energy prices rise on the way.

[mattyfez]

Aren't there emerging reports (in a news sense so not entirely reliable) of potential health and environmental issues with methane leekage?

Watch the video in the link I posted above, thats all the proof you need.

 

[Pudney]

they got to make as much money as possible for shareholders, PLz THINK OF THEIR DIVIDEND /sarcasm off

Actually just spotted this. Just want to point out, one of the biggest type of shareholder in the UK are pension schemes. Without those dividends and share trading people would be a lot worse off when they retire. So if you have a pension scheme you are quite likely to be benefitting and indeed reliant upon businesses making these dividends.

 

[HEADRAT]

But what I can't understand is the supply seems to be plentiful and demand is low so all of this inflation must be due to speculation.

I can understand inflation in food prices as they are being driven by demand and rising cost of fuel/fertilizers etc. (petrochemicals again) but not gas!

 

[OriginalJonty]

There's lots of environmental concerns, how founded they are, I have no idea.

It depends on the source of the methane really. Biomass will provide the best source in the UK, but getting the infrastructure in place is a lot of hard work.

 

[alx]

Not quite.
There was a test well in Poland that was used to estimate huge reserves. Companies now want to get permission for test wells across Europe. But there's strong opposition due to local environmental impact. It will be years before production could even start, if it's even allowed.

There's a shale gas test well in the UK somewhere, I remember reading an article saying testing had to stopped due a minor earthquake.

 

[platypus]

My next door neighbour has installed 8*4M panels on his roof he also moved from Gas to electric heating and his leccy bill went down from 1300 to just 350 per year. The government in Belgium also gave (up to last year) 450€ for each 1000Kwh you put back into the system. He says he got 7 * 450 cheques in the 1st twelve months and says he should get 11 this year.

He also get's a tax rebate of 2k for 4 years.

The panels cost 29K€ to install however he thinks they will pay for themselves within 7 years the government signed a contract to buy the leccy at 450€ for the 1st ten years so he'll soon be free of bills and in profit.

I'm seriously considering doing the same thing this year and if I were in the UK I would also think about it. The banks give eco loans which have lower rates as well.

Friends of mine have solar panels all over their house. Their electricity meter is going backwards!

 

[alx]

people read to much into percent.. yea 5% sounds low but its not when your selling something everyone must have to survive in this country.

there will always be demand you dont need massive % profit especially when your raking in an easy 1-2 billion profit every year its not like the big companies need to fight for customers or prices would be a lot more marginal , the smaller companies cant compete with the big ones they pretty much have a monopoly but its not microsoft so no one cares

But they also have a lot of infrastructure and expensive assests which need to be maintained/replaced over time. There's also the investment in new power plants, nuclear, wind turbines etc. That doesn't pay for itself the government won't fund it all so the money needs to come from somewhere.

Hmmmm... done some digging and, if I have been comparing the correct things, Carphone Warehouse only had a profit / revenue of 3.5%, maybe 5% is a bit excessive for a utility.

Look at Vodafone's profits, their margins are like 40% or something silly - whilst you don't need a mobile phone everyone has one.....

 

[mattyfez]

But they also have a lot of infrastructure and expensive assests which need to be maintained/replaced over time. There's also the investment in new power plants, nuclear, wind turbines etc. That doesn't pay for itself the government won't fund it all so the money needs to come from somewhere.

Profit is not the same as running costs including maintenance and development.
Its the money left over afterwards

 

[krooton]

Profit is not the same as running costs including maintenance and development.
Its the money left over afterwards

Some of which goes in to investing in new things for the next financial year.

 

[apatia77]

With huge unemployment wages are going to stay the same while everything else is going up. Great future ahead of us.

 

[alx]

Profit is not the same as running costs including maintenance and development.
Its the money left over afterwards

Some of which goes in to investing in new things for the next financial year.

As krooton says....maybe I was generalising a bit. Probably should have said 'future investments/large projects'.

 

[Danthus]

There's lots of environmental concerns, how founded they are, I have no idea.

In terms of wind farms NIMBY all to often plays a part.

 

[platypus]

Another thing I wish Ofgem would do something about is this practice of Energy companies offering discounts for Direct Debit payments (I know it isn't a sole practice of the energy industry), given how to abuse the DD system.

 

[mattyfez]

Another thing I wish Ofgem would do something about is this practice of Energy companies offering discounts for Direct Debit payments (I know it isn't a sole practice of the energy industry), given how to abuse the DD system.

I refuse to pay my energy bills by DD, it leaves me open to too much abuse when prices fluctuate, or if they simply decide to take more out for whatever reason, which from what I've read, they often do, it gives them carte blanch to plunder your bank account whenever they feel like.

Aside from that, a potential saving of 2 or 3 quid on my quarterly bill means nothing to me when they are hiking prices up by 20% on a bi-annual basis.

About the only thing I have on DD is my mobile/landline/broadband, which is a fixed cost unless I decide to start calling premium rate numbers.

 

[dannyjo22]

Friends of mine have solar panels all over their house. Their electricity meter is going backwards!

Shame they look like ****. My future brother in law has a company that fits them and even he says the technology and life of the panels isn't good enough for him to put them on my house.

The Arbury Park developement has ground source heating. My mate did the work on the site and says it provides constant water at 42 degrees, only needing topping up if you require hotter water and the cost to run the electric pump.

I'd much prefer that to solar water heating.

 

[Spook187]

Its a total disgrace this country now,pure and utter GREED
I have just sold my car today as i cannot justify running it anymore
Thatcher destroyed British manufacturing along with the privatization of the utilities,this country should make a stand but nobody has no bottle anymore,we just put up with it.

 

[mattyfez]

Thatcher destroyed British manufacturing along with the privatization of the utilities,this country should make a stand but nobody has no bottle anymore,we just put up with it.

Oh for god's sake...

 

[Spook187]

Oh for god's sake...

why,am i not allowed a rant

 

[mmj_uk]

Better build my PC now then

You might want to make sure it's a low power atom system or you won't be able to afford to run it in 5 years.

 

[JonnyT]

Shame they look like ****. My future brother in law has a company that fits them and even he says the technology and life of the panels isn't good enough for him to put them on my house.

The Arbury Park developement has ground source heating. My mate did the work on the site and says it provides constant water at 42 degrees, only needing topping up if you require hotter water and the cost to run the electric pump.

I'd much prefer that to solar water heating.

Shame you'd have to live in Arbury to benefit really

Ofgem really are a toothless joke of a regulator aren't they?!