Energy and Environmental News
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Friday 27 01 12
Developers installed wind turbines with capacity of 6,810 megawatts in the U.S. last year, 31 percent more than in 2010, as they rushed to qualify for a federal-tax grant that expired last month, according to an industry group. Fourth-quarter installations reached 3,444 megawatts, topping the first three quarters combined, led by California, Illinois and Ohio, the fastest-growing state, the American Wind Energy Association said today in a report. New wind farms with capacity of more than 8,300 megawatts are under construction now. Developers will try to complete them before another federal incentive expires Dec. 31. The Washington-based trade group is pressing Congress to extend the Production Tax Credit of 2.2 cents a kilowatt-hour for wind power to prevent manufacturers from firing workers by 2013.
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Wednesday 25 01 12
Despite major oil finds off Brazil's coast, new fields in North Dakota and ongoing increases in the conversion of tar sands to oil in Canada , fresh supplies of petroleum are only just enough to offset the production decline from older fields. At best, the world is now living off an oil plateau--roughly 75 million barrels of oil produced each and every day--since at least 2005, according to a new comment published in Nature on January 26. ( Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.) That is a year earlier than estimated by the International Energy Agency--an energy cartel for oil consuming nations. [More]
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Wednesday 25 01 12
Responding to the solar subsidy appeal decision today Liz Lainé, energy expert at Consumer Focus said:
‘Consumers want certainty on what to expect when they sign up for solar panels, or any other energy efficiency programme. An ongoing legal battle would be likely to undermine consumer confidence so we’d urge the Government to draw a line under this judgement to prevent any further uncertainty.
‘The Government needs to balance incentivising consumers to take up renewable energy with protecting bill-payers from the rising costs of this scheme. But the speed of the December deadline would unfairly leave some consumers getting a lower return than they bargained for.
‘If consumers choose to install solar panels before 3 March they may qualify for the higher tariff-rate. But we would urge people to calculate the potential benefits to them on the basis of the lower rate proposed by Government, so they don’t end up with a lower return than they expected. It is worth being aware that it takes four weeks on average for installation and registration, and paperwork delays and bad weather could also add on extra time.’
ENDS
Notes to editors:
A recent Consumer Focus report shows a high overall level of satisfaction among consumers who have taken up the Feed-In Tariff scheme. However it also shows some concerns about misleading sales practices, a lack of adequate information from some solar panel installers, and difficulties with the registration and payment process for the tariff itself. Please see the report - ‘Keeping FiT’- and the press release for more detail
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Wednesday 25 01 12
Consumer Focus and National Energy Action are warning that the UK Government’s flagship scheme to help the poorest households in England to make their homes warmer and cut their energy bills, is set for up to a £30 million underspend this year. This means many older people, families and people with long-term health problems will miss out on much-needed help.
The Warm Front scheme – which offers heating and insulation improvements to households living on low incomes – is expected to see up to a fifth of its £143 million worth of funding for this year going unclaimed.1 This money could help up to 16,000 households struggling to afford their energy bills to cut their costs by a potential £650 per year.
Warm Front has seen a dramatic decline in applications for help this year. In April to December 2011 less than 40,000 people applied for a Warm Front grant compared to over 130,000 applications in the same period in 2010. The scheme was oversubscribed in 2010 but the funding was cut by almost two thirds this year.2
A combination of factors are likely to have led to this fall in applications. The eligibility criteria were made stricter and the Government did not advertise the scheme as it was anticipated demand would again exceed supply. The milder winter weather may mean not as many people have been driven towards the scheme, but it is also seems that the number of advice organisations referring people to the scheme must have dropped significantly. They are likely to have been concerned people would end up not getting the grant given eligibility restrictions and the much smaller funding pot.
Consumer Focus and National Energy Action are urging people to put in a claim now before the funding for this year ends on 31 March. People on certain income-related benefits and living in homes that are poorly insulated or do not have a working central heating system are eligible for Warm Front grants. Anyone who is eligible for Cold Weather Payments can claim the grant such as: older people receiving pension credit; families with a child under five and in receipt of Income Support, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance or income based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and people with higher rate disability premiums.
Audrey Gallacher, Director of Energy at Consumer Focus, said:
‘The poorest pensioners and families will have been hit particularly hard by high energy prices. Many are living in cold homes, which could put their health at risk. It is very disappointing that people who need Warm Front help to make their homes warmer and cheaper to heat are likely to miss out. We’d urge anyone who thinks they may be eligible to put in a claim. This help is free and can make a big difference in affording your energy bills and keeping warm and well.’
