Sunday 26 December 2010

Plymouth NHS goes solar to cut costs and carbon

Solar panels will be fitted to 20 NHS buildings across the city in a bid to
cut carbon emissions and save cash.

Initial costs for the scheme run to £250,000 but it is expected to generate
an income of £31,360 a year.

NHS Plymouth managers this week approved the plans to fit photovoltaic (PV)
cells to roofs of properties including the Cumberland Centre and Peninsula
Dental School in Devonport, Mount Gould Hospital, Ernesettle Primary Care
Centre, Plympton Hospital and the Nuffield Clinic.

Health bosses said the project, part of a national drive, is among a number
of ways the primary care trust is looking to improve energy efficiency and
reduce utility bills. They are looking to install the panels by February to
take advantage of a Government incentive tariff.

Di Philpott, NHS Plymouth project
planning manager, said PV cells are one of the most effective ways of
reducing carbon emissions.

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/City-NHS-goes-solar-cut-costs-carbon/ar
ticle-3034849-detail/article.html

Saturday 25 December 2010

M&S and Co-op named greenest supermarkets

Marks & Spencer and the Co-op have been named as the greenest British
supermarkets in a new report. Ethical Consumer magazine praised both stores
for their eco-credentials, with special mention being made of the Co-op's
policy on sourcing fish and Marks & Spencer's palm oil sourcing.

The Co-op was also said to aim to get 98 percent of its energy from
renewable sources at its 5,500 sites around the country. Rob Harrison,
co-author of the report, said: "These two companies have made genuine
efforts to reduce the environmental and ethical impact of their operations
and have demonstrated that they are setting the environmental agenda for
supermarkets."

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/20101222/ampand-named-greenest-supermarkets.h
tm

Friday 24 December 2010

UK Energy Market Reform Too Good To Be True? Probably.

The UK's Department for Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne
announced the biggest energy reform "in decades" on Friday.

The reform package includes:

* a carbon price floor "increasing the cost of fossil fuel based
generation, and strengthening the carbon price for UK electricity
generators." * two Feed in Tarrifs: standard and premium contracts under which "the
Government will agree to clear, long term contracts" which essentially
places a certainty on the price of renewable energy (and thus the benefit to
consumers and energy generators) which therefore makes investment
(theoretically) less risky. * an Emissions Performance Standard that ensures no new coal power
plants are built without carbon capture and storage technology in place * incentives for energy grid demand reduction measures and building
spare renewable generation capacity, dubbed 'negawatt' capacity by the
government. Negawatt capacity will be monitored by a Capacity Mechanism.

http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/12/uk-energy-market-reform-too-good/

Gas prices could increase as cold snap continues

For the first time since the freezing weather once again took the UK by
surprise, the National Grid has issued a warning to some companies that they
will have to rely on generators so that stocks can be diverted to houses.
The 'gas balancing alert' was issued following Sunday's record demand for
460 million cubic meters of the fuel.

There are now serious concerns that households, which have already seen a
hike in their energy bills, will suffer further price rises in the new year.
The wholesale price of gas has already risen by 11 per cent, and this
increase may well get passed on to the consumer.

Although energy providers usually manage to keep costs down by purchasing
fuel on longer term contracts, the sudden demand for fuel means those firms
are now having to source gas for immediate delivery, which is far more
expensive.

http://www.discountvouchers.co.uk/news/104033535.html

Thursday 23 December 2010

SMEs account for half of UK's total business turnover ­- study

New research highlights the enormous aggregate spending power of the UK's
smaller and medium sized businesses and vital contribution they will make
towards economic recovery.

The report for British Gas Business, shows smaller and medium sized
businesses spend £1.1tn on their supply chain annually - 49 per cent of UK
business expenditure, and account for £1.6tn of total national business
turnover, greater than the whole of the FTSE100.

