David Cameron today backed the growth of renewable energy as “vital” to the UK's future - but warned green power sources had to be financially sustainable.
Speaking specifically on the environment for the first time since pledging to lead "the greenest government ever", the Prime Minister said the UK was now one of the best places in the world for green energy, investment and jobs.
These include offsetting carbon emissions, providing wind turbine jobs, appearing in adverts for energy companies to show how eco-friendly they are, and giving angry people something to complain about in local newspapers.
You might not think that the uses of wind power go much further than that. After all, while wind farms might be a great idea, obviously there are a limited number of things you can stick a windmill on top of, right?
http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/blog/latest-news/4-bizarre-uses-for-wind-energy/
SSE said this afternoon that, after a successful pilot programme involving over 1,000 customers, it will now offer an AER to “make sure that customers are on the best product for their needs, paying for their energy in the most effective way, using their energy efficiently and accessing any benefits or support they might be entitled to.”
Earlier this month, the Deputy Prime Minister claimed that families were paying too much for their bills as they are on the wrong tariff.
SSE said it will start off by prioritising AERs for “vulnerable” customers before rolling-out the scheme nationwide throughout the year. SSE has reassured that it will freeze prices until at least October 2012, in spite of wholesale price pressures.
Tony Cocker, Chief Executive of E.ON UK, said: "One of our key aims continues to be the improvement of sales standards for small business customers across the entire industry, which is why we’re launching a full code of practice for business energy brokers and will be approaching other energy suppliers to invite them to sign up to this single code too."
Reset Review update on initiatives for small businesses
Over 50% of all small businesses use a broker to switch energy supplier but there are currently no minimum standards in place to protect small businesses throughout the sales process. To improve sales standards across the industry E.ON is launching a full Code of Practice for SME business energy brokers which sets out the standards it expects them to adhere to when selling to customers and hopes that other energy firms will adopt this single independent set of principles.
The code will ensure the product offered is appropriate to the needs of the customer and make the entire sales process a more transparent and positive experience. The energy supplier will be working with all of its SME business energy brokers/consultants to implement the set of principles as part of their sales processes and intends to operate these principles as standard from 31 July.
Morrison, head of commercial for British Gas New Energy, a division of Centrica, said there was a viable business in developing large solar photovoltaic plants on land leased from a client who is then supplied directly by the plant, avoiding transmission connection fees.
Large PV plants initially attracted a GBP300/MWh ($482/MWh) feed-in tariff under the UK government's FiT scheme, Morrison said.
This rate allowed British Gas to build a 4.1 MW solar plant on Toyota-owned land in Derby and supply the company for free in exchange for a 25-year leasehold on the land.
In line with this commitment RBS, yesterday (April 18), published its 2011 Sustainability Report, which revealed that 58% of its global energy projects went to renewables, with wind power projects gaining 31% of its total financing. This was followed by solar at 14%, gas fired and biomass at 13%.
Prices followed the oil market, where front-month Brent crude fell under $123 a barrel.
Power, coal, and carbon prices were also down, with European Union benchmark allowances dropping below 6 euros ($7.87) a tonne for the first time.
Between the industry authorities Ofgem and the Office of Fair Trading lies a grey area in which neither has any particular sway. This has been exploited by a small minority of energy brokers, which have used practices that leave small business customers disadvantaged. Legislation is needed to close the protection gap, but the problem facing the authorities is that the vast majority of firms act in the best interests of their customers, and therefore any new legislation should not have any effect on them.
Ofgem is attempting to solve this problem and prevent unscrupulous brokers from exploiting customers through practices including misrepresenting offers from suppliers, not being clear on the fee or commission that is being charged, or only negotiating with suppliers that offer the broker the best commission. Current proposals center on banning brokers from preventing customers contacting the supplier directly and making accreditation to an Ofgem-backed scheme compulsory.
So far so good, as any legitimate broker would certainly be able to comply with these regulations almost immediately. However, should the legislation go further?
The answer to this may lie with the energy suppliers, which have been accused in the past of being silent on the accounts that brokers deliver to them even when it is clear that the customer is not on the right tariff or deal.
The deal gives Energetix an electricity supply licence which will enable it to trade electricity in the UK. It has also signed a software licence agreement with Utilisoft, a subsidiary of Utiligroup.
Read more at: http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/business/deals/s/1490143_bglobal-in-energetix-deal
