Just in time for the winter weather Scottish and Southern Energy will be raising their prices of domestic gas and electricity by about 9% from the 15th October 2012. More than five million customers will have to pay more for gas and electricity and in these days where inflation depending on what you spend is around 3% and where wage inflation is virtually non-existent, these energy prices rises will make it hard for many people to pay their energy bills. Come 2013 the average dual fuel customer will be paying nearly £1300 a year just to keep warm, was in hot water cook and keep the lights on and the appliances in power.
Last year, in 2011, all the major energy companies (that is all six of them) put their prices up. At the beginning of this year they put their prices down by small amounts, probably so that consumers could not claim that prices always go up and never come down. This present price rise of around 9% will not doubt be followed by the remaining five large energy companies. Wholesale gas prices are on the rise, and if we have a very cold winter they will continue to rise, and the energy companies have to pay for improvements to the energy network, so it is hard to see why we all should not be faced with large energy price increases of the next few years.
The scale of the problem of rising energy prices is almost certainly under estimated by the government and the regulator, both of whom enjoy simple and trusting relations with the six energy giants. There are two changes in our energy supply system that can be made which will be considered revolutionary in these days of worship to the God of the Free Market in every aspect of our lives and economy.
The first measure is simple; renationalise the energy companies so that this strategic resource is not in private hands and so that future planning is made without regard to market forces and with regard to need. The second measure is also simple; invert the price pyramid for energy so that people do not get discounts for the more energy they use but get discounts for using less energy.
I cannot see in the present circumstances any of these revolutionary ideas for the securing of energy and for the improvement of the environment will come to pass. The regulator has been well and truly captured by the energy companies and the government has to cope with the economic problems of the day; to do this it will have to stay on its toes, just like a midget at a urinal.
For the hard pressed consumer of energy now would be a good time to get your Genersys solar water heating, which will mitigate the price rise and provide a quicker than ever payback.
Filed under: carbon emissions, solar, solar panels Tagged: | electricity prices, energy prices, gas prices, genersys, midget at a urinal, nationalisation of energy companies, reform of the energy markets, scottish and southern, solar water heating, SSE
Stunning quest there. What happened after?
Thanks!
There are many ways to skin the energy cat, bottled gas carries only 5.0% tax, two large bottles cost anywhere between £108 – £140 pounds depending on supplier and last 12 months on average for cooking alone and this gives many couples a years security, if you spend much time in the kitchen you can also keep warm in there whilst cooking.
Remember when I asked earlier if you could aquire a complete solar heating system for a thousand pounds, you can if you make it yourself, all new certified parts and raw materials from off of the shelf, here is the way forward to the free energy for everyone, or a ready made simple system you can fit yourself. The average system should last at least 30 years so it is worth having at the right price.
Some of the quotes for systems I have been given were quite frightening to say the least, but it is a great way to supplement ones savings in an energy, rich yet expensive paradigm.
Again it is fear and greed perpetuating further fear and greed, a fear by the rich that the poor will one day storm the Bastille and a fear of the poor having to make ends meet, fears I might add and many laws we still use today that were brought into being during the medieval dark ages and a power vaccum that ensued after the Roman empire and its ultra modern controlling force left our isle.
However, after researching into the many solar alternatives I was amazed to see, just how little make it yourself information there was on WiKi about it, many that were there had been taken down and on several points in the past, even the Wayback engine had no records of their being.
In this current paradigm many things could bedone far more efficiently, but alas they are not, and clearly influenced by money or the lack of it as debt.
Isn’t life a gas.