It also forecasts a record 312,000 start ups will be created by the end of
2010 and a further 297,000 in 2011. While not all of these businesses will
survive, they will make a major contribution to replacing the 330,000 jobs
estimated to be lost as a result of severe public spending cuts through to
2015.

The research was conducted by economic consultants Cebr, and commissioned by
British Gas Business, to understand the needs and challenges of its 500,000
smaller and medium sized business customers. http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/south-west/44639-/

Wednesday 22 December 2010

The Internet's Energy Consumption and Its Carbon Footprint

The Internet's Energy Consumption and Its Carbon Footprint

Over the past few years there has been an ongoing debate about the growing
amount of energy needed to power the World Wide Web, a.k.a the Internet, and
the impacts on our environment. Many have tried to pin down the exact
amount of energy needed to power the internet and its carbon
footprint. Recently The Guardian published an article
saying that the Internet's carbon footprint was around 300 million tonnes
of CO2 per year, equivalent to every person in the UK flying to America and
back twice over.

The Internets Carbon Footprint
The article was published in August and with the number of internet users
growing by the day worldwide I wouldn't be surprised if these figures were
higher nowadays. According to the UN by the end of the year there will be 2
billion world internet users, that is 1/6 of world population.

http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/blog/latest-news/internets-energy-consu
mption/

Tuesday 21 December 2010

Plymouth chairman Gardner takes over Inenco parent

Plymouth Argyle chairman Sir Roy Gardner has taken over the running of
Leeds-based utility support services company Spice. Spice is the parent
company of Lancashire-based energy
specialist Inenco.

Sir Roy, who acted as chairman of Connaught this year before the
Exeter-based housing maintenance company collapsed, over the role with
immediate effect. The appointment follows the £251m sale of the Spice group
to private equity group Cinven.

Inenco, based in Lytham St Annes, specialises in energy management,
sustainability and environmental services. The announcement follows the
appointment of David Owens as chief executive of Spice earlier this month.

http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/south-west/44506-ex-man-u-boss-takes-ove
r-inenco-parent/

ill winds blow British economy no good

UK Wholesale Spot Gas Prices Jump to Two-Year High on Near Record Demand

Spot UK wholesale gas prices on Monday jumped above 70 pence per therm - the
highest level in over two years - as gas demand hovered close to record high
levels.

Ongoing freezing temperatures pushed up demand from local distribution
zones, which include residential heating, and meant overall consumption was
33% above normal December levels.

The key Day-ahead wholesale gas contract, the price for gas to be delivered
on Tuesday, traded at 71.50 pence per therm on Monday morning, a rise of
6.40 pence per therm from Friday. The last time the contract closed above 70
pence per therm was on 31 October 2008.

Demand reached a record high of 465.80 million cubic metres at 08:03 London
time, according to National Grid. But this had fallen to 461.50 million
cubic metres by 10:02. National Grid estimates total demand levels for the
day on an hourly basis.

Highest ever demand was 465.5 million cubic metres on 8 January 2010.
Highest demand this winter to date was 456.6 million cubic metres on 2
December.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1969065/uk_wholesale_spot_gas_prices_j
ump_to_twoyear_high_on/

Monday 20 December 2010

National Grid Reassures As UK Gas Demand Seen At All-time High

UK natural gas network operator National Grid PLC (NGG) sought to reassure
consumers Monday that there would be sufficient supplies to a meet a new
all-time high in demand, despite the utility issuing a gas balancing alert
Sunday.

UK government agrees to subsidise nuclear power companies' prices

Companies hoping to build Britain's new nuclear stations, including EDF and
Centrica, will score a victory in the electricity market reforms - the
biggest shake-up since privatisation. Money will be raised from consumer
bills to help fund expensive nuclear, wind and other low-carbon power, as
the UK moves away from cheap fossil fuel electricity. It will cost £40bn to build Britain's new nuclear power stations and this
will largely be funded by utilities. However, the Government will agree to four measures providing investors with
certainty that they will make money from nuclear and wind power, which carry
huge up-front capital costs. Firstly, it will fix the price that some low-carbon generators can get for
their electricity, awarding contracts to companies that can build capacity
at the lowest cost. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/8204683/UK-government
-agrees-to-subsidise-nuclear-power-companies-prices.html

Chris Huhne unveils plans for reform of UK energy market

Low-carbon technologies such as renewable energy will be the "dominant" form
of energy generation by 2030 under government plans for the largest shake-up
of the UK energy sector since privatisation in the 1980s.

Announcing the proposals today, the energy and climate secretary, Chris
Huhne, said it would lead to a "seismic shift" towards cleaner energy.

The government says that more than £110bn of investment is needed in new
power stations and grid upgrades over the next decade - double the
investment over the last decade. Around a quarter of the UK's generating
capacity needs to be replaced by 2020, equivalent to around 20 large power
stations.

Huhne said the reforms aimed to boost investment in low-carbon energy and
allow the UK to meet its ambitious target of cutting emissions by 34% by
2020.

The changes will establish a minimum "floor" price for carbon and long-term
contracts that give investors a guaranteed price for providing energy - in
addition to setting a tax on fossil fuels. The government has not announced
what the floor price will be.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/dec/16/chris-huhne-energy-reform

Friday 17 December 2010

Carbon Trust body claims carbon cuts as top investment for business

Carbon Trust Advisory Services has released a paper on how large UK
businesses underestimate the financial payback from energy efficiency
measures by as much as £1.6bn.

The body's analysis of companies it currently works with suggests that
businesses can expect bills to be cut by up to 15% by implementing energy
efficiency measures.

The Business of Energy Efficiency paper also found that investments in
energy efficiency are paid back within three years and have an average
initial rate of return of 48%, well beyond the 11.5% many businesses mandate
as a minimum requirement.

However, it found many businesses don't implement all the efficiency
projects they have at their disposal and miss out a possible £1.6bn each
year in cost savings.

http://www.printweek.com/rss/news/1046969/Carbon-Trust-body-claims-carbon-cu
ts-top-investment-business/

Thursday 16 December 2010

Haven shows consultants why it has the power

Snow and freezing temperatures didn't deter consultants from finding out
about Ipswich-based Haven Power's exciting plans to double the SME side of
its business and become the service-oriented supply company of choice for
the I&C sector at its recent conference, where its growth and commitment to
customer service was highlighted.

After four years of operation and with annualised sales of £200 million,
Haven has plenty to shout about. This includes the company opening up its
offering to service the SME half-hourly sector and continuing to grow its
volume in the I&C sector by doubling its existing 100 customers year-on-year
over the next five years.
The 'Haven have the power' conference, held at the Heritage Motor Centre in
Warwickshire, informed consultants of the company's direction and ambitions
in light of its new brand image, which is being rolled out across the
business. http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content

&view=article&id=37703:haven-shows-consultants-why-it-has-the-power&catid=20
:energy&Itemid=1023

Government approves gloucestershire installation to allow for more gas imports

The Government today gave the go-ahead for a new gas installation at Tirley
in Gloucestershire, which will help boost UK energy security by allowing for
more gas imports.

Energy Minister Charles Hendry said:

"This Government is committed to ensuring we maintain secure energy
supplies. A vital part of this is having a diverse energy mix: renewables,
nuclear, coal with Carbon Capture and Storage and gas all have an important
part to play.

National Grid's new Gas Pressure Reduction Installation will be a vital part
of a 316 kilometre pipeline transporting gas from the Milford Haven
liquefied natural gas terminals into the National Gas Transmission network
at Tirley."

http://www.environmental-expert.com/resultEachPressRelease.aspx?cid=31343
&codi=215379

How to obtain a range of business gas quotes

Before you finalise on a business gas supplier or a commercial gas
broker, it is very important that you get a
range of business gas quotes which you can then compare and contrast, and
make your choice depending on your budget and needs.

There are a number of gas suppliers in UK offering business gas supply to
commercial establishments at very competitive prices. The easiest way to get
quotes from these suppliers is to simply log on to the Internet and look up
the information on their websites.

You could also call up these suppliers and request for quotes. However you
have probably already figured out how tedious and time-consuming this could
get, especially seeing that there are so many providers on the market.

http://www.mybusinessgas.com/latest-news/how-to-obtain-a-range-of-competitiv
e-business-gas-quotes

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Landlords Required to Become More Energy Efficient

In line with the UK's climate change act, landlords are now required to make
their properties as energy efficient as possible. The act aims to reduce
UK's carbon dioxide emissions by 26% by 2020.

Under the new legislation being put in place, landlords who refuse to do
their part for the environment could face fines over the next few months.
However, this doesn't only affect landlords, as third parties found to be
renting out energy inefficient homes will also be liable for financial
punishment.

The National Landlords Association says that small changes can make a large
impact on the energy efficiency of a home and recently supplied a few energy
saving tips to landlords. Some of these tips include sealing windows and
doors to prevent draughts, replacing all light bulbs with energy saving ones
(this is required already) and obtaining an energy grant to carry out more
stringent energy saving procedures.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Landlords-Required-to-Become-More-En
ergy-Efficient-1368698.htm

UK Business Gas Prices Drop despite Forecasted Cold Spell

UK Business Gas Prices Drop despite Forecasted Cold Spell

British gas prices have dropped on Monday despite the forecasted cold
weather, opposite to what happened at the beginning of the month when the
first cold spell hit Britain and rocketed UK gas prices.

UK Business Gas Prices Drop:
Backed by a strong supply from Norway and Netherlands plus LNG imports
helped keep UK gas prices at lower levels. Gas for delivery today was traded
at 61.70 pence per therm at 0918 GMT (Monday), down 0.10 from the previous
session, and the balance-of-the-week price fell 0.65 pence to 61.75 pence.

Read more:
http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/blog/latest-news/uk-business-gas-prices
-drop/

Far from being a drain on the public purse, new power plants will be major boost to UK economy

Tesco Wins 2010 Platts Global Energy Award For Energy Efficiency Program of the Year

Established in 1999 and widely recognized as the "Oscars" of the energy
industry, Platts Global Energy Awards highlight corporate and individual
innovation, leadership, and superior performance in 17 categories spanning
the entire energy complex. 2010 winners were honored at a gala awards
ceremony in New York City.

Winners were chosen by a panel of expert judges of energy ministers,
national regulators, past and present heads of major energy companies, and
leading academics and legislators. TESCO was selected from a pool of more
than 200 nominations. In the Energy Efficiency Program of the Year,
Commercial End-User category alone, TESCO was up against eight other well
established companies, including Coca-Cola Enterprises and McDonald's USA
LLC. Platts bestows its Energy Efficiency Program of the Year award each
year to two companies, an exemplary commercial end-user and an exemplary
energy supplier. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/TESCO-Wins-2010-Platts-Global-prnews-167760172
0.html?x=0
&.v=1

Tuesday 14 December 2010

5 gas and electricity rip-offs

UK Looks To Qatar To Meet Rising Gas Demand

The U.K. will import more Qatari
commercial gas over the coming years as domestic supplies of the fuel
dwindle and it looks to boost energy security amid fears about relying too
heavily on Russia, the country's energy minister said Monday. In an interview with Zawya Dow Jones Monday U.K. energy minister Charles
Hendry said the U.K. currently imports 12% of its gas from the Gulf Arab
state of Qatar and this figure would rise in the coming years.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2010/12/13/uk-looks-qatar-meet-rising-gas
-demand-uk-energy-min/

Monday 13 December 2010

Russia to increase European gas supplies over cold snap:

