Utility Bay

Climate camp set up in southeast London

admin — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:19:41 +0000

The Camp for Climate Action has been set up at Blackheath in southeast London. The heath, a large area of open land, was said to have been chosen because of its proximity to the city of London.
Visitors to the camp, which is in operation from 26 August to 2 September, will be able to learn more about climate change and about how to join other protests and direct action.
Visitors are also being urged to vote over where to take more direct action in the year. The group has threatened a “climate swoop” on one of two coal-fired stations in the UK, Drax in Yorkshire or Ratcliffe on Soar in Nottinghamshire. Visitors will vote over which of the two plants should face direct action on 17-18 October.
The climate camp website is here.
Recent updates on the climate camp blog.

Pensioners react to higher fuel bills by staying in bed or using less heat

admin — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:19:41 +0000

Pensioners have reacted to higher energy prices since 2004 by turning down the heating or staying in bed to save on fuel bills, new research has highlighted.
According to a major new report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) although poorer pensioners have increased their spending on domestic fuel by nearly a third between 2004 and 2007 they have reduced their fuel consumption by 7 per cent.
Charities Age Concern and Help the Aged which commissioned the report have warned that further price increases last year will add to the pressure, forcing some to turn down the heating or cut spending in other areas.
Responding, Garry Felgate, chief executive of the Energy Retail Association, said: “The report highlights some important concerns. Energy companies offer a range of help to customers struggling with their energy bills so that no one goes cold in winter.
“If anyone is concerned about their energy bills, or if they want to find out what grants and discounts are available, they should call their energy supplier or the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99.”

Gas Natural obtains Zeebrugge permit

admin — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:19:41 +0000

Gas Natural has become the first Spanish company to become a member of Belgium’s Zeebrugge gas hub after being granted the necessary permits from gas network operator Huberator.
The move will allow Gas Natural to buy and sell gas on the Belgian market as well as operate in the gas markets of other European countries via Belgium. In Belgium, new agreements will give the company a portfolio of trading options and the opportunity to sell gas in the industrial and domestic markets.
The Spanish utility – the world’s fourth largest gas transporter by volume – currently operates in the Spanish and French wholesale markets and has undertaken a policy to expand geographically. Entry into new markets will allow the company to diversify its sources of business, a vital factor in an increasingly sophisticated and competitive market.
Other recent new members of the Zeebrugge Hub include Poweo and EnBW Trading.

Green light for biomass and waste burning power plant at Tilbury

admin — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:19:41 +0000

Energy secretary Ed Miliband has given the go-ahead for a 60-megawatt power plant earmarked for a site at Tilbury Docks in Essex which is planned to burn a mixture of biomasss and so-called solid recovered fuel.
Tilbury Green Power, a wholly owned subsidiary of Express Energy, is behind the scheme and expects the project to be generating power by 2012.
The plant will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of some100, 000 homes and will be fuelled by a mix of wood chippings, waste wood and solid recovered fuel (derived from various sources).
Energy and climate change minister Lord Hunt said: “If we are to tackle climate change we must reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and also make use of renewable sources of fuel. This power station will achieve both these objectives by turning waste into energy and using biomass, which will also contribute to delivering the UK’s renewable energy targets”.

Domestic energy disconnections drop by 30 per cent

admin — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:19:41 +0000

Disconnections of domestic energy customers fell by 30 per cent in 2008 according to a report published today by energy regulator Ofgem.
This showed there were 5,890 domestic energy disconnections in the UK during 2008 compared with 8,384 in 2007. A decade ago the number of customers disconnected was running at 30,000 a year.
The report indicated that the number of gas customers disconnected for debt fell last year by 48 per cent to 2,999. Electricity disconnections for debt rose by nine per cent to 2,891 however the rate of increase for electricity disconnection slowed significantly during 2008 compared with previous years.
Ofgem has noted that at the end of 2008, some 1.3 million electricity customers and 0.8 million gas customers were repaying a debt – a three per cent reduction for electricity and a two per cent increase for gas compared with the end of 2007.
Maxine Frerk, Ofgem’s director of governance, consumer and social affairs, said: “The fall in total disconnections and reducing numbers in debt is encouraging and shows our previous guidance has had benefits.
“We will be reviewing suppliers’ debt practices over the coming months to ensure that they are responding appropriately and helping their customers to avoid debt where possible and to manage their debts sensibly where they arise.”
Audrey Gallacher, energy expert at Consumer Focus, welcomed the news that the number of people who get cut off from their energy supplier was starting to fall.
“However, we have also seen a rise in the levels of debt, with more consumers than ever owing more than £600 to their supplier” she said. “Customers who have been put on pre-payment meters to recover debt are also struggling to afford the high repayment levels imposed on them by some suppliers”.
Utility Week is running its third annual consumer debt conference on 11 November, visit: http://www.utilityweekevents.com/consumerdebt09 for more details.