ENERGY MATTERS

[Stanley]

Here's a bit of info you might care to pass on to anyone you think might qualify. During my recent foray into the Warm Home Discount Scheme I was made aware of a replacement for the old essentials tariff which finally bit the dust on April 21st after being kept on to protect those who qualified. I got the letter yesterday confirming that I was now back on the standard tariff for both gas and electricity. However, what the letter didn't mention is that the Essentials Tariff has been replaced by a new scheme for those who qualify. If you call 0800-072 8625 and ask for your Essentials tariff to be replaced by the new standard 4% discount plan you will be asked questions about your circumstances and if you qualify will be sent a contract. I have applied but haven't got mine yet. I think the only condition will be that your circumstances don't change and that you continue to use BG as your supplier. Sounds like a no-brainer to me. If you know anyone who could qualify, get them to make the call or do it for them.

[Tardis]

I heard that 250 home surveys were completed in Barnoldswick under the LEAF study. I certainly haven't had my copy back yet and I was promised an electronic report. Wonder what it will say about the survey area?

The Micro-renewable study is complete

Reports may be on the agenda of the next Town Council meeting, although I haven't yet seen that confirmation

[Pluggy]

My much beloved backwards running electric meter's days may be numbered. Someone on another of my haunts with EDF and had PV panels installed around the same time as me has received an appointment to have his backwards meter changed in May. Pity, its saved me about £20 the last couple of months and it will be more than than that in Summer.

[Stanley]

When they replaced my old meter at Hey Farm in about 1975 my bill went up. The old one ran backwards when I was welding! Happy days......

[Wendyf]

Our first payment from NPower has arrived in the bank!!

[Tizer]

From what I know about Npower the cheque will say it's for £xx but will really be only £x! ("As defined under our Terms & Conditions which you will find in 2-point font size text on the most difficult to reach web page of our currently unavailable web site.")

[Stanley]

Cynical Tiz but all too often correct!
I was thinking about my new regime with the stove and have reconciled myself to the fact that by using less gas I will appear on the BG books as incredibly fuel efficient and outside the fuel poverty band. But annoying really, the more you economise the less deserving you are under their rules. However, it struck me that paying out money occasionally on a single transaction with no small print as you keep your fuel stock up has the merit that you know exactly where you are and never in debt. Better control of your budget and when you think about it the pricing and accounting structure of the energy companies is actually a very cunning wheeze to take control of an individual's budget.

[Wendyf]

Understandably cynical Tiz, but in this case NPower have been quite efficient...we thought it might take longer to get everything set up.

[Pluggy]

We got our first payment on Tuesday from EDF. It was as expected, it was from a reading on the 18th of March, we've generated as much again and more since then. EDF reduced what they take in direct debit every month again. Electric use from the meter is averaging around 3 units a day now, whereas were importing about 8 and using about 11.5

April generation was little better than March due to the week of glorious sunny weather at the end of March.

[Stanley]

I know the pay back period is always in your mind but nevertheless watching cash flow out reducing must be gratifying. Well done!

[Pluggy]

Just come across this via another haunt. http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/0 ... m_acc.html - I hadn't heard of it before. Killed 75 people. Contrast this with the Fukushima nuclear incident which still generates news coverage.

Hydro is perceived as nice safe cosy renewable energy. It was put down to badly maintained turbines and generators nearing the end of their life. Probably regarded as par for the course in Siberia by the worlds media. And it lack the nuclear holocaust angle.......

[Stanley]

I see that Japan has effectively shut down all of their nuclear plants, ostensibly for maintenance. They are importing gas to make up the shortfall.

[Pluggy]

Many with the opinion that 'they'll be back' since Tokyo is suffering regular power cuts still.

Anyone with a technical bent and an interest in Energy Matters will probably like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX0G9F42 ... ature=plcp

Unless you've got a real downer on Robert Llewellyn......

A whole series of short internet only shows sponsored by British Gas. Some of them are a bit blatant pushing BG's products.

[Tizer]

Pluggy, thanks for the link to the 2009 hydro disaster in Russia with its amazing photos. I didn't know about this event but some of you will recall that I've been on a bit of a bandwagon about how nuclear is considered unsafe yet hydro is susceptible to catastrophes too. Some day one of those big Chinese dams will go and millions of people will drown downstream.

[Stanley]

Compared with deaths due to coal extraction the nuclear industry is squeaky clean!

[Tizer]

On the Kalili programme you'll probably hear Lovelock saying how he has offered to store nuclear waste in his own garden!

[Tripps]

I heard some of this highly defferential interview. He said he, or his colleagues, were doing experiments, in which live hamsters were frozen, and then revived by applying very hot spoons to their chests. So hot that they burnt the fur. His solution to this problem was to "invent" the microwave oven, and revive them by putting them in one. He even said 'it heats them from the inside outwards you know'. He was proud of the fact that in those days there was no management acountability as to the subject of the research undertaken at the Medical Research Council. Any topic, so long as it was scientific research
I was listening to this in bed, and dozed off half way through. Please tell me it was all a dream.

[Tizer]

David, no it's not a dream, and I'm interested by your interpretation of what they were saying. Remember for a start that this was in the 1950s and, as you know, there was a different attitude to the treatment of animals in those days The National Institute for Medical Research in London was world-renowned and its researchers came up with many of the medical advances that we now take for granted - it's open to debate whether we might still be without those medical advances and the greater understanding of physiology if the use of animals had been banned before that time. Also, Lovelock found the experiments abhorrent and looked for a more acceptable alternative. He found it in microwave energy which was well-suited to heating an animal `from the inside outwards' - but that doesn't mean it would hurt the animal. You can apply a low level of microwave energy that simply warms the animal slowly, just as we ourselves sit in front of a warm fire after a cold trip outside - except the microwave method is more effective because it gets the warmth to the inside as well as the outside.

He didn't say there was no accountability at the Institute but that there was freedom to suggest research topics outside the normal brief. He still had to ask permission but it could be for a much wider range of topics. The Director still wanted to know what was going on in his Institute.

I fear your dreams are being influenced by exposure to the radiation from too many Daily Mail headlines!

[Stanley]

The early scientists also used themselves as Guinea pigs.... They were different times....

[Tardis]

Interesting that Japan shutting it's nuclear plants down has meant that 40% of it's electricity supply is now provided by importation of Gas.

No one mentioned that before with regard to gas prices on the world spot market. Another reason for a price rise?

[Stanley]

It shouldn't be. There is a glut of gas on the world markets and Russia has just put another major field on line. Add to that the US surplus largely due to fracking.

[Tardis]

The Town Council meeting next week in the Rainhall Centre says it will have the reports from the house surveys and renewable energy study for Barnoldswick.

The full agenda is on the noticeboards (Town Square & Toilet Block), and I haven't looked to see if it on the VisitBarlick site as it is far too slow

First of the new political year so there will be some time taken up with filling up the 'committees'

[Tardis]

Surprise

Gas prices up 15% claims BG boss. Centrica costs due to rise £60 for the year for each customer, these are transmission costs rather than the actual gas

20% increase minimum by end of year.

[Stanley]

I note that price rises for gas and electricity are forecast for next winter due to the rising spot price of gas on the European markets. How can this be when there is a world glut of gas (Russia have just brought another major field online to serve the European market)? Could it be that the market is being rigged by the large energy companies to maximise profits?

[Tardis]

Russia is using far more of it's own resources now.

If there was a glut I don't believe that they'd be looking at frakking in Blackpool, because of the costs of production