Updated - Is Facebook responsible for higher energy bills

UK must shake off the dominance of the energy giants

U.K. Natural Gas for First Quarter Falls as More LNG Tankers Are Expected

U.K. natural gas for delivery next quarter declined as more liquefied gas
carriers headed to the U.K. and Belgium. Power for delivery tomorrow rose on
forecast increased demand. The port of Milford Haven in south Wales will receive two additional LNG
deliveries this month, according to its website. Belgium's Zeebrugge
terminal, linked to the U.K. by pipeline, will also get a shipment, shipping
data show. Gas for the first quarter slipped 0.7 pence, or 1.2 percent, to 58 pence a
therm as of 10:15 a.m. in London. That's equal to $9.13 a million British
thermal units. A therm is 100,000 Btu. The Al Samriya LNG tanker will dock at the South Hook terminal on Dec. 18
from Qatar. The Bluesky will arrive at BG Group Plc's neighboring terminal
two days later while the Grace Acacia LNG tanker is due at Zeebrugge on Dec.
28. That brings the total number of ships due in the two countries to 11. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-13/u-k-natural-gas-for-first-quarter-f
alls-as-more-lng-tankers-are-expected.html

Carbon tax and energy price hike to create 'perfect storm'

Businesses are facing a "perfect storm" from 2012 when they will be hit by a
doubling in their energy bills at the same time as the UK government's
controversial "carbon tax".
Carbon Masters, a spin-out company from the University of Edinburgh, has
calculated that most UK firms will be see their gas and electricity bills
soar by 100 per cent between 2012 and 2016 while they will also be saddled
with a carbon tax bill of at least £42,000 under the government's Carbon
Reduction Commitment (CRC) energy efficiency scheme.

Kevin Houston, chief executive of Carbon Masters, believes most companies
are completely unprepared for the enormous jump in their energy costs from
2012 onwards.

The CRC scheme was set out by the previous Labour government in order to
encourage large and medium-sized firms which use at least 6,000 megawatts a
year to improve their energy efficiency

http://business.scotsman.com/business/Carbon-tax-and-energy-price.6657704.jp

Friday 10 December 2010

Npower to raise gas and electricity prices by 5%

LNG Cargo Berths At Isle Of Grain Thursday

U.K. natural gas grid operator National Grid PLC (NGG) said Thursday the Al
Thumama liquefied natural gas ship berthed at its Isle of Grain
regassification terminal in Kent, southern England, Thursday.

The Isle of Grain terminal is able to import 9.8 million metric tons of LNG
a year.

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201012091145
dowjonesdjonline000617
&title=national-grid-lng-cargo-berths-at-isle-of-grain-thursday

Thursday 9 December 2010

Scottish and Southern come top in new customer league table

A new complaints league has been published on energy companies to help
consumers to decide which supplier to use. Consumer Focus launched the complaints league table today (November 8) to
present data on complaints to energy companies in what they hope will be a
transparent and user-friendly way. In the first league table Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) do best with a
4-star rating and npower, EDF and Scottish Power come last with only 2
stars. The performance rating is based on data from July to September this year.
The table is to be published quarterly. http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=19119

UK Gas and Electricity Providers Rated by Consumer Focus

As the cold weather hit Great Britain, most of gas and electricity providers
in the country announced price rises, causing their customers' anger.

UK consumers filed numerous complaints to Ofgem, energy regulator, and were
provided with an opportunity to choose the best gas and electricity
provider.

Consumer Focus, the statutory consumer champion for England, Wales, Scotland
and Northern Ireland, launched a table to rate UK energy providers based on
the complaints received from consumers by Consumer Direct, Consumer Focus
and the Energy Ombudsman.

http://www.moneyavenue.co.uk/news/gas-and-electricity/uk-gas-and-electricity
-providers-rated-by-consumer-focus-649.html

'The Only Way Is Up For Energy Bills'

'The Only Way Is Up For Energy Bills'

story picture
Hazel Baker, Sky News Online

Higher wholesale gas prices and a fall in energy usage mean tariffs are set to rise steadily over the next 10 years, Britain's energy companies have warned.


