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Fracking for shale gas regulations sufficient

Jan 30th, 2012
by Andrew Spencer.
1 comment

A report published by the European Commission has declared that the current rules regarding fracking for shale gas are sufficient

European Commission logo

The controversial new method of extracting gas by hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of rocks deep below the Earth’s surface is already covered by existing water and drilling regulations, and no new rules are needed until the technology reaches a commercial scale, the report says.

An article in The Guardian today notes that there are already four different highly complex regulatory frameworks that apply to shale gas. Here they are, with links to the official pages:

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Posted in: Business Gas, International, Utilities Market Regulation.
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‘Big six’ make small price reductions

Jan 24th, 2012
by Andrew Spencer.
1 comment

All of the big six energy suppliers have now cut their prices, following electricity and gas price rises in the second part of 2011.

Energy price hikes and cuts

Summary of 2011 energy price rises compared to early 2012 price cuts

All of the largest players in the energy market have now cut their standard domestic tariffs to some extent, but all of them have made reductions that amount to a fraction of the price rises they made in the latter part of 2011.

The reductions have been in the 4-6% region, and only on electricity or gas, when the price rises were mostly around 10-20% and affected both products in all cases.

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Posted in: Business Electricity, Business Gas, Utilities Market Regulation, Wholesale Utilities Markets.
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PAC publishes report on Smart Meters

Jan 18th, 2012
by Andrew Spencer.
No comments yet

The Public Accounts Committee has published their MPs report on the preparations for the rollout of Smart Meters for all homes and businesses.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is responsible for overseeing government expenditures to ensure that they work in the public interest. The Smart Meter rollout is expected to cost £11.7 billion, and the PAC has published a set of 6 conclusions and recommendations that are summarised at the bottom of this page.

The Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, said:

“The idea of smart electricity and gas meters is a good one, but [the installation programme] is both challenging and subject to significant uncertainty.

Consumers will benefit from smart meters only if they understand the opportunity to reduce their energy bills and change their behaviour… Otherwise, the only people who will benefit are the energy suppliers.

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Posted in: Business Electricity, Energy Efficiency, Utilities Market Regulation.
Tagged: · · ·

Which? calls for halt to smart meter rollout

Jan 16th, 2012
by Andrew Spencer.
1 comment

The consumer group Which? has today called for “an immediate halt to the smart meter roll-out” as it believes a full review of the plans are needed before the second phase starts in 2014.

Dial Meter

Dial meters like this one will be replaced by Smart Meters with digital displays, but is forcing them on consumers too much?

As we reported back in March last year, the DECC has already set out its plans for a nationwide smart meter rollout during the years 2014 – 2019, calling it “a crucial step in delivering the UK’s energy security and low carbon future”.

Currently we are in the ‘foundation stage’, where domestic consumers and businesses have to choose to install a smart meter, with the costs of installation and hardware built in to their bills or paid for upfront. However, the government is planning a forced ‘mass rollout’ from 2014 – the proposed second stage.

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Posted in: Business Electricity, Energy Efficiency, Utilities Market Regulation.
Tagged: · · · ·

5,000 Solar firms go bust in Germany in 2011

Jan 4th, 2012
by Andrew Spencer.
1 comment

Germany’s once booming solar power industry is declining at an alarming rate, with 20,000 jobs being lost in 2011 alone.

Solar Panel in Field

Germany once had the biggest solar industry in the world, providing around 150,000 jobs by 2010, but that bubble seems to be starting to burst, as demand for solar technology drops, government subsidies are cut and competition from cheaper Asian competitors has increased.

According to Reuters, new incentives brought in by the coalition of Social Democrats and Greens a decade ago turned Germany into the biggest producer of solar panels in the world within a few years, but many of the start-ups it spawned that quickly became global leaders in the solar industry have now gone belly up.

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Posted in: Business Electricity, International.
Tagged: · · · · · ·

The main problem with wind turbines

Dec 19th, 2011
by Andrew Spencer.
4 comments

32,000 new turbines are planned, but how many understand the major flaw with the UK’s most popular renewable energy source?

