The energy giant, owned by Centrica Group Plc, has announced a profits increase of 11% for 2012. British Gas claims that a colder winter compared to 2011 helped to increase profits as customers used more gas. Gas consumption was up 12% on the previous year. This comes as a shock to many, as British Gas raised their electricity and gas … Read More
A 2013 UK Shale Gas Revolution? Unlikely.
Natural gas prices in the US have dropped by almost two thirds since they started ‘fracking’ for shale gas. Could we see a similar boost to the UK economy any time soon? Shale Gas – probably the only hope we have of producing a significant amount of useful, home-grown energy in the next decade or two. Some say it is … Read More
2012 Energy Bill Omits 2030 Carbon Target
Details of the government’s new energy bill have now been released, with plans to keep the lights on and keep carbon emissions down. Labour are calling it a “humiliating failure” for the Lib Dems and Greenpeace say David Cameron has given in to “militant tendencies” in his own party. However you look at it, the lack of a binding ‘decarbonisation’ … Read More
Ofgem report warns of blackouts by 2015
A lack of excess electricity generation has led the energy regulator to admit there could be shortfalls in supply in the near future. A report recently published by Ofgem predicts that the UK’s spare generation capacity will drop from its currently level of 14% to 4% by 2015. Under special terms in business electricity contracts, it would be companies that … Read More
Business worried about keeping the lights on
A new report produced by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has revealed a lack of confidence in Britain’s infrastructure, compared to our European counterparts. The CBI/KPMG Infrastructure Survey 2012 provides a business-wide assessment of the state of the UK’s economic infrastructure networks. The survey underlines the critical role that infrastructure plays in making the UK an attractive place to … Read More
British Gas announces profits increase of 23%
The UK’s largest energy supplier made a record profit in the first six months of 2012, and has hinted that further rises may be coming in the next year and a half. The company, which is a part of Centrica plc, announced profits were up £64m to around £345m – back to “normal levels” according to Nick Luff, Centrica’s Finance … Read More
Fracking gets go-ahead in the UK
An era of cheap, abundant gas could be on the way, as new report confirms risk of earthquakes and water contamination are minimal. In what could be the most significant step in Britain’s energy security since the widespread exploitation of North Sea oil, hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’ has been deemed safe in a new report produced in joint by the … Read More
Sustainable development is ‘meaningless drivel’
James Lovelock, long-time environmental guru and the inventor of the Gaia Hypothesis says environmentalism is taking over from Christianity, and thinks we should ‘go mad on’ shale gas. In an interview in the Guardian, the celebrated environmental scientist also declares that he is not worried about sea-level rises, Germany is crazy for ditching nuclear power, how wind turbines are “ugly … Read More
Video – Draft Energy Bill
Are we setting ourselves up for another ‘dash for gas’ and should we be investing more in renewables? Watch this short video about the future of Britain’s energy security.
Energy Bill 2012: Ed Davey sets out reforms
Plans were outlined today for the future of Britain’s energy security, with nuclear, gas and renewables all to have essential roles in our energy mix in the coming decades. The Department For Energy & Climate Change today released a draft of the long-awaited energy bill, with the three goals of “Keeping the lights on, consumers energy bills down and creating … Read More