Hear me out. Is the price rise good for climate change?

Ergates

Pete99 said:

The climate will change whatever we do or don't do, it changes in cycles whether the planet's occupied or not.

Thousands of people who are immensely more qualified than you are and who have spent many years studying the climate disagree with you.  But what do they know?   That video you watched on Facebook was far more convincing.

MattMattMattUK

wrf12345 said:

"We are all getting £400 in October so you can crank the CH up even higher now. "

It is £400 less the increase in (April) standing charge divided by the new gas rate in October so probably equivalent to spending a £100 or so on gas at the old rates, better than nothing (along with the £150 council tax rebate if you got it) but all this money is being sucked out of the economy by the energy companies. Pensioners get a bit extra but not quite old enough for that. Luckily, I have a nice boost in income later this year so it is not going to kill me but not giving any of it to the energy companies.

BTW the reason standing charges exist is because there is no meaningful competition. When I fill my motorcycle with £10's worth of petrol (rather than five or ten times which the car drivers are paying) I am not collared for an extra charge to cover the overhead and the fuel distribution system, that comes out of the overall pot. Absolutely no reason why the same could not happen with the energy companies and s/c's be abolished. other than lack of competition and greed. It would also make differences in charges much easier to see and bills easier to calculate (and also liberate the really poor on prepayment meters from crippling fixed charges).

It is not the same because petrol is not pumped to your home, if it was then there would be a standing charge for the pipe network. If you want to go and pick up your gas every week then you can do so via Calor bottles, there is no standing charge for those, which is the same as your petrol analogy. 

Standing charges cover the cost of the network, with everyone who is connected to the network and so benefits from it being charged for the provision of that network, usage is charge on a unit rate, that system makes rational sense. 

If you hate the standing charge as much as you seem to then take yourself off-grid so you do not have to pay it. 

jimjames

LADYXXMACBETH said:

Is the spike in gas, oil and electric good for the environment? 
I want it noted that I'm not a climate change enthusiast, it was just something I have thought about and wanted people's thoughts too. I suspect I will be told to shut up and not be stupid. Plus I do recognise that people are really struggling and it mainly a theoretical question. 

I think the simple answer is yes as it seems to be making people aware of their use and cutting waste which they weren't doing before when prices were low. 

agentcain

Ergates said:

Pete99 said:

The climate will change whatever we do or don't do, it changes in cycles whether the planet's occupied or not.

Thousands of people who are immensely more qualified than you are and who have spent many years studying the climate disagree with you.  But what do they know?   That video you watched on Facebook was far more convincing.

And the same people have identified the sources not being the average citizen who's struggling to heat their home in winter, travel to work or cook a meal. Yet you conveniently leave this one out. 

Ultrasonic

wrf12345 said:

BTW the reason standing charges exist is because there is no meaningful competition. When I fill my motorcycle with £10's worth of petrol (rather than five or ten times which the car drivers are paying) I am not collared for an extra charge to cover the overhead and the fuel distribution system, that comes out of the overall pot. Absolutely no reason why the same could not happen with the energy companies and s/c's be abolished. other than lack of competition and greed. It would also make differences in charges much easier to see and bills easier to calculate (and also liberate the really poor on prepayment meters from crippling fixed charges).

Not a fair analogy given that you drive to the petrol station whereas electricity and likely gas is provided 24/7 to your property. Also, the standing charge covers other things like the Supplier of Last Resort protection when energy firms go bust (payments for which account for a large chunk of recent standing charge increases).

D924

This is just going to lead to a sick population due to cold and squalour. People are not cooking or refrigerating their food. People are showering less or not at all, washing their clothes and sheets less or not at all. People are turning their central heating down to 14C without considering the health risks of doing so.

This can in no way be described as a "reduction in unnecessary consumption" and will have consequences.

Ultrasonic

D924 said:

This is just going to lead to a sick population due to cold and squalour. People are not cooking or refrigerating their food. People are showering less or not at all, washing their clothes and sheets less or not at all. People are turning their central heating down to 14C without considering the health risks of doing so.

This can in no way be described as a "reduction in unnecessary consumption" and will have consequences.

Much of the time I think people can shower every other day rather than the daily that is the norm. for some just fine. I'm not sure anyone has suggested the other things you've described fall under the category of 'reduction in unnecessary consumption' though.