Fracking is the latest gambit being used by the Scottish Government, Alex Salmond and the Yes campaign to persuade Scotland that an independent future offers the best outcome of the referendum later this month, with the much maligned energy ‘holy grail’ becoming the nationalists new poster child. Following on from Sir Ian Wood’s attack on […]
Scottish Independence and Energy Bills
We’ve already talked in these pages about the thoughts of the business community on an independent Scotland but with the poll nearing and the result too close to call our attentions turn to the impact a yes vote could have on energy bills north of the border. This isn’t mere rhetoric, whatever Alex Salmond would […]
Wind Energy News: A Bad Week
In a bad news week for wind power claims of inefficiency and profligate costs of current wind energy policy have been laid bare, apparently further justifying the government’s anti onshore wind policy. In the first instance, Professor David Mackay the former Chief Scientific Advisor of DECC has presented evidence that a wind farm would require […]
Labour Promises a Fit for Purpose Energy Regulator
One thing that we have learnt since Red Ed’s appointment is that sensible energy policy and the Labour party don’t make regular bedfellows, however the opposition may be turning a corner. Labour has long promised a “new energy regulator”, we for one believe this cannot come soon enough given the utter disarray and disrepute that […]
SSEs National Network Energy Charging
As part of SSEs response to the CMA investigation into the UK energy markets, the Big 6 energy supplier has proposed a controversial solution to the regional differences between energy prices. A common misconception, peddled not least by the energy regulator Ofgem, is that the Big 6 energy suppliers who operate ‘in area’ in their […]
Winter Blackouts Back on the Energy Agenda
EDF Energy, the owner of British Energy, the nuclear business responsible for generating 10% of the UK’s energy recently announced that they needed to shut down four of its 15 UK reactors. EDF found that “unexpected cracking” had occurred in the boiler spine of the Heysham-1 reactor. This spine is a central forged metal tube […]
‘Key Facts’ Statement for Business Electricity & Gas Contracts
Finding the best deal for gas or electricity can save a company thousands of pounds – large businesses can save over £50k a year by switching to the most suitable energy supplier. However, the simple task of understanding contracts and deals for utilities is not straightforward. In fact, due to the structure of the industry, […]
CMA Investigation Response – nPower
In the latest in our series analysing the responses of key players to the CMA investigation into the UK energy market we focus on nPower, the Big 6 energy supplier. nPower seem to make a habit of blaming others for their own issues and their response to the CMA investigation is apparently no exception. Indeed […]
CMA Energy Investigation – Ofgem Respond
In the latest in our series analysing the responses of key players to the CMA investigation into the UK energy market we focus on Ofgem, the much maligned energy regulator who are seen by many to have lost their way culminating in the CMA probe. Without too much reading between the lines the tone of […]
CMA Submission – SSE
In the latest in our series analysing the responses of key players to the CMA investigation into the UK energy market we focus on the second largest energy supplier in the UK, SSE. Even before the CMA’s publication of their Statement of Issues, SSE Chief Executive Alistair Phillips-Davies has been vocal in his support of […]