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Energy Bills
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This is what is so ridiculous about the whole situation. It was something I wasn't aware of until I read the article I recently posted above.CAFCspooney said:Interesting idea put forward in The Times today.Rather than subsidising consumers, the government should subsidise the price of gas burned by power stations. Being the most significant form of electricity generation, gas fired power generators set the benchmark for wholesale electricity prices, whatever its source. Gas power, which accounts for less than 40% of the market therefore sets an artificially high price for solar, wind and nuclear, which are then accused of making excess profits.0 -
Isn’t this designed to encourage the investment in renewables so the price helps offset the infrastructure spend? I may misunderstand.0
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What is really concerning is that with energy costs set to be capped at £3549 in October. What’s going to happen to those on prepayment meters. Those of us on direct debits have the projected annual cost spread out over the entire year. That’s bad enough but those on prepay are unable to smooth their payments over the summer and winter months and are therefore going to get absolutely whacked during December - March when even the most hardy will need the heating on for long periods. That’s likely to mean bills for the four monthly period to be up there at £600 - £700 per month perhaps £135 per week or around £20 per day. How on earth are those already struggling with their bills for food going to cope ?4
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Pre pay customers are also going to be the least we'll off section of society and more often than not live in properties with inefficient boilers and crappy insulation. It's a perfect storm.ShootersHillGuru said:What is really concerning is that with energy costs set to be capped at £3549 in October. What’s going to happen to those on prepayment meters. Those of us on direct debits have the projected annual cost spread out over the entire year. That’s bad enough but those on prepay are unable to smooth their payments over the summer and winter months and are therefore going to get absolutely whacked during December - March when even the most hardy will need the heating on for long periods. That’s likely to mean bills for the four monthly period to be up there at £600 - £700 per month perhaps £135 per week or around £20 per day. How on earth arethose already struggling with their bills for food going to cope ?0 -
I've heard on the news that 60% of Conservative voters favour nationalisation of utilities. This survey says that well over 60% support nationalisation in the UK generally (i.e. not just Tories):
https://weownit.org.uk/blog/biggest-ever-poll-shows-huge-support-nationalisation
Obviously, the Tories will never agree to this, but why aren't the Labour Party getting behind it? For them it's a vote winner surely?0 -
Because they don’t need to get behind very much at all at this point. There’s still two years until the next chance for them to be vote winners. A week is a long time in politics. Two years is an eternity.Saga Lout said:I've heard on the news that 60% of Conservative voters favour nationalisation of utilities. This survey says that well over 60% support nationalisation in the UK generally (i.e. not just Tories):
https://weownit.org.uk/blog/biggest-ever-poll-shows-huge-support-nationalisation
Obviously, the Tories will never agree to this, but why aren't the Labour Party getting behind it? For them it's a vote winner surely?0 -
I mentioned the potential 'statutory obligation' to build houses complete with solar panels months ago ..ShootersHillGuru said:
I’m guessing that adding solar panals adds to the constructors cost but adds little or nothing in the price of the completed house 🤷🏻♂️seth plum said:
Absolutely.ShootersHillGuru said:
Not too far from where I currently live there is an enormous housing development called City Fields. It’s a 375 hectare space with developments by all the usual housing builders including Redrow, Miller, Bellway, Avant. Some phases are built and have people living in them and others are still under construction. I pass by it when I’m going to work and it occurred to me that I can’t see one house anywhere that’s got solar panels fitted. Not one. That’s not to say there are not some somewhere but I’m betting if there are, which I doubt if I’m honest there are not many. This development has over 1000 homes and I think it’s a disgrace that newly built homes are not being made to be constructed with at least solar energy. This crisis has reached boiling point but the need for new developments to have built in solar should have been mandatory for at least five years.ME14addick said:Article from 2015 when the Government decided to scrap the zero carbon homes plan. How much better off the owners of new houses built since 2015 would be now, if all of them had been built with greener forms of energy.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/10/uk-scraps-zero-carbon-home-target
If you look at YouTube at van conversions where more and more people are doing ‘stealth’ living off grid, nearly all of them install modest solar panels.
