Solar ... In the news

Martyn1981

The Daily Mail runs a pro-PV article ........!

Is it time to put solar panels on your roof?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-2461318/ENERGY-BILLS-Is-time-solar-panels-roof.html

Fairs fair - not a bad article, lots of details, they've got most of the key points, and mostly correct.

Then they look at the smaller stuff:-

There are dozens of simple — and zany — steps you can take to keep warm AND cut your bills. Here are some of the best:

Followed by loads of tips. Quite a turnaround from 2 days ago:

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Q. But presumably we benefit from efficiency savings?
A. That’s what the DECC would like you to believe. It says modern appliances and insulation will make us use less power and gas. But modern insulation is expensive. And replacing your TV, washing machine and everything else isn’t cheap.

Is today back to front Wednesday, and nobody told me?

Mart.

Estwing

A layer of clingfilm on a window is a cheap way to create double-glazing: 6 sq m of Stormguard double-glazing film costs £8.99 at Homebase.


Classic, if I just check how much we've got in our kitchen, i should have triple glazing installed by the end of the evening :rotfl:

Oh daily fail, you do make me chortle sometimes

doughnutmachine

Estwing wrote: »

A layer of clingfilm on a window is a cheap way to create double-glazing: 6 sq m of Stormguard double-glazing film costs £8.99 at Homebase.


Classic, if I just check how much we've got in our kitchen, i should have triple glazing installed by the end of the evening :rotfl:

Oh daily fail, you do make me chortle sometimes

I live in a listed building and I'm stuck with single glazing during winter I put bubble wrap on some of my windows. It might be a placebo, but my flat does seem a lot warmer after I do it.

spgsc531

Not solar, but still topical..


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24561325

spgsc531

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24637499

penrhyn

About time too, no more subsidies for ecoloon technologies like wind and solar.

The_Green_Hornet

penrhyn wrote: »

About time too, no more subsidies for ecoloon technologies like wind and solar.

I think you will find that the schemes he wants to roll back are the ones that help the poor and vulnerable insulate their homes under the Energy Companies Obligation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24607183

Cardew

The_Green_Hornet wrote: »

I think you will find that the schemes he wants to roll back are the ones that help the poor and vulnerable insulate their homes under the Energy Companies Obligation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24607183

Whilst that could be the case, his statement at PMQ today gave no indication of the target for 'rolling back' the Green charges.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10399287/David-Cameron-pledges-to-cut-green-taxes-next-year-despite-Lib-Dem-objections.html

Energy firms blame the environmental and social obligations placed on them by ministers for the increase in bills.

According to Government figures, the green levies add £112 to a typical household bill. The money is then used to pay for loft insulation schemes and subsidies for renewable energy projects, under the Coalition’s rules.


Downing Street sources said that, if there was no policy change, green levies could rise from the current £112 to £194 - or 14 per cent of the typical household bill - by 2020. Mr Cameron wants action to reduce the impact of the levies, the source said.


Mr Cameron said: “What we need to do is recognise that there are four bits to an energy bill. There are the wholesale prices, which are beyond our control. There are the costs of transmission and the grid, which are difficult to change.


“There are the profits of the energy companies and there are the green regulations, and it is those last two that we need to get to grips with.


He added: “We will be having a proper competition test, carried out over the next year to get to the bottom of whether this market can be more competitive. I want more companies, I want better regulation, I want better deals for consumers.


“But, yes, we also need to roll back the green charges that he put in place as energy secretary”.

Is it possible that some of the 'Green Levy' costs could be transferred from energy bill to general taxation paid by the Treasury?

The_Green_Hornet

Cardew wrote: »

Is it possible that some of the 'Green Levy' costs could be transferred from energy bill to general taxation paid by the Treasury?

Anything is possible but if they do they will need to find the money from somewhere else to pay for it. I wonder what they would cut?

The Guardian has an interesting breakdown of what the "green charges" are on our bills. Apparently, of the £112 on the average £1,267 annual bill, schemes that are used for renewables cost around £53 a year, while other programmes to help poor and vulnerable customers cost around £58 a year, and the Feed in Tariff subsidy costs households a miserly £7 a year.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/oct/23/green-energy-levies-how-much

spgsc531

The_Green_Hornet wrote: »

Anything is possible but if they do they will need to find the money from somewhere else to pay for it. I wonder what they would cut?

The Guardian has an interesting breakdown of what the "green charges" are on our bills. Apparently, of the £112 on the average £1,267 annual bill, schemes that are used for renewables cost around £53 a year, while other programmes to help poor and vulnerable customers cost around £58 a year, and the Feed in Tariff subsidy costs households a miserly £7 a year.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/oct/23/green-energy-levies-how-much

53+58+7=118? :think: