help us by a power station !!

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That sounds a hard hitter, then add in the extra 1.5% NI contributions from April and inflation is also starting to run away then we are going to have less in the pocket to spend out on hobbies.

But the next increase on energy bills is also on it's way because our wonderful government has passed the new energy bill that will allow the electricity suppliers to pass on some of the cost of building new nuclear plants, I dare say they are also working on some way in which they can also pass on the cost of downing street parties to the tax payer as well. The bit I do not understand is that they want to raise more money so increase NI but at the same time are happy to give millions to a non nato country like Ukraine, logic says that if you were a PM on a sinking ship then would you not try and apease the people rather than taking more from them just to give it away whilst making the global economy unstable by provoking a big super power !
 
In october energy will ( apparently )go up an estimated 20% ontop of the new prices.....
 
No company is going to build new nuclear plants for free - it is simply a matter of who pays - consumers of electricity, taxpayers through higher taxes, or the magic money tree.

Despite the superficial attractiveness of the last option, I suspect the first has a degree of logic to it - those who use most pay most.

Final option is not to build nuclear plants - carry on paying for gas, building turbines or run out of leccy.
 
In october energy will ( apparently )go up an estimated 20% ontop of the new prices.....

But then you read that the UK - thee, and me - have just given 88 million quid to Ukraine to help them "not be so dependent on Russia as regards the price of fuel".
£88 million...

Call me simple, but.....?
 
There are ~20m households in the UK all of which on average is going to pay ~£500 pa more for energy in the next few months.

The help to Ukraine is about £4.40 for each household.

I make no comment as to whether this is taxpayers money well spent. But whilst £88m as a lottery win is truly life changing, as a bit of government spending it is just trivial.
 
But then you read that the UK - thee, and me - have just given 88 million quid to Ukraine to help them "not be so dependent on Russia as regards the price of fuel".
And who now doubts that bumbling Borris has not suffered long term mental health issues since having Covid. It is his only possible excuse because otherwise he must be classed as insane.

But whilst £88m as a lottery win is truly life changing, as a bit of government spending it is just trivial.

If this was a one off expenditure then maybe trivial, but a lot of trivials can add up to a massive debt on us all, in times of increased hardship where some families are facing heat or eat then just giving money away is one sure way of losing votes and with the PM on the ropes lets hope it will soon be a knockout and the Uk can start to get back on track and stop war mongering in the process.

No company is going to build new nuclear plants for free

The issue is finding investors willing to invest a huge sum of money into a project with open ended risk and a lot of uncertaintity as to when it may return any dividends, most just run a mile. Would you want to invest in alchemy, clingfilm parachutes or chocolate tea pots because that is how many investors feel about the nuclear industry because the risk are just to great and the general concensus is all about green and renewable energy these days that does not leave a long term legacy of waste.
 
,, so i told them i wouldn,t pay £122,, they said how much will you pay,, i said £98,, they said,, OK,, guess i,m going to pay a lot more later,, ( i was paying £79 and was £5 in credit after going thro" most of the winter )
 
Cancel the build of just two nuclear power stations and invest in tidal energy generation, after all we are an island nation.

What's the actual proven cost of installed tidal energy over the long term? Wind is 6 cents per kwhr here. Hydro is even less, but there are environmental consequences in terms of water flow changes and animal behaviors.

Gas here is around 4 1/2 cents and *ongoing* , not new, nuclear is pushing toward 6 cents a kw/hr.

Tidal sounds like "free energy", but if it costs 14 cents a kwhr levelized for generation costs over its lifetime, it will make you poor - not just the ratepayer, but everyone. Hydro is efficient when the equipment is smaller and the pressure is higher (cost efficient). When the water is large volume moving with low head, it doesn't work at scale.
 
All energy sources have consequences - environmental and financial - eg:

Coal, gas, oil - atmospheric pollution, limited reserves/diminishing resource, climate change
Nuclear - risk of failure in operation, storage of waste, terrorism risk
Wind - landscape pollution, bird life
Solar - rare elements, land not available for housing or food, not 24x7
Dams - impact on landscape, agriculture, fisheries

This is not a complete and thoughtful list - merely demonstrating that there are competing impacts. Put cost into the equation and it is not just a trade off between different environmental impacts, but a trade off of environmental impact against cost, energy security and long term vs short term.

UK reliance on gas is in large part a legacy of North Sea production capability, for which we are now paying. Hinkley price per MWh at £92.50 seemed gross when originally negotiated a few years ago, and now seems like a good deal.

We need a coherent long term view of the future, not responding to short term pressures. Very complex and we will inevitably get it wrong. But we will probably have a better outcome if we have a strategy than not!
 
All energy sources have consequences - environmental and financial - eg:

Coal, gas, oil - atmospheric pollution, limited reserves/diminishing resource, climate change
Nuclear - risk of failure in operation, storage of waste, terrorism risk
Wind - landscape pollution, bird life
Solar - rare elements, land not available for housing or food, not 24x7
Dams - impact on landscape, agriculture, fisheries

Somebody, somewhere will hopefully come up with a storage/battery/who-knows-what solution to this solar power conundrum. Then again, what happens to the spent storage medium at the end of its useful life?

Wave power harnessing would seem to be the obvious solution for island GB, but apparently the science behind it is likely to remain costly and riddled with complexities.
 
We are now paying the price of not fracking a few years ago.
The "water melons" will be throwing up their arms at this comment.
 
Just got a bill this morning.
The electricity now costs more than both the gas and electricity used to cost together.
Not fun.


Ollie
 

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