Every single new build should have some kind of solar energy conduit, surely that is a no brainer?
a while back I visited the site of a major development close to my house .. the salesman I spoke to said that if someone was buying a drum off plan and specified solar panels, they could be fitted at a 'small extra cost', no sum was specified, it would depend on size etc.
He further opined that not everyone would want panels and that customers enquiring about them were few and far between .. his opinion which is what I thought he would say, is that everyone can make their minds up about panels after they move in .. this might well change in the near future of course .. a t m his potential buyers can choose from all electric, electric/mains gas or electric/Calor gas .. no mention of heat pumps or the more exotic new wave water/space heaters
Another development close to me started I'd say 8 months after the previously mentioned is of 38 3/4/5 bed properties. At present I'd estimate 12 are already lived in with a further 10 almost completed awaiting the finishing touch and the rest still under construction.
Of the 12 'inhabited', I counted 4 with solar panels, couldn't see all around the site though .. so things could be on the move in sunny N E Lincs0 -
Good post. Thanks. Yes, why aren't Labour getting behind nationalisation? Scrapping clause 4 was such a big deal that they can't be seen to be going back on it?Saga Lout said:I've heard on the news that 60% of Conservative voters favour nationalisation of utilities. This survey says that well over 60% support nationalisation in the UK generally (i.e. not just Tories):
https://weownit.org.uk/blog/biggest-ever-poll-shows-huge-support-nationalisation
Obviously, the Tories will never agree to this, but why aren't the Labour Party getting behind it? For them it's a vote winner surely?
Either way, nationalise!!!!0 -
Solar tiles are now a thing, right? They can literally harvest sun energy from roof tiles and generate electricity...
Such things are so obvious as necessary adjustments to how we build homes. Question is, why isn't there legislation?2 -
My Aunt bought a new build about ten years ago in Tonbridge. It was someone who sold off some of their garden, the builder put 4 houses on there and part of the planning approval was that they had to have Solar installed.Siv_in_Norfolk said:Solar tiles are now a thing, right? They can literally harvest sun energy from roof tiles and generate electricity...
Such things are so obvious as necessary adjustments to how we build homes. Question is, why isn't there legislation?
Does seem logical to make it part of the planning process for new builds.4 - Sponsored links:
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I don’t think profit margins for house builders are as great as some might imagine. In that respect they won’t install all things Green unless it’s a planning condition.Rob7Lee said:
My Aunt bought a new build about ten years ago in Tonbridge. It was someone who sold off some of their garden, the builder put 4 houses on there and part of the planning approval was that they had to have Solar installed.Siv_in_Norfolk said:Solar tiles are now a thing, right? They can literally harvest sun energy from roof tiles and generate electricity...
Such things are so obvious as necessary adjustments to how we build homes. Question is, why isn't there legislation?
Does seem logical to make it part of the planning process for new builds.Don’t underestimate the financial cost and risk house builders carry until a property is sold and contracts exchanged. In a rising interest rate environment profit margin for builders is squeezed even more.Government need to substantially subsidise green initiatives on new builds and also all existing home improvements. Sadly for home improvements like insulation companies will exploit that and not to the advantage of consumers.1 -
I wouldn’t feel too sorry for these developers.
https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/redrow-record-strong-first-half-23063399Rather than be dragged kicking and screaming by planners and the government, perhaps some of these developers should be showing us the way and be adding green initiatives as a standard.2 -
You'd think that properties that are highly energy efficient would be extremely marketable, atm.
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3 London boroughs no longer taking applications for electricity - ie a new development wanting an electrical supply I’ll have to wait 5-10 years as they have run out -all in west London where they have built a load of power hungry data centres - another example of a complete lack of governance in thus country3
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talking to a friend of mine yesterday .. she reckons the pandemic lockdowns were and the current energy supply crises are all cunningly disguised international government cartel measures aimed at controlling global warming .. could she be onto something ?2
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also, there is a worry that electricity supply cables, some that have been in situ since the grid's formation in the 1930's (!) are not strong enough to meet current high demands without losing a lot of their transmission power through overheating with the possibility of burn outs and power blackouts .. just a few more things to worry about and lose sleep overDOUCHER said:3 London boroughs no longer taking applications for electricity - ie a new development wanting an electrical supply I’ll have to wait 5-10 years as they have run out -all in west London where they have built a load of power hungry data centres - another example of a complete lack of governance in thus country0 -
Lincsaddick said:talking to a friend of mine yesterday .. she reckons the pandemic lockdowns were and the current energy supply crises are all cunningly disguised international government cartel measures aimed at controlling global warming .. could she be onto something ?
