f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

At last someone on here gets it

Chip

****, Npower put their prices up yesterday , does this mean I have to go out and smash up shops , loot them , burn cars and throw rocks at the coppers then .

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

No because you are more intelligent than that (I think ), but there will be some who want to!

Chip

Ok, I'll just keep on paying then as I still believe that £20/week to heat all my water (wife and 2 girls) heat the house , do the washing, cooking etc in a 4 bed det is not a great price to pay.

Chip

Richy P1984

Environmental designations such as AONBs, SSSIs, SACs, & SPAs can cause an obstruction to renewables. However this doesnt mean that we should just wash our hands of it. NIMBYs will not be able to hold out forever.

Richy P1984

New research shows that verticle turbines can be used to generate more electricity per area squared if they are deployed int the right pattern - they studied fish shoals and the way the water moves when they all want to swim in the same direction. So, you may find that turbines in sensitive locations may become far less imposing.

Leslie

Yes I am sure they are very efficient Chip, not only at running their businesses, but also making as much profit as they possible can out of their customers.

They are in an unenviable position to hold us all to ransom.

Les

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Yes but the other side of it would be that we'd pay for it through high taxes as the huge inefficiencies of the nationalised industries sucked up all the cash.

That and they'd be on strike every other week because 10 tea breaks a day isn't enough.

The cost to the economy of power strikes would be crippling right now. They were sold off to avoid going back to the three day week scenarios too.

5t.

Chip

Les,

Take a look at the fundamentals of these companies, would you rather see them operating at a loss. The news (BBC especially) like to work on headline figures and are always mentioning £billions of profit, but these companies also have many more £billions of turnover than most so therefore will have bigger profits but in proportion they are usually the same percentage wise or less than other large companies.

Chip

Leslie

Certainly not at a loss of course Chip, but I get the feeling that the stockholders are more important than the customers, and I am not even a socialist!

Les

Gordo

Chip has it right - and don't forget that profit isn't the whole story here - these businesses use huge amounts of ongoing capital investment so they need a profit return to justify that investment (and that profit may not be translating into cash because of that ongoing investment requirement). I'd rather the big businesses with an eye to long term value were behind those long term investment decisions rather than the short term focus of politicians and the vagaries of the political whim of the day. A good example is the NHS - no government ever puts together a long term funding solution as they're only interested in short term vote winning projects. Hence it never works as efficiently as it should.

Gordo

Frosticles

iTrader: (1)

Just been looking into these solar panels that put electricity back into the National Grid. Free Electricity during the day and free installation of the panels

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

And the fact it was £10 a week five years ago isn't an issue because you can afford the increase..... some people are not so lucky!

Ant

And they own your roof

danos14

iTrader: (8)

The problem as I see it, the uk has no control over its energy anymore. The companies can keep hiking the prices up and we are all aware the prices are fixed because they are so close and none of them will offer a deal.

Where is all the investment because when we need new connections or upgrades to the gas or electricity supply for our developments we pay through the nose for it to the likes of transco or national grid etc... not to the energy suppliers who are simply selling their item and then paying for the use of the supply system.

The prices keep going up for the energy and petrol then food and we have inflation problems.

Chip

No they don't if you buy the panels yourself which is the best way to do it.

Chip

Chip

For me, no, it's not an issue. But fuel hasn't doubled in real terms in 5 years either. And as for those that say they cannot afford to pay, the vast majority of them can but won't. Then whinge and moan when they are cut off or have credit meters fitted. I agree there are some very hard up people but only a very small minority who could not afford to pay. The rest should cut their cloth to suit as thy always seem to be able to drink , smoke, have PC's etc.

Chip

Jamescsti

As others have said they have us over a barrel. There is no real alternative to paying the bills. My car now stays at home most of the time and I cycle to save on fuel. There is no real alternative to gas and electric use.

EOEUMC

iTrader: (5)

Sorry not read through all posts, but why do you think they will stop putting them or whether the public will say NO?

We all need gas/electric etc and as there is that demand, they will continue to rip the country off left right and centre. Even if people was to go over to oil or calor gas (if its any cheaper) they will only start bumping up those prices aswell I mean if you refuse to pay it, what will happen? lol
I think if anyone can help out the drastic increases it would be the naff goverment we got! But then look attheir attempt with the banks bonus cutting fpmsl

Frosticles

iTrader: (1)

Cool. No more repairs for us to do then.

lozgti1

Well,getting the loft insulation done again,will be using the real fire as and when necessary and the wife as a hot water bottle in the winter

Only way to do anything is use less.And people are a bit namby pamby with the central heating nowadays

Our bills are going to be £200 month for gas and elec.Rises of something like 11% and 18 %

Might buy everyone a dynamo torch as well or some miners helmets

I'm sick of it

Leslie

We use the open fire in the winter. It does a good job in heating the house and we like to see an open fire anyway. Its not that hard to keep it going.

Les

Chip

Have you put into place or upgraded any energy saving measures like loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, efficient hearing controllers, even things like an OWL energy monitor will pay for itself in a short time as it will show just how much you are wasting by leaving things turned on.

Our bills are down on 4 years ago even with the rises because we carried out the above measures and thats with 2 girls and a wife in the house.

Chip

ScoobyDoo555

Read the posts before you contribute.

ScoobyDoo555

Our bills are pretty fair to be honest, but as stated earlier, only because at present, I can afford it (and it will be a LONG while before I can't).

I've installed all the usual preventative measures (loft & cavity insulation, double-glazing etc etc)

I don't put the heating on until at least after October Half Term.....

But it's certainly fair to say, we don't really have a choice right now. I don't see it going back to Dickensian times (lighting the lump coal! ), but it's exceedingly naive of people to assume that increasingly more people won't be heating their homes this Winter.
And we're not talking people who choose to have Sky TV over heating..... there's plenty of "normal" people who will be in that position......

Infrastructure development is fine, and I don't mind paying for it, BUT all the companies pretty much use the same infrastructure..... are you telling me that ALL the profits (allocated for development) from ALL the companies goes back into the same network.....

If that's the case, then we should have a network that the rest of the civilised world would be envious of.

speedking

I have been sailing on the west coast of Ireland = Atlantic and the sea has been flat calm. The losses in electricity generation from waves are high, so you need a relatively high level of output to produce anything useful. To work well they need regular waves. Maintenance costs are high, with the units unaccessible if the sea is too rough. Also wave and tidal generators obstruct shipping.

Not the golden bullet of power generation.

tony de wonderful

F1 does kind of have a point I admit. It is generally accepted by historians etc that high food prices etc can promote rioting even if it is not the direct cause. The gin tax of 1736 led to riots for example. Bread riots Egypt 1977.

tony de wonderful

Shame we ditched coal so readily for power generation. We are now net importers of gas. Gas seemed like a good idea back in the 80's but now not so good, it makes is very dependent upon Russia.

Also our high immigration doesn't help either. It is sold as the key to economic growth but immigrants cannot put gas or coal in the ground. They cannot 'magic' farm land out of thin air either.

grahamc

iTrader: (10)

Disgrace - yes
Going to change - no chance

As stated above, the only way forward is to stop relying on corporates (money hungry ones) and invest in renewable energies at home.

Have a look at this:
http://cars.uk.msn.com/features/phot...ntid=157384874
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2.../oil.venezuela

Imagine how much the government actually makes on fuel, once all added up.

Chip

We have!

When was the last time your lights went out or your gas got turned off. Hasn't happened has it. It used to though quite often didn't it.

Chip