Government e-petition to reduce electricity bills

[north beachmore]

REDUCE ELECTRICITY BILLS BY REFORMING THE SUBSIDIES FOR WIND FARMS

Responsible department: Department for Energy and Climate Change

Electricity bills have soared, and more increases are in the pipeline. This punishes the 6 million people already in fuel poverty, restricts economic growth, and makes British industry less competitive. A key factor in this increase is the Renewables Obligation, which indirectly provides more than 40% of the income of wind-farms. These complex and covert subsidies (most of which go to foreign companies) are paid not by the government, but instead are ENTIRELY financed by increasing the price of our electricity bills. Climate-change policies have already increased household electricity by at least 14%, and have increased the electricity bills of business by at least 20%. Even worse, these tariffs are forecast to escalate. By reducing or ending the subsidies for wind-farms, we would benefit the poorest members of society, boost our manufacturing exports and, while doing so, would help protect what remains of our precious countryside. Please vote for this petition.
click below
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22704

[bakbjerg]

I'm not sure about how much we can do about the climate either. I think the only proven argument for this trend towards more sustainable energy supplies is the future supply-safety and prices.
Agree that most green energy right now is more expensive than oil and gas. But if it weren't for a growing percentage of green energy, we might have to face even faster rising energy-prices, if not now then in a few years time. The worlds capacity in oil and gas is fast running out, and with fast growing big economies like China and India requiring more and more, the oil prices can only go one way and that's through the roof within a few years.
I'm afraid it's like choosing between plague and cholera. A vaccination now might seem expensive, but it could turn out to be the right thing in a few years time. Not sure myself

[WC1]

The only way of ensuring reliable and dependable energy supplies into the future is nuclear, like it or not.

[D.H]

I disagree WC. Nuclear is the last option. Dounreay is an example of the problems of nuclear that don't get counted in the costings http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-15887442.

The problem is because the infrastructure of energy is no longer owned by the state the corporations hold us to ransom and our political class are too self interest obsessed to sort them out. Just look at the obscene profits made by energy companies whilst the poorest elderly and vulnerable die of the cold every year.

The answer is for the Govt to renationalise the energy network, investing in research, manufacturing, fitting of domestic and commercial renewable units to reduce the amount of energy needed to be taken from the grid at a local level whilst providing enough mixed renewables to meet the fluctuations of need. It could also create long term jobs in rural areas where manufacturing and development could be centred. The technology and units could be exported generating even more income for the state. If households had more disposable income, due to not paying excessive bills, it would also help the economy. The UK, and Scotland in particular, is well placed for thermal, hydro, hydrogen, wind, and wave power.

It is a big job but no Govt seems to be willing to seriously tackling it. Instead politicians just tinker about the edges and advocate short term, lazy thinking that adds more profits for their corporate pals who fund them.

[WC1]

The key words are reliability and dependability. In the very near future most of the coal-fired and nuclear power stations that provide the bulk of our base load generation will reach the end of their working lives, if they haven't done so already. They can't be replaced by unreliable renewables and coal-fired generation seems to be out of the question because it damages the environment. The only possibility left in terms of reliable base load generation is nuclear. QED.

[argylltourist]

I don't believe that nuclear is an option...too much susidy,too dangerous,too politically sensitive!!

Don't just take my word for it,coz' there is loads of info around.

Now Germany have decided that nuclear is not for them.

[WC1]

I well understand your position argylltourist, but 'renewables' can't be relied on for base load generation, coal appears to be out of the question, and if nuclear is ruled out too we'd better prepare to switch the lights off, because there's going to be a big hole in our generating capacity in the relatively near future. There's loads of info on that around too.

[argylltourist]

WC1...not just MY opinion though. As for the lights going out!!....yeah,heard that phrase before,and probably will again!

Lots of interesting "stuff" going on re the future energy i.e. power storage. When you look back,what advances have

been made already? No telling what the future may hold.

I'm a glass half full myself! So fully expect to have the lights on for a long time to come!