Jenny Saunders, Chief Executive of National Energy Action, said:
‘The best way to protect yourself from high energy bills is by making your home more energy efficient through insulating the loft and walls. The Warm Front Scheme is there to help if you are living in an un-insulated property and receive certain benefits. It can also provide a new boiler if yours is broken down. Please come forward and find out what might be available free of charge as soon as possible before the funding is withdrawn.’
Full details of who can claim help under the Warm Front scheme and how to apply are available on Directgov – www.direct.gov.uk/warmfront People can apply for the scheme online, by post, or by phone on 0800 316 6004 (or textphone 0800 072 0156),Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 6.00 pm and Saturday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.
Factfile:
There are now likely to be almost 7 million households living in fuel poverty in the UK (Estimates on behalf of Consumer Focus using Centre for Sustainable Energy research). This is up from 5.5 million in 2009 (the latest official Government figures)
The average energy bill is now £1,289, which will fall to £1,258 after all the recent price cuts announced come into effect
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Warm Front is the only UK Government funded scheme to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency. The Warm Front Grant applies in England only.
The total budget of £143m consists of £110m allocated to Warm Front and associated activities secured through the Spending Review 2010. Of this, £108m was directly allocated to Warm Front. In addition DECC allocated £25m to support the completion of outstanding work from 2010/11 with a further £10m allocated to Warm Front in 2011/12 from the Department of Health.
Funding for the Warm Front scheme in 2010-11 was £366m – almost three times the level of funding for this year 2011-12.
Breakdown of regional Warm Front applications:
Qualifying Claims
April – Dec 2011
April – Dec 2010
Decrease in applications
Percentage decrease
East Midlands
3,139
11,351
- 8,212
72%
East of England
3,274
10,867
- 7,593
70%
London
3,078
9,356
- 6,278
67%
North East
3,134
11,934
- 8,800
74%
North West
9,010
31,809
- 22,799
72%
South East
4,149
12,794
- 8,645
68%
South West
3,355
10,455
- 7,100
68%
West Midlands
5,207
16,142
- 10,935
68%
Yorkshire and The Humber
5,101
16,542
- 11,441
69%
TOTAL:
39,447
131,250
- 91,903
70%
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Tuesday 24 01 12
The Sun
![]() Petroplus bankruptcy: Drivers face fuel shortages as Coryton refinery goes bust
Daily Mail
Motorists are already on course for a 2p a litre fuel price hike at the pumps that could take diesel prices to a new record high, the AA has warned. It is adding £4.25 a month to already hard-pressed family budgets and increasing the cost of a fill-up ... |
Monday 23 01 12
Financial Times
![]() Shortages send fuel oil price soaring
Financial Times
Fuel oil, used to fire power stations and ships, has lived up to its moniker: for years it was cheap compared with other refined oil products such as petrol and diesel. Now an acute shortage of fuel oil has sent prices soaring. The price of fuel oil ... |
Monday 23 01 12
![]() Annuity Rates take a further dive
Annuity Rates
This all comes at a time when prices and inflation have been increasing, with steep rises in commodity prices. Food, fuel and energy costs have risen steeply, for example gas prices have risen by 67% and electricity has gone up by 38% since 2007.
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Sunday 22 01 12
Mirror.co.uk
![]() British Gas a turn-off as 200000 quit and profits FALL by 23%
Mirror.co.uk
British Gas is expected to announce £566million profit for 2011, compared with a record £742m in 2010. Since peaking last summer, wholesale gas prices have plunged by 31% and electricity by 28%. But British Gas cut electricity bills by just 5% and ... |
Sunday 22 01 12
Mirror.co.uk
![]() Which is the best energy deal?
Telegraph.co.uk
On Monday, E.On cut gas prices by 6pc, followed by the last of the "Big Six" suppliers, Scottish Power, which cut gas prices by 5pc. Despite the average 5pc cuts, household energy bills have increased by more than 90pc in six years, rising by nearly ... |
Friday 20 01 12
The U.S. Commerce Department said on Thursday it was launching an investigation that could lead to steep import duties on more than $100 million worth of wind energy towers from China and Vietnam. The decision adds to the friction in clean energy trade between the world's two largest economies. The Commerce Department is already investigating charges that Chinese solar panel manufacturers engage in unfair trade practices and will issue a preliminary decision on duties next month. The Wind Tower Trade Coalition, a group of U.S. producers, had previously said it was asking for anti-dumping duties of 64 percent on imports from China and 59 percent from Vietnam.
But in its announcement, the department said China was alleged to undercut U.S. wind tower prices by 213.54 percent and Vietnam by 140.54 to 143.29 percent.
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