Energy news in general

GingerTim

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/24/global-oil-crisis-changed-fossil-fuel-industry-for-ever-iea-chief-fatih-birol

‘The damage is done’: global oil crisis has changed fossil fuel industry for ever, IEA chief says

The oil crisis triggered by the Iran war has changed the fossil fuel industry for ever, turning countries away from fossil fuels to secure energy supplies, the world’s leading energy economist said.

Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), also said that, despite pressure, the UK should forgo much of its potential North Sea expansion.

Speaking exclusively to the Guardian, Birol said a key effect of the US-Israel war on Iran was that countries would lose trust in fossil fuels and demand for them would reduce.

“Their perception of risk and reliability will change. Governments will review their energy strategies. There will be a significant boost to renewables and nuclear power and a further shift towards a more electrified future,” he said. “And this will cut into the main markets for oil.”

Birol said there was no going back from the crisis: “The vase is broken, the damage is done – it will be very difficult to put the pieces back together. This will have permanent consequences for the global energy markets for years to come.”

Ildhund

German energy group E.ON sparks plot to combine with rival supplier Ovo Energy

The German energy group E.ON is advancing plans to combine with rival Ovo Energy in a deal to create a group with a customer base that would by some measures be larger than those of British Gas and Octopus Energy, the market leaders.

See Mark Kleinman's blog

QrizB

The date for Radio 4 to cease long wave transmissions has been announced by the BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/work-warning/news/radio4lw

27th June.

The end of an era.

I wonder if there are still many RTS holdouts?

Ildhund

E.On Next/OVO merger

@Ildhund wrote about E.On's plans to take over/buy/merge with OVO. This is what OVO announced yesterday 11 May: An update about OVO. E.On Next's announcement spoke only of 'acquisition': E.ON to acquire OVO and put customers in control by making new energy work – for everyone | E.ON News

Yarrows

So it sounds as though OVO's existing billing platform will be retained for OVO customers at least. But maybe not for E.ON's UK customers even though there's a possibility it'll be used elsewhere.

JKenH

Can anyone explain, please, what precisely is meant by reports in the Independent and other newspapers indicating that the Energy Independence Bill will "enable the removal of charges on power that consumers export to the grid”. As far as I was aware UK energy suppliers didn’t charge domestic customers for exporting power even at peak generation times. I suspect it is bad reporting but it is widespread in yesterday’s press.

“The legislation will enable the removal of charges on power consumers export to the grid, for example from solar panels, and allow discounted energy at times of excess generation to give families more control over bills as renewables increase. Currently, when there is excess power being generated – for example on a sunny, windy weekend day – grid operators have to pay generators to reduce what they are putting into the grid, increasing costs for consumers and wasting clean power when it is most available.”

£12,000 solar-panel grants for thousands of homes confirmed - who is eligible

QrizB

British Gas has agreed a settlement over the "forced prepayment meters" issue from a few years ago.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8p7l1y59lo

BG aren't the only ones affected. From the article:

Suppliers including EDF, E.On and Scottish Power have already agreed to pay compensation.

Reed_Richards

Can anyone explain, please, what precisely is meant by reports in the Independent and other newspapers indicating that the Energy Independence Bill will "enable the removal of charges on power that consumers export to the grid”.

It could mean that you will be paid the same rate for export as you pay for import.