Energy news in general

MacPingu1986

molerat said:

And the next loony government plan  https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/refusing-smart-meter-could-hit-132828295.html

I think you might have mis-read the article. There's no "loony government plan". All the article is saying is that a buildings smart readiness will be factored into its EPC (energy efficiency) rating.

Some buyers may place a premium on a property with a good energy efficiency rating in exactly the same way as some buyers will pay more for a certain location/size/layout/age/style etc..

molerat

MacPingu1986 said:

molerat said:

And the next loony government plan  https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/refusing-smart-meter-could-hit-132828295.html

I think you might have mis-read the article. There's no "loony government plan". All the article is saying is that a buildings smart readiness will be factored into its EPC (energy efficiency) rating.

Some buyers may place a premium on a property with a good energy efficiency rating in exactly the same way as some buyers will pay more for a certain location/size/layout/age/style etc..

Not misread it at all.  They are simply adding another flawed box to a completely flawed box ticking exercise that completely misrepresents the real energy efficiency of a property.

A quote from the article

EPCs ‘do not provide accurate assessments’

Experts from across the energy and property sectors have long derided EPCs as a flawed method of assessing a home’s energy efficiency.

The current grading system assigns a grade to properties between A and G, with A representing the pinnacle of efficiency.

A report published by consumer group Which? in May found that “too many EPCs do not provide an accurate assessment of the energy efficiency of a home”.

It added that metrics were confusing for homeowners, and suggested landlords were being misled by recommendations. The report found EPC assessors were scoring homes on their bills, rather than carbon emissions.

Critics also warned that in some cases, properties were downgraded after installing greener heating systems such as heat pumps.

TheElectricCow

A review of Ofgem in general appears to now be in the works
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/stronger-protections-and-a-better-deal-for-consumers-in-review-of-energy-regulator

Amongst other various issues, a couple of note are there seems to be some consideration for potential improvements to GSOP payments and reducing the time needed before complaints can be referred to the ombudsman, with an overall focus on “improving standards”.

Scot_39

Had been struggling to find a combined 5 year plan cost - for electric network (grid level) spending figure for the current 5 years to support projected demand and renewables connections - to go along with the ESO figure of £58bn in their Beyond 2030 call for spending document

Found this

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/dec/18/energy-firms-rewire-great-britain-electricity-grid

Upto £77bn in total.

The NESO "Beyond longer term forecast of required spend - from Mar this year - pre election - and New Govts "Energy" plans

https://www.neso.energy/news/eso-publishes-beyond-2030-ps58bn-investment-plan-future-britains-energy-system

Another £58 bn

All their may be some overlap - and acceleration under the new government or taxpayer funding may well have changed via GB Energy etc - e.g. some of that £58bn spending brought forward into the upto £77bn - as the NESO figure is now 9months old.

But if add as stands thats £135bn - or about £4300 per connection - over 10 years - no doubt some of it could be deemed fixed costs - but others will be unit - and so very unlikely to be spread evenly - so not that large for typical domestic consumers. 

 

But it gives an idea of the scale of investment going on - and it's unlikely to stop at 2035 - thats just the next 5 year plan + the old 5 year plan to 2035.

But the first five years at upto c£15.4bn per year followed potentially by another £12bn per year for the next 5.

When divide that even over c31.5m (domestic and business) - your still talking a lot of money - £15.4bn / 31.5m connections = c£500 each per year to 2030 - dropping to c£400 per year - even just the finance costs - are going to make it into all of our bills - via no doubt a split of SC and unit rates.

Like the recent press on Milibands £21.7bn for carbon capture over 5 years adding an estimated £21 pa to our bills - for 25 years estimates  (articles £517 total over estimated 25 year = c£21 if charged linearly).  Some of which might have been included in the NESO £58bn anyway.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/12/16/billpayers-face-520-levy-fund-miliband-carbon-capture/

Those 10 year plans upto £77bn+£58bn = 6x that level of investment.

Be interesting to see what wins - the in theory lower renewables costs (but CfD was costing c£37 in Jul cap - £37/2700kWh TDCV + VAT = c1.45p/kWh before gas prices rose and a lower £29 in Oct cap.

Note a reduction in CfD's doesnt mean the renewables mix is that amount - the £8 - cheaper - it's just not as expensive compared to the price of gas generated electric) 

So whether renewables prices - the CfD guarantees for which were trending down until last years auction round failure (at least for FOS wind in2023) - but with this year offering a c60% increase on 2023 failed price versus the network cost - its unclear whether - cheap green energy is going to be that cheap - and it wins to actually lower our bills - over the £10s bn in network costs.

Green politicians have never been shy about the cost of the green transition - or the need to provide state help not just to the very poorest - but even the average household to do so - other parties a lot less so IMO.

 

And it's not like when they are - they are well received - arguably north of the border Harvie's more aggressive plans for zero carbon heating and transport - than England's at the time - were part of the reason Bute House agreement ended.

 

And remember wind power pricing - certainly FOS wind is now tracking up - by about 60% between the price that failed to attract investment in 2023 round 5 and the recent 2024 cap set - despite an increase offered over 2022 auction lows for that 2023 round - in 2022 several GW of FOS licensed below £40/MWh at 2012 price (pre indexing).

SJMALBA

Latest forecast from Cornwall Insight, for Q2 2025 'Price Cap':

https://www.cornwall-insight.com/predictions-and-insights-into-the-default-tariff-cap/

northernstar007

am i reading that correct the price per unit on both gas and electric has shot up, the electric SC has dropped a little
and this is for the spring, hate to see what the winter next year is going to look like 

GingerTim

northernstar007 said:

am i reading that correct the price per unit on both gas and electric has shot up, the electric SC has dropped a little
and this is for the spring, hate to see what the winter next year is going to look like 

Not sure 'shot up' is an accurate description - electricity is up by 1.5p and gas by 0.4p per kwh. Almost 5p drop in the electricity standing charge, increase of 2p on the gas SC.

But then this is only CW's current prediction...

Scot_39

Less if use Q1 cap unit rates

25.93 - 24.86 = 1.07p

6.61 - 6.34p = 0.27p

Your numbers are looking more like relative to Q4 2024 Oct to Dec ending tonight (24.5p and 6.24p regional averages)

GingerTim

Scot_39 said:

Less if use Q1 cap unit rates

25.93 - 24.86 = 1.07p

6.61 - 6.34p = 0.27p

Your numbers are looking more like relative to Q4 2024 Oct to Dec ending tonight (24.5p and 6.24p regional averages)

Thanks for the correction - you are right, I was looking at the last quarter's rates.

The_Green_Hornet

UK government scraps plan to ban sale of gas boilers by 2035

‘Future homes standard’ will not mandate replacing boilers with environmentally friendly alternative

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/06/uk-government-scraps-plan-to-ban-sale-of-gas-boilers-by-2035