A new process has been set up for fracking applications to ensure that the government can fast-track appeals without lengthy decision-making. The measures include identifying councils, which repeatedly fail to determine oil and gas applications within the 16-week statutory timeframe, with subsequent applications potentially decided by the communities secretary. We’re rather bemused by the decision […]
Public ownership for the Big Six and National Grid says Corbyn
Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn has announced he wants to renationalise the big six energy companies and National Grid if he were leading a Labour government. He said: “I would want the public ownership of the gas and the National Grid. I would personally wish that the big six were under public control, or public […]
New Hinkley Nuclear Plant will get the go ahead
The hugely debated Hinkley Point C new nuclear plant looks set to get the green light as the UK government have allegedly agreed a deal with EDF. It’s expected an announcement will be put out after parliament has returned from its summer recess. It’s rumoured that the deal is agreed and will be signed within […]
Worst customer service award goes to utilities companies
According to the Institute of Customer Service, the latest UK customer satisfaction index (UKCSI) showed utilities as the lowest ranking sector for customer service. While it looked unfavourable in comparison to the other 12 sectors, it has still come on leaps and bounds since last year having made the biggest sector improvement. Nearly half of […]
Centrica job cuts as profits plummet
British Gas Business profits in the first half of 2015 have plummeted by 95% to just £3 million from £61 million last year after a new billing system caused billing issues, raising costs and hitting customer service levels. Centrica said the delay to issuing customer bills resulted in an increased bad debt charge and additional […]
Plummeting oil and gas demand leaves Russia in trouble
Russia is in financial difficulties and has slumped into a depression after gas and oil revenues have decreased dramatically. Russian gas giant Gazprom’s revenues are due to drop by a third after European demand has plummeted leaving the Russian economy in a precarious position. Bad news for the eastern country with shoplifting already on the […]
Climate change education required to stop global warming
Energy secretary Amber Rudd has called for a new approach to tackling global warming after she stated that the climate change debate was ‘dictated by left-wing anti-capitalists.’ Rudd says she can understand why people see tackling global warming as “cover for anti-growth, anti-capitalist, proto-socialism.” “It cannot be left to one part of the political spectrum […]
Huge increase in Big Six customer complaints
Nearly all of the big six energy companies have suffered from a 50% rise in complaints this year. With the exception of EDF who managed to lower their number of complaints, the rest of the big suppliers received average complaints of 271.3 per 100,000 customers between January and March this year. Citizens Advice’s chief executive […]
Government scraps energy household efficiency scheme
The new government has scrapped the Green Deal energy efficiency programme after only 10,000 homes signed up. The scheme was initially introduced to encourage households to install insulation and new boilers making properties more energy efficient by taking out loans. The loan repayments would supposedly be covered by the energy savings although it was later […]
Energy secretary backs nuclear for the short term
Energy secretary Amber Rudd announced support for nuclear power in order to back up unreliable renewable sources and provide the UK with a steady supply of electricity. She stated: “The requirement for nuclear is absolute if we want to have renewables as part of the mix because, until we get storage right, renewables are unreliable. […]