In welcome news for UK business, the Office for National Statistics has reported industrial output growth significantly higher than expectations. In the latest 2014 figures, industrial production rose 0.9% whilst manufacturing grew 1% registering a year on year increase of 3.8%. George Buckley, UK economist at Deutsche Bank, held a very punchy view of the […]
Business energy for start-ups
6 tips to save money and cut stress If you’re running a start-up, or thinking of starting your own business, there’s no doubt that you have a lot on your mind: business plans, accounts, sales figures, marketing, tax, employees… We don’t want to needlessly add to that list, but we are going to suggest that […]
Labour’s Energy Price Freeze Proposals
The expected unexpected impact According to friends of Business Juice, Cornwall Energy, Ed Miliband’s ‘off the wall’ and ill thought through commitment to freeze energy prices after the next election has resulted in the fully expected unintended consequences of market meddling. The independent energy consultancy, has written to Caroline Flint, the Shadow Secretary of State […]
The End of Russia’s Influence on European Energy?
In early March we wrote an article on the Ukraine crisis where we compared the current energy standoff to similar Russo-Ukranian conflicts in 2005 and 2009. We spoke of a renewed sense of optimism amongst central European nations that the impact would be mitigated as the energy markets had moved on in a short few […]
Top Business Energy Deals
Business Electricity Deals Benchmark* deals at 40-49% below un-contracted rates**. 1 Year electricity deals available at 7% discount to BMR 2 Year electricity deals available at 4% discount to 1 year 3 Year electricity deals available at 4% discount to 2 year 4 Year electricity deals available at 3% discount to 3 year Fully fixed […]
Scottish Independence and UK Energy Policy
It’s cold up north and it might get a whole lot colder The yes / no vote on Scottish Independence may still be five months away but that isn’t stopping the various factions getting in their claims and counter-claims. Most, quite frankly, are not terribly interesting or relevant, whilst some, like the future of the […]
The Future of UK Coal
Short-term support, long-term hope Just last week in our news piece ‘The Mining Minority’ we talked of the prospect of just a single deep-pit coal mine being left in operation in the UK. In the face of this, Michael Fallon, the energy minister, confirmed plans to extend a £10m loan to delay the seemingly inevitable […]
A Week in the Life of Sam Laidlaw
What a busy few weeks for Centrica Chief Executive Sam Laidlaw. Announcing the energy apocalypse that the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into the UK energy market would bring; Giving up his bonus to Charity; Being widely denounced and derided for his doomsday scenarios and being labeled a “scaremonger” by his largest rival; Being awarded […]
The Energy Ombudsman – Complaints at All Time High
Busier than ever, but no more visible The Energy Ombudsman, the little known, but crucial arbiter on the most serious energy supplier disputes claims that the number of complaints they are dealing with is at an all time high. In Q1 2013 the Ombudsman received 3,277 complaints In the first three months of 2014 this […]
Can you generate electricity from rainfall?
In the first of a new series from Business Juice we attempt to answer some scientific questions about how the future of energy could evolve. Today we ask: Is it possible to generate electricity from rainfall? The last 12 months have seen an incredible amount of rainfall in the UK, in fact it’s pouring down […]