Warning that energy prices will rise

grizzly1911

What about a register of properties that have been insulated and had all reasonable measures adopted and those properties on it getting a discount against their energy tariff?

It bugs me when commentators at the macro level keep saying it is in the hands of consumers, insulation, effiicent boilers and energy saving products, to reduce their bills. What about those of us that have done but still get hit by the high tariffs?

Norfolk_Jim

grizzly1911 wrote: »

What about a register of properties that have been insulated and had all reasonable measures adopted and those properties on it getting a discount against their energy tariff?

It bugs me when commentators at the macro level keep saying it is in the hands of consumers, insulation, effiicent boilers and energy saving products, to reduce their bills. What about those of us that have done but still get hit by the high tariffs?

Of course they want you to insulate and use as little product as you can - then they'll put the prices up to maintain their profits and get the same or more profit out of selling us less product.

Good for the planet - bad for mr average

vivatifosi

grizzly1911 wrote: »

They don't have to buy "dirty" energy they can rely on on tallow candles instead.;)

I bet even then someone would find a way of smuggling horse into beef tallow.

wotsthat

grizzly1911 wrote: »

What risk is there?

Is their an alternative to electricity requirements on the horizon?

AIUI all new builds will need to be gas free soon so electricity is the only, mass, energy source.

Whilst governments "control" pricing to some extent they will always allow it to rise to meet cost +.

If it was still in public control, we would still have electricity and we would be paying roughly the same. We wouldn't be wasting the overhead of 6 different corporate structures, shareholder returns, marketing and administration of constant tariff switching etc.

There's always a risk selling to a customer where the customer influences the price and/ or if they don't like the price agreed they can retrospectively change it with instruments such as a windfall tax etc. That's one of the political risks - there's also a risk that we'll find an alternative to electricity but that seems negligible.

Governments should balance the needs of the supplier with those who are providing investment capital but we're talking about politicians so, cynically, I tend to assume that ensuring energy supplies beyond their natural lifetimes is rather an abstract concept given there's an election every 5 years.

We might have to agree to disagree about whether governments are better placed than private companies to provide utilities. Can't see it myself.

IronWolf

Energy bills will be higher in future says Ofgem.

And in other news, the sky is blue.

Harry_Boyle

IronWolf wrote: »

Energy bills will be higher in future says Ofgem.

And in other news, the sky is blue.

Made me smile. I do find it amazing that higher energy prices comes as a surprise to everyone. All we can do as individuals is try to reduce our consumption in the wake of the increases.

Our bills have been static over the last 3 years, despite price hikes, because we have been gradually replacing our electrical goods with more efficient ones, we replaced our central heating boiler and re-routed some heating pipes to shorten the feed and return distances to make the system more efficient and we are piling in insulation not only in the loft but in the walls and importantly between the ceiling voids where the heating pipes are (it's amazing how draughty and cold these voids are and yet central heating pipes go through them with zero insulation).

wotsthat

My spending on gas and electricity was down again YoY in 2012 - I spent only £50 more than 2005.

I've made an effort to monitor energy use, improve insulation, replace worn out electricals with more efficient versions and, most importantly, try and get my family on-board too.

2012 was the first year where I found it difficult to get an energy deal I was completely happy with - if it hadn't been for the fact that one of my sons left home I reckon I would have seen the first increase in outgoings since 2009. Since he's gone my water bill has more than halved!

Mr._Pricklepants

wotsthat wrote: »

I've made an effort to monitor energy use, improve insulation, replace worn out electricals with more efficient versions and, most importantly, try and get my family on-board too.

pffft, what a waste of time and money.
Don't you know that moaning about it on an internet forum and wondering what the government is gonna do is far more efficient?

grizzly1911

wotsthat wrote: »

My spending on gas and electricity was down again YoY in 2012 - I spent only £50 more than 2005.

I've made an effort to monitor energy use, improve insulation, replace worn out electricals with more efficient versions and, most importantly, try and get my family on-board too.

2012 was the first year where I found it difficult to get an energy deal I was completely happy with - if it hadn't been for the fact that one of my sons left home I reckon I would have seen the first increase in outgoings since 2009. Since he's gone my water bill has more than halved!

I'm with you on this.

When our first one went to uni you could notice the difference in energy use. They have an electric shower plus the washing and ironing dropped by 50%.

Haven't noticed the water come down by much but I don't monitor that as closely only through the bills which probably average out through the year.

When they come home energy use goes up.

Another one will be off this September and I expect the fall will be more noticeable.

nicko33

Graham_Devon wrote: »

As was stated on the radio, the energy companies are making few people extremely rich, while making more and more poorer.

Which people are getting rich? Shareholders? Pension funds?