK, and 2 new gas pipelines from Europe being installed. Coupled with the recent doubling in capacity of the Bacton / Zeebrugge interconnector, by 2008 this import capacity will equate to current UKCS gas production and represent 80% of the total annual forecast load.1

1 Source: House of Commons T&IC Report HC363 of 21.07.05.