Wind Turbine Sunset

It seems at first glance to be the perfect solution to an ever-growing problem. Like the sun, the wind never ‘runs out’, and each turbine we build in the UK provides a little bit more energy to meet our needs.

Unfortunately, the situation is a little more complex than that.

In the UK, we already have about 3,500 wind turbines that generate 1-2% of our electricity. Energy & Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne recently announced plans for the future of Britain’s energy security. To the dismay of many they didn’t include shale gas, but instead he favours a mixture of nuclear and wind turbines – 32,000 of them to be precise.

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Posted in: Business Electricity, Energy Efficiency, Utilities Market Regulation, Wholesale Utilities Markets.
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COP17: Durban Platform means Kyoto II in 2015

Dec 12th, 2011
by Andrew Spencer.
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After weeks of stalling climate talks, 194 countries finally managed to agree to sign up to Kyoto II in 2015, after agreeing a new text known as the ‘Durban Platform’.

Taj Mahal

A week ago it looked likely that talks would fall apart as they did in Copenhagen , seemingly with China, India and the US all at loggerheads over signing the new climate change treaty, Kyoto II.

However, agreement was eventually lashed out in the early hours when a “huddle” including female ministers representing Europe and India was formed as a last-ditch attempt to get a deal done.

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Posted in: Energy Efficiency, International, Utilities Market Regulation.
Tagged: · · · · · · · · ·

China, India & the US still at loggerheads after a week at 2011 Durban Climate Conference

Dec 5th, 2011
by Andrew Spencer.
1 comment

Representatives from 194 countries around the world have been at COP17 in climate talks for the past week trying to get Kyoto II signed, but the US, China & India are barely even talking.

Global Carbon Emissions (1990-2007) - The red line shows the increase in emissions from developing nations, largely India and China.

Annex B Countries are the developed nations of the world. Source: Wikipedia commons

With global carbon emissions higher than ever before, the UNFCCC is pushing hard for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, but the two fastest growing economies in the world do not seem keen to agree to legally binding targets to reduce their carbon emissions.

The current situation is that the US won’t even start to discuss anything unless China and India both agree to sign up to the same legally binding emissions targets as everyone else. India is outright refusing to agree to anything that damages its economic growth, and China is unlikely to play ball if India does not, so essentially we have a stalemate situation.

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Posted in: Energy Efficiency, International, Utilities Market Regulation.
Tagged: · · · · · · · · · ·

Ofgem wants ‘better protection for businesses’

Nov 24th, 2011
by Andrew Spencer.
1 comment

In a press release on Monday, Ofgem proposed new measures designed to shake up the business energy market, and encourage energy suppliers and brokers to provide a better service.

Ofgem Logo

Ofgem are continuing their review of the business energy markets this week, proposing major changes for the business utilities industry.

The new measures include improved standards of conduct for suppliers, more protection for small businesses, more protection for businesses using a broker, and investigating supplier conduct during the switching process.

Utilities Savings has worked to a strict Code of Practice since October 2009. We fully welcome this news, having taken part in the consultation by Ofgem earlier this year.

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Posted in: Business Electricity, Business Gas, Utilities Market Regulation, Wholesale Utilities Markets.
Tagged: · · ·

Rising gas prices push up energy bills

Nov 21st, 2011
by Andrew Spencer.
No comments yet

Wholesale natural gas prices are 40 per cent higher than they were this time last year.

Wholesale gas prices are 40% higher than they were this time last year

Despite criticism that green taxes and subsidies are pushing up energy prices, Ofgem remain certain that it is rising wholesale electricity prices that are to blame.

An Ofgem report stated that wholesale gas is now 40% costlier than it was at this time last year.

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Posted in: Business Electricity, Business Gas, International, Utilities Market Regulation, Wholesale Utilities Markets.
Tagged: · · · ·

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