Energy news in general

The_Green_Hornet

Fewer green energy tariffs offered as British households opt for cheaper deals

Industry data shows suppliers have scaled back premium-priced deals based on renewables as demand falls

The number of green energy tariffs available to British households has plummeted during the cost of living crisis as bill payers choose affordability over sustainability, according to industry data.

Energy suppliers have pulled tariffs advertised as “green” from the market since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered a global energy crisis that pushed gas and electricity bills to record highs.

Fewer green energy tariffs offered as British households opt for cheaper deals | Energy industry | The Guardian

Scot_39

Others have abandoned their 100% green marketing as well for all domestic customers, even those using REGOs rather than the true green ones.

EOn Next for instance now only applies their certificate backed 100% green promise to fixes and dropped afaik all variable rate from it.

And now do their own or did a wind fix - 12m Gust ?.

The true green generators were excluded from the cap i guess to allow them to invest in new capacity etc. 

stripling

@michaels
Is the Spanish scheme funded by bill levies or taxation?

The bono social eléctrico - basic level - works like a discount from the bill. As I said, energy tariffs are banded depending on use so if you claim the basic discount you are also restricted as to which band you can have.  It is afaik 25% of the bill. This is funded by the energy companies.

The higher level - for severe poverty/and/or health needs is funded 50/50 by energy companies and the regional (not national) state (comunidad autónoma - Andalucía, Cataluña etc).  This is 40% of the bill.

Each regional government may have their own initiatives too.  But the big difference between Spain and the UK is Spain has a legal definition of Energy Poverty which is a combination of economic status and physical building factors.  Alongside this, even if you are in debt and get cut off for non payment there is a legal 'minimum vital supply' which will continue. 

Campaigners have fought for this Energy Poverty definition in Britain but our government(s) have always refused.  

Big caveat - all these discounts/funds were massively increased and eligibility criteria expanded during/after Covid and I'm not sure where exactly they are now. 

On top of this VAT on electricity was reduced for all consumers, the 7% levies were suspended and various other fiscal moves. This was funded by Carbon auctions. 

Spain's energy costs have been dropping significantly post Covid. Spain handled the economics of Covid really well and very successfully used state subsidies to kick start the economy afterwards - free train travel etc.,  Spain's economy post-Covid is the fastest growth in Europe.  Energy efficiency and the energy transition was part of that. 

stripling

@Phones4Chris
Your forgot to start that post with /Rant and I won't assume it's /EndRant  

Lol.... not a rant a plea. 😁

michaels

stripling said:

@michaels
Is the Spanish scheme funded by bill levies or taxation?

The bono social eléctrico - basic level - works like a discount from the bill. As I said, energy tariffs are banded depending on use so if you claim the basic discount you are also restricted as to which band you can have.  It is afaik 25% of the bill. This is funded by the energy companies.

The higher level - for severe poverty/and/or health needs is funded 50/50 by energy companies and the regional (not national) state (comunidad autónoma - Andalucía, Cataluña etc).  This is 40% of the bill.

Each regional government may have their own initiatives too.  But the big difference between Spain and the UK is Spain has a legal definition of Energy Poverty which is a combination of economic status and physical building factors.  Alongside this, even if you are in debt and get cut off for non payment there is a legal 'minimum vital supply' which will continue. 

Campaigners have fought for this Energy Poverty definition in Britain but our government(s) have always refused.  

Big caveat - all these discounts/funds were massively increased and eligibility criteria expanded during/after Covid and I'm not sure where exactly they are now. 

On top of this VAT on electricity was reduced for all consumers, the 7% levies were suspended and various other fiscal moves. This was funded by Carbon auctions. 

Spain's energy costs have been dropping significantly post Covid. Spain handled the economics of Covid really well and very successfully used state subsidies to kick start the economy afterwards - free train travel etc.,  Spain's economy post-Covid is the fastest growth in Europe.  Energy efficiency and the energy transition was part of that. 

By energy companies of course meaning by other consumers. 

I believe Spain are reaping the benefits of cheap renewable energy, specifically solar - sadly we are not as well endowed in that respect but at the same time it appears they have under invested in the grid.

In the UK it always seems 'too hard' to do anything other than a one size fits all approach to such matters.

wrf12345

Not sure that energy companies, given all the rip-offs and misbilling that goes down, are suitable enterprises to trust with too much personal info, such as DOB (I always change mine), NI, etc. 

WiserMiser

wrf12345 said:

Not sure that energy companies, given all the rip-offs and misbilling that goes down, are suitable enterprises to trust with too much personal info, such as DOB (I always change mine), NI, etc. 

Far too many organisations just ask for DoB and Mother's Maiden Name and are then happy to reveal all.

It never occurs to these idiots that this information isn't known only by the applicant, and that passwords shouldn't be shared.

The only time I give my real DoB is for insurance quotations because wrong info could invalidate a claim.  Even then, just the year should usually be sufficient, perhaps also with the month if under 25 and exact if under 21.

wrf12345

Councils don't ask for NI because they have access to government databases, they use name and DOB to check voter registration but then take info off the NI database to add to their own database which even if you tick the private box on registration is still searchable by countless dodgy internet companies. They do have a VIP register which is not searchable (other than by cops, tax etc) but normal people have to get a court order to be able to get on it. If we were still in the EU they would be done over by data protection rules but we ain't.

superkoopauk

Further potential increase in the October cap.  This Ofgem proposal would add £4.30 to the annual gas cap by increasing the unidentified gas allowance from 1.88% to 2.9%

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-07/Energy-price-cap-additional-wholesale-allowance-unidentified-gas.pdf

QrizB

This'll interest some of the regulars on the thread:

https://wastedwind.energy

It's a site run by Octopus that shows the costs of wind energy curtailment.

I'm still unconvinced by their CEOs advocacy of regional wholesale pricing, but it's good to have the data available.