An annual energy bill for a typical household will fall to £1,923 in October under regulator Ofgem’s new price cap.
I honestly think it’s appalling that they’re continuing to let these energy providers make obscene profits from us.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley said: “We know people are struggling with the wider cost of living challenges and I can’t offer any certainty that things will ease this winter.”
Asked about families being concerned they will again struggle to pay their bills this winter, he said the government was working “night and day to ensure the money in people’s pockets goes further”.
“Typical households are still facing sky-high energy costs, now that support schemes have come to an end,” said Gillian Cooper, from Citizens Advice.
Jay Cross, who runs a barbers shop, said he and his wife Andrea found their direct debits were failing to cover their bills last year.
Here are some energy saving ideas from environmental scientist Angela Terry, who set up One Home, a social enterprise that shares green, money-saving tips:
If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk.
The original article contains 1,068 words, the summary contains 171 words. Saved 84%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
On the other hand. It’s the only thing that’s made people change their energy use habits.
People on the news with thermostats at 24 degrees c because they like to wear t-shirts all year… 🤦
Ah yes, shift the focus onto the individual rather than the profiteering polluting energy companies.
I’d rather have cheaper renewable energy, warmth and comfort, than wear hat, gloves, thermals multiple layers, and sit in a sleep bag in my own living room.
I didn’t say that though.
I said the price increase changed behaviour. It’s reduced fossil fuel usage. I only care about net results. If you’re cold, go for a run. It’ll help reduce stress on the NHS
Renewables are only economically viable because the cost of power is paid on the last generator, which is natural gas.
So higher gas prices make renewables a more efficient use of capital and justify the capex
You have a problem with that?
If you’re cold, go for a run. It’ll help reduce stress on the NHS
Not if you fall, or get hit by a car…
Renewables are only economically viable because the cost of power is paid on the last generator, which is natural gas.
This is not true, renewables are economically viable at much lower prices than fossil fuels because their next unit cost is effectively 0.
It is true the price paid to generate is the market rate, and that is set by the last generator. That does make renewables immensely profitable, which in turn acts as an incentive to build more.
But we are talking about electricity generation here, not heating which is what you were doing on about, and the vast majority of heating in the UK is non-electric and transitioning to renewable sources is extremely expensive.
That said, using less gas in electric generation would reduce supply shocks in the gas heating network.
Edit: next unit cost, not just unit cost.
Their unit cost is zero?
Capex is huge, and there will always be opex for people, repairs and maintenance. The blades and motors etc all have to be replaced regularly.
Solar output is also much less during winter
My new boiler can run a hydrogen mix and all the UK metal pipes are being replaced with plastic inserts so at some point green hydrogen could offset natural gas and that itself could be replaced eventually with syngas from biofuels.
Their unit cost is zero?
Apologies, I meant to say Next Unit Cost, didn’t spot the missing word. As in the cost to produce one more unit of electricity. This measure ignores capex and is just opex plus associated usage costs like amortised wear and tear, depreciation, etc.
It’s near 0, but not 0, because the input (wind, sun) is free, whereas gas (for CCGT) is not. As such renewables can sell in to the grid, profitably, at lower prices than fossil fuels can.
The big problem, as you show with the example of cloudy winter days, is disconnecting generation from usage, via storage.
Green gas from anorobic respiration, including hydrogen (or just blue hydrogen, made via electrolysis of sea water) is a useful step for retrofitting, but not something - in my opinion - that should be considered for new builds.
Ah, yes. But we can’t actually ignore capex, because most of the fossil fuel infrastructure is sunk cost.
Renewables are net new capex, which needs a return. The reduction in cost of renewables is the best thing. A barrel of oil isn’t going to get any cheaper to pump out but wind and solar will. The war is already won, we just haven’t seen the benefits yet.
I think green hydrogen would help smooth the peaks of renewables but it’s not very efficient, probably a better use is making ammonium nitrate for fertiliser or as a replacement for heavy oil for shipping
Context of the situation is important. You can’t use them interchangeably.
Capex does not matter when we are talking about choosing to generate using existing infrastructure, because capex amortisation is the same regardless of whether you’re generating or not. Choosing whether to generate at 1am on a random Tuesday has nothing to do with your previous capex, but everything to do with your next unit cost. If price is higher than cost, you’ll generate, it not you (probably) won’t.
Capex payback is important when businesses are evaluating building new generation. The spot price at 1am on a random Tuesday has nothing to do with whether you’re choosing to build new infrastructure. What does matter is average unit prices, over time, not one data point.
People were just not putting their heating on in the winter. It’s unhealthy at best, dangerous at worst and allows your home to get damp. I was honestly miserable last winter without heating.
You can thank the Tories for that. Other countries imposed a cost cap. UK, Netherlands and I think Belgium didn’t and used benefits to offset with differing levels of effectiveness.
Yes, we have the highest energy bills in the world due to our government and it has put people into fuel poverty. Saying it’s purely stopping people from sitting at home in 24°C heat is naive.
Net highest? Got a source for that?
I didn’t say it’s purely doing that. I merely stated that the only thing that has made people change their behaviour during a climate crisis is the price of energy going up.
https://www.cityam.com/revealed-brits-are-paying-the-highest-electricity-bills-in-the-entire-world/
Yeah and people would lose weight if we had famine. It’s hardly a silver lining.
I said net. Like I said, they let the energy shock into the economy and paid benefits
Here’s the size of it. UK’s was one of the largest 2 years running
Here’s a comparison by the OBR
https://obr.uk/box/an-international-comparison-of-the-cost-of-energy-support-packages/
