help us by a power station !!

[Droogs]

Personally, I think RippleEenergy have the right idea for most energy users. For those in a position to do so (and I think most if motivated enough are), investing a one off payment of around 2K to be able to get a lifetime return off your energy bills is a very sound way to go. Admittedly to get the most out of it you need to be fully electric with not other energy fuels such as gas. But with fitting even a smallish battery bank in your home you will get a lot of savings. Yes I know there are lots who can't do any of this as they can't raise those kinds of funds to invest (including me, currently we live on less <£100/wk total income) but those who can should

 

[Spectric]

we are sitting on around 100 years' worth of coal. Yes, I know it's a fossil fuel, but having looked at how efficient combi boilers have become I wonder if we can't make clean and efficient coal fired power station.

Does it really mater if we just use it because both the Australians and Chinese are still consuming / mining vast amounts of coal, it is good we are showing a good example to others but it should not be at the expense of UK living standards.

 

[joethedrummer]

Does it really mater if we just use it because both the Australians and Chinese are still consuming / mining vast amounts of coal, it is good we are showing a good example to others but it should not be at the expense of UK living standards.

,,more food for thought there,, well constructed suggestion,,you can,t keep warm sitting on a heap of coal,,

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Does anyone seriously think the rest of the world takes the slightest bit of notice of anything Britain (or anyone else, come to that) does or doesn't? We have power stations designed to burn rubbish so a clean one burning coal shouldn't be beyond the beyond the wit of man - I have read that Drax is more polluting burning wood than it was burning coal.

 

[clogs]

Phil
most of that wood was shipped from the USA and Canada....
so how much did that cost the envoiro....
No idea on how many boat loads to keep it running for a week.....then there's the trucks to get from the docks....which would be Liverpool....??
Should be able to harness all the hot air politions make....

 

[thetyreman]

I think nuclear power is the way forward, but we're just way too conservative and too worried about the risks involved, which has been the case for a long time, also get all power out of the hands of private companies to bring the cost down, it can be done but this gov are pathetic and lack the leadership and ambition.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Phil
most of that wood was shipped from the USA and Canada....
so how much did that cost the envoiro....
No idea on how many boat loads to keep it running for a week.....then there's the trucks to get from the docks....which would be Liverpool....??
Should be able to harness all the hot air politions make....

25 million trees a year, apparently. That's a few boats.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I think nuclear power is the way forward, but we're just way too conservative and too worried about the risks involved, which has been the case for a long time, also get all power out of the hands of private companies to bring the cost down, it can be done but this gov are pathetic and lack the leadership and ambition.

Yes. Until someone invents a storage method where power enough for a city can be stored in a shoe box. Might be a century or two yet.

 

[Persephone]

Does it really mater if we just use it because both the Australians and Chinese are still consuming / mining vast amounts of coal, it is good we are showing a good example to others but it should not be at the expense of UK living standards.

Exactly. We could get some Australian miners over here!

 

[Persephone]

I think nuclear power is the way forward, but we're just way too conservative and too worried about the risks involved, which has been the case for a long time, also get all power out of the hands of private companies to bring the cost down, it can be done but this gov are pathetic and lack the leadership and ambition.

Not long ago we were going to build a new one, well we were going to let the Chinese build one for us and run it. I don't think we've had such a brain drain that we're reliant on outside talent. A few nuclear power stations to keep us going in the medium term should be built, but built by us and run by us.

 

[Persephone]

And while we're all being pushed towards electric vehicles how are we going to afford to power them when electricity prices overtake diesel?

 

[Jameshow]

Funny that a Swedish teenager and English grandad at a Scottish summit got us into this big mess!!

 

[Terry - Somerset]

We need to separate what we do now from long term strategic solutions which need to be agreed and implemented with real urgency to minimise future costs and improve energy security.

Immediate option is a windfall tax on North Sea companies making very high profits fed through to consumers. More complex than the media portray but would certainly help. Oil companies predictably fighting their corner - reduced investment etc.

Switching supply to different sources is probably a complete non-starter. Either new plants need to be built, or old plants (if they exist) recommissioned - both of which takes time.

Individually there are options. Some low/no cost - eg: heating down and switch off in unused rooms, wear a jumper, 2 min not 10 min shower, lights off as you leave room etc. Some higher cost and longer lead times - better insulation, PV if possible. GSHP is probably only for a few.

There could be debate over how the burden of higher costs is shared differently. This does little/nothing to change consumption. Sunak has come up with a proposal - reasonably balanced in my view, but I am sure there is a wide spread of opinion.