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I think the Illuminati are more worried about covering up their links to Jeffrey Epstein than curbing global warming.0
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She might be on something, but she isn’t on to something.Lincsaddick said:talking to a friend of mine yesterday .. she reckons the pandemic lockdowns were and the current energy supply crises are all cunningly disguised international government cartel measures aimed at controlling global warming .. could she be onto something ?8 - Sponsored links:
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It's the money you save on not paying for your own electricity usage that's the return on investment.Showmetheway2gohome said:Is it worth investing in solar panels when all you get is 8p per unit.4 -
You suggested it wasn't worth investing in solar - I replied with a very good reason why it is.Showmetheway2gohome said:Yes but it shouldn’t be should it. You should get same price as your paying knocked of your bill and paid on your excess.absolute greed1 -
Which is why batteries are important so you can store it for yourself rather than sell it at a ridiculous cheap rate, especially if you aren't home during the day when most solar is achieved.bobmunro said:
It's the money you save on not paying for your own electricity usage that's the return on investment.Showmetheway2gohome said:Is it worth investing in solar panels when all you get is 8p per unit.3 -
From what I'm learning, if the system is well designed and includes batteries you won't send huge amounts back to the grid anyway.Showmetheway2gohome said:We haven’t all got £5000 to invest in solar panels. But my point is why should we invest in them for the already greedy energy companies to make even more money out of us.
I don't believe it's the energy companies that sets the tariff anyway, so although they may do well out of it, it's not of their doing as such.
The investment is predominantly to reduce your own bills.0 -
battery technology is really lacking. Tesla changed the game but it's still very difficult to have efficient, reliable long term storage of renewable electricity.Rob7Lee said:
Which is why batteries are important so you can store it for yourself rather than sell it at a ridiculous cheap rate, especially if you aren't home during the day when most solar is achieved.bobmunro said:
It's the money you save on not paying for your own electricity usage that's the return on investment.Showmetheway2gohome said:Is it worth investing in solar panels when all you get is 8p per unit.0 -
The Times are reporting that “one of the first” acts of new Prime Minister Truss will be to grant more licenses for drilling and extracting North Sea oil and gas. Whilst recognising that this is an extremely good thing, what I can’t quite understand is why we need to wait for Liz Truss or if she loses Rishi Sunak to take office to rubber stamp what’s bleeding obvious. Of course one week or so makes little difference but this is more about presentation rather than getting the right thing done.1
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Is more fossil fuel burning a good thing?
I get the desperate situation we are all in, I get that you can’t store wind power, but more North Sea oil?
Isn’t that really about making rich people richer?2 -
Its not more fossil fuel burning.
Its replacing imports with home grown. [Depending on relative market prices]
The share of our energy produced by renewable will continue to rise.1 -
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/05/light-or-blight-anger-rises-at-plan-for-britains-biggest-solar-farm
Stymied by nimbies will always be a drag on progress0 -
Jan 2022
Meteoric growth in new solar farm planning in UK sees pipeline reach a staggering 37GW
UK solar activity during 2021 can be seen as transformational on many levels: the emergence of a sustainable subsidy-free rooftop segment; overall deployment levels that saw almost equal contribution from ground-mount and rooftop segments; and a scale of new utility-scale solar farm project planning that almost beggars belief.
This month, I will be posting a number of articles on Solar Power Portal, explaining what’s been happening in the UK solar industry over the past 12 months, and what this means for 2022 and the current decade out to 2030. This will cover both rooftop (residential and commercial) and ground-mount (from solar arrays in back gardens to utility plants the size of which was unimaginable in the past).
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