Cameron gets tough on energy prices

Thrugelmir

MacMickster wrote: »

The only way to resolve this is to bring the production and supply of energy in the UK back into public ownership. The provision of power to businesses and households is effectively a matter of national security, and should not be left up to predominantly foreign-owned companies.

The UK is a net energy importer. So while controlled ownership may dictate selling price. There's little control over commodity input prices.

MacMickster

Thrugelmir wrote: »

The UK is a net energy importer. So while controlled ownership may dictate selling price. There's little control over commodity input prices.

Consequently the state needs to address this by building new nuclear power stations.

At the moment we are gambling with our future by hoping that private (foreign) companies will invest in new nuclear facilities, and then not try to fleece us for the energy generated.

chris_m

Thrugelmir wrote: »

So where do you think that some of our gas comes from?

Not a lot of our gas comes from Russia actually.

Just under half our gas imports actually come in by ship, in LNG tankers from Qatar, mostly.
Of the remainder, three-quarters comes from Norway (who have a lot of gas but don't use very much themselves) direct and the remainder is from/via Belgium and Holland. Some of that latter could come from Russia but it's not a significant proportion of our requirements really - as was shown a few years ago when eastern Europe was really in trouble because Ukraine hadn't paid its gas bill (according to Russia) whereas we weren't really affected.

Mind you, I strongly agree with MacMickster -we need to get the next generation nuclear power stations under construction now, we really needed it to have happened at least 5 years ago.

Thrugelmir

MacMickster wrote: »

Consequently the state needs to address this by building new nuclear power stations.

At the moment we are gambling with our future by hoping that private (foreign) companies will invest in new nuclear facilities, and then not try to fleece us for the energy generated.

We need the expertise. That sadly we probably lack now.

grizzly1911

Thrugelmir wrote: »

We need the expertise. That sadly we probably lack now.

I have no doubt additional specialist help may be required but we already have a nuclear industry run by an experienced team.

By all means seek assistance with design and build but we shouldn't just throw out the existing and contract out completely.

BobQ

Never thought I would live to see the day a Tory Government quietly whispers that privatisation has been a failure and they have to resort to removing pure competition and replacing it with some kind of regulated competition. We now move to a system where those who try to work within a competitive market to get the best deal have to pay more in order that those who cannot use the internet or be bothered to get the best deal pay less. There is hope for them after all, not a lot of course.

pqrdef

BobQ wrote: »

We now move to a system where those who try to work within a competitive market to get the best deal have to pay more in order that those who cannot use the internet or be bothered to get the best deal pay less.

I'm not yet convinced that anybody will get to pay less. I'm even less convinced that anybody will get moved automatically to a cheaper tariff.

But of course one possible explanation for all this is that the Tories are in league with the suppliers, and the suppliers think the market is working too well for too many consumers.

Bit of a puzzle how the Tories became the high priests of free markets and competition, since that is properly the Liberals' role.

BertieUK

pqrdef wrote: »

Cameron has instructed Ed Davey to announce plans to force energy suppliers to put all customers on their cheapest tariff.

This is a rehash of the non-story from a few weeks ago, when he misunderstood what was planned for the Energy Bill. Cameron doesn't like being wrong, so he's decided to do what he thought he was doing.

I have never in all my years seen a Government get things so wrong and make more 'u' turns than roundabouts in a fair ground. I think that sometimes they read the notes given to them by their spin doctors backwards. One day we will see them speak from their own hearts instead of reading notes all the time.

My rant for the day.

Regards
Bob

Graham_Devon

BertieUK wrote: »

I have never in all my years seen a Government get things so wrong and make more 'u' turns than roundabouts in a fair ground. I think that sometimes they read the notes given to them by their spin doctors backwards. One day we will see them speak from their own hearts instead of reading notes all the time.

My rant for the day.

Regards
Bob

It's a coalition. You are bound to get more U-Turns and bad policies as the two parties jossle for position with bribes needed to get stuff through.

CLAPTON

Official coalition policy is to increase the price of electricity and gas to subsidise windfarms.

Most people will see little difference in their own bills as a result of the coalition's initiaitve on simplifying tarrifs as the companies will price their new tariffs to collect the same overall total income.


We basically have a PR exercise to deflect discussion from the inevitable price rises caused by windfarms.