 

[Sachakins]

Snip ...
Individually there are options. Some low/no cost - eg: heating down and switch off in unused rooms, wear a jumper, 2 min not 10 min shower, lights off as you leave room etc.
...Snip

This unfortunately will not be an option for many already in fuel poverty, as they have already cut consumption to bare minimum, often below that as its is now heat or eat option.

Maybe the government could move to providing homes with solar PV installations, say upto max of 8kw for free, with the option to add on extra KW at say £100 per KW, so if you wanted a 14KW system, you would contribute £600, a 16KW would be extra £800 etc.

It provides employment growth to ramp up installations, provides accelerated green energy target achievements, will ease the burden on home energy costs rises now and in future.

Monies for it could be found by halting the £11 billion smart metre roll out fiasco, reduce the nuclear power station builds an redirect into the scheme outlined above.

The criteria would simply be, if your home doesn't have existing solar system then you will get one. None of this means tested are age related rubbish they do now for grants, boilers etc, channel that monies into the scheme too.

It won't be 100% solution, and those that can't benefit, ie conservation area, flats, unsuitable structures etc could be targeted in other ways.

Money could even be taken from the fibre Broadband rollout, after all do you really need 100mb plus speeds, maybe reconsider fixed fibre altogether, take that money into solar scheme to and rethink Broad band strategy towards mobile connectivity instead.

It's not hard scheme to do, with systems far cheaper and better than when the used the feed in tariff model government used last time, but political will to do it is the issue.

OK, I don't solve immediate crisis, but i think the measures announced will fire fight that somewhat.

 

[J-G]

Maybe the government could move to providing homes with solar PV installations, say upto max of 8kw for free

It seems that you haven't done sufficient research!

An 8Kw system would require 32 Solar panels - I have 16 panels and that covers the two faces of my roof that come close to the ideal facing direction on a three bed semi - and I'm lucky being on a corner plot. Most of the houses on the adjacent streets simply do not have roofs facing anywhere near south.

I haven't done any research regarding current costs but I doubt that there has been much of a reduction since August 2015 when my 4Kw system cost me £6k so even if there were some very large homes with sufficient roof space to take 32 panels that were facing in the right direction, the cost would likely approach £11k if not more. Totally impractical as a 'Freeby'!

 

[Sachakins]

It seems that you haven't done sufficient research!

An 8Kw system would require 32 Solar panels - I have 16 panels and that covers the two faces of my roof that come close to the ideal facing direction on a three bed semi - and I'm lucky being on a corner plot. Most of the houses on the adjacent streets simply do not have roofs facing anywher near south.

I haven't done any research regarding current costs but I doubt that there has been much of a reduction since August 2015 when my 4Kw system cost me £6k so even if there were some very large homes with sufficient roof space to take 32 panels that were facing in the right direction, the cost would likely approach £11k if not more. Totally impractical as a 'Freeby'!

OK, got my numbers wrong, the average around, 2kw then, but the important process is still valid, so change numbers to max 2.5kwh, and charge £500/0.5kwh. That would need further measurement for accuracy, but may be a bit higher than the detail below, adding a an overhead for in preperation for ev charging .

Household Size	Annual Electricity Usage	Number of Solar Panels
1 person	850kWh	4
2 people	1,700kWh	8
3 people	2,550kWh	12
4 people	3,400kWh	16

 

[J-G]

@Sachakins That still doesn't address the issue of housing stock that is not predominatly 'South facing'

 

[Terry - Somerset]

I do wonder whether there are cheaper solutions which could be applied to most properties, not just those with the right orientation and roof space:

• simple reduction of drafts, sealing cracks etc
• mandatory replacement of non-LED lighting
• VAT zero rated thermal vests and long johns (possibly not a joke!!)
• timers - workshop fan heater automatically switches off after 20 mins
• easily installed insulation - carpet underlay on concrete floors, full loft insulation
• improved glazing - low emissivity glass, double glazing to replace single glazing etc

 

[Spectric]

I think nuclear power is the way forward, but we're just way too conservative and too worried about the risks involved,

Has Windscale, three mile island, Chernobyl or Fukishima not clearly highlighted the potential hazards that nuclear can create, and many are still suffering from to this day. Then you also have the huge amounts of radioactive waste that need to be babysat, it takes Uranium 4.5 billion years to become lead and during this process it becomes Polonium for a duration, yes the stuff that killed Alexander Litvinenko. So nuclear is never "safe" it is not controlled but only managed and then only until something goes wrong and you have a global event.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Immediate option is a windfall tax on North Sea companies making very high profits fed through to consumers ...

As someone pointed out yesterday - Shell have just announced record profits so apparently should be taxed more. Strange the government didn't subsidise them last year when they posted a record loss, then.