The consumer watchdog has begun a campaign to get the carbon floor price scrapped, saying that it is nothing but a burden on UK energy consumers and businesses. The program is designed to encourage energy suppliers to generate more from low-carbon technologies, but Which? says that it will add to our bills without really changing how the suppliers invest. It’s … Read More
David Cameron: wind farms ”over subsidised”
In his most vociferous criticism of green energy yet, the Prime Minister has declared that wind farms have been “over subsidised and wasteful of public money”. Mr. Cameron plans to cut the subsidies for wind turbine construction, forcing them to be built in an economically viable way. He said during the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions “We’re cutting the subsidy to … Read More
How honest is your business energy broker?
There are a multitude of services that Third-party intermediaries (Tpis) offer, and varying ways they obtain clients and earn remuneration. This means that choosing the right Tpi is essential. It is now widely accepted that up to 70% of business energy procurement is facilitated by brokers and Tpis such as ourselves, but there is no official Ofgem license or even … Read More
Wholesale gas prices rise as Europe freezes
Energy suppliers are warning that wholesale gas is being traded at significantly higher prices than it was a fortnight ago. In winter 2012 we rely on imported gas more than ever. This was the main reason given for the recent winter price rises made by all big six suppliers, and it seems foreign imports are not just a problem in … Read More
‘Big six’ make small price reductions
All of the big six energy suppliers have now cut their prices, following electricity and gas price rises in the second part of 2011. 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 … Read More
PAC publishes report on Smart Meters
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 … Read More
Which? calls for halt to smart meter rollout
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. 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 … Read More
5,000 Solar firms go bust in Germany in 2011
Germany’s once booming solar power industry is declining at an alarming rate, with 20,000 jobs being lost in 2011 alone. 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 … Read More
The main problem with wind turbines
32,000 new turbines are planned, but how many understand the major flaw with the UK’s most popular renewable energy source? 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. … Read More
Ofgem wants ‘better protection for businesses’
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.