World Cup an excuse for just televising the laundry?

Thanks to @Inhabitat for tweeting this link to the Swirl - a non-electric washing machine concept.

It's quite simply a ball which you fill up with your laundry and water/detergent - then kicking it around provides the kinetic energy to wash the clothes.

It's been developed with communities where water is scarce in mind - particularly 3rd world countries where washing means a long walk to the water supply.

Click here to read the full report and see pictures of the Swirl in action at Inhabitots.

They think laundry times all over - it is now.

photo credit: unofficial england rugby

Installing renewable energy - there may be grants available

Thinking about getting solar energy in your home? There may be grants available....

"If you are considering installing solar energy or any other type of renewable energy in your home, you may be eligible for a government grant. Grants are not means tested and qualifying is straight forward.

Across the UK, the DTI's low carbon buildings programme provides grants for householders on microgeneration technologies including solar photovoltaics, solar thermal hot water, wind turbines, small scale hydro, heat pumps and bio-energy.

In Scotland, the Scottish Community Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI ) provides grants for householders funded by the Scottish Executive and managed by the Energy Saving Trust. Grants are available for solar, water and space heating, small-scale wind and hydro systems, ground source heat pumps and biomass. Funding for householders is set at 30% of the installed cost up to £4,000."

... taken from Energy saving advice

Part of that process is getting quotations to submit with your grant application, showing how much the installation is going to cost. You can get access to these installation companies across the UK by getting an instant online quote for your solar panel installation, whether that's hot water systems or photovoltaic (electricity generating) systems.