According to Lord Redesdale, Chief Executive of the Energy Managers Association (EMA) in a recent interview with Utility Week it could and should be the IT department of your business. Redesdale explained: “Energy efficiency is the big one [focus]. We waste about 40 per cent of the energy we put into the system through doing […]
The Independent’s Investigation into Foreign Ownership
In a new investigation, the Independent newspaper has revealed the extent of the displacement of dividends to other European governments as a result of the increasing level of foreign ownership amongst UK utilities. The Independent revealed that: “In the past two years alone, overseas taxpayers have taken dividends totalling nearly £1bn from companies which make […]
The spectre of Schröder haunting the German energy giants
Energiewende The thud of jaws hitting the ground would probably have been audible across the channel when Germany, fresh from their energy giant crippling nuclear moratorium and the cries of despair from RWE and E.ON, Germany has announced that under their policy of ‘Energiewende’ it intends to derive 80% of its electricity from renewable sources […]
Ineos’ New Fracking Frontier
A new frontier has opened in fracking. Scotland and North England can look forward to the drilling of ‘hundreds’ of wells according to intentions revealed by Ineos. The petrochemicals giant announced their potential $1bn investment after bidding for a series of ‘exploration blocks’ in the current DECC licensing round. Success in their bids would see […]
Centrica’s Back of the Sofa Moment
Beleaguered Big 6 energy supplier Centrica like a desperate householder searching down the back of the sofa for spare change is hurriedly looking for exit opportunities from some its less economic generation portfolio. Fresh from its second profit warning in 12 months Centrica is looking to dispose of its Langage, South Humber Bank and Killinghome […]
Ed Davey “We’re Fine” Message on Energy
Unfazed by the close shave and entirely avoidable capacity constraint of 2014/15, Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change is belatedly developing plans to prepare the UK for the ongoing prospect of winter energy shortages. With a bad winter raising the prospect of spare generation capacity being just 2.8% compared to 17% […]
UK placed on energy watch list
Being put on a list is rarely a good thing, perhaps waiting for a new iPhone could be classed as such, but then again is paying through the nose to look cool for the day good? Regardless the latest list on which the UK energy market has been placed is definitely not good. The World […]
Pylon Madness Adds to Energy Bills
In an interesting aside to the normal cost of energy debate an eyesore has raised eyebrows. Three main elements have driven the increase in the cost of energy that is the focal point of much angst ahead of the 2015 general election and the findings of the CMA investigation into energy competition in the UK […]
Smart saves you 6%, Smarter saves you much more
In the first quantitative analysis from real world usage of smart meters, British Gas has revealed that customers could save up to 6% on their annual bills by using smart meters. British Gas pinpointed the existence of a visible “smart meter energy monitor” as the key factor in encouraging more efficient behaviour in suitably equipped […]
Increasing Energy Levies and Subsidy Costs
The Energy Cost Artifice Climate Change Levy (CCL), Contracts for Difference (CFDs), Renewables Obligation (RO), Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), Feed in Tariff (FIT), the list goes on. The levies and subsidies attached to the invoices of business electricity customers are growing at an inexorable rate. Already the cost of these environmental and social obligations make […]