Read on Sky News

Wednesday 8 December 2010

Three energy firms 'worst rated'

Three of the biggest energy companies in the UK have been given just two
stars by a consumer watchdog in a new complaints league table. EDF, npower and ScottishPower were given the worst star rating by Consumer
Focus for the number of complaints they received in relation to their market
share.

Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) came top of the league table with four
stars, while British Gas and E.On both received three stars.

The consumer watchdog ranked the "Big Six" energy firms to help consumers
decide which supplier will give them the fewest problems or best handle any
complaints. Scores were weighted to take into account the severity of each
complaint such as the length of time it took to be resolved.

Consumer Focus said the "Big Six" received 4.6 million complaints in the
last financial year. Its research showed consumers wanted to be able to
compare how companies handled complaints when considering switching
supplier.

A spokeswoman for npower said: "We have recently invested over £200 million
in our systems and dramatically improved our complaints handling processes.
We're already seeing results - we have more than halved the number of
complaints to external bodies in the last 12 months.

"Although we currently share the same ranking as Scottish Power and EDF,
we're looking to continue to improve our performance in the future."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20101208/tuk-three-energy-firms-worst-rated-6323
e80.html

5 Innovative and Cost Effective Renewable Energy Resources

Nikola Tesla is known by many as the father of commercial electricity,
without his breakthrough in the field of electromagnetism and patents as
well as his theoretical work served as the basis for modern alternating
current (AC) electric power systems, including the polyphase system of
electrical distribution and the AC motor.

Since Tesla, countless inventors have developed technologies that influenced
and changed the way we use and generate electricity. Nowadays the quest is
to find ways to generate electricity from renewable
energy resources to reduce the Earth's carbon footprint easing the
impacts of Global Warming.

Every now and then we bring to our readers some of these renewable energy
resources projects and concepts. Today we have compiled a list with those
that we think are the most innovative, efficient and most importantly
cost-effective renewable
energy generation projects to date.

http://www.greenerideal.com/alternative-energy/other-energy/8558-5-innovativ
e-and-cost-effective-renewable-energy-resources

UK Energy Bills Seen Rising To 2020 On Higher Costs-Executives

U.K. gas and power bills are likely to rise over the next decade due to
higher wholesale energy
costs, distribution charges and
other non-energy costs, senior executives from five of the U.K.'s big six
energy suppliers said Tuesday. Speaking to lawmakers in the parliament's Energy and Climate Change
Committee, senior executives from Centrica PLC (CNA.LN), Scottish and
Southern Energy PLC (SSE.LN) and U.K. units of RWE AG (RWE.XE), E.ON AG
(EOAN.XE) and Electricite de France SA (EDF.FR), said the inevitable
direction of wholesale prices meant domestic bills would get more expensive.


"If you look forward to 2020 we're all expecting to see higher wholesale
prices and higher transmission and distribution charges across the industry
as we have to make larger investments in the industry," said Centrica's Phil
Bentley, pointing out that energy regulator Ofgem said it expects average
bills to be 15% to 20% higher by 2020.

Read more:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2010/12/07/uk-energy-bills-seen-rising-hi
gher-costs-executives/#ixzz17SKvyasa

Achieving greater energy efficiency

Improving energy efficiency is an important topic on the agenda of most
businesses these days. The benefits are numerous, from reducing carbon
footprint to the most important of all cutting down on costs with energy. So
million dollar question is: How to enhance business energy efficiency?

There are many ways to do so but this is not quite what I want to talk about
in this article. I won't be suggesting you change all the lights in your
business to LED lights, even though that is one the most cost effective ways to enhance your business' energy efficiency.

In this article I'd like to discuss what is more effective consumer
education or infrastructure updates. One could say that by combining both
you could achieve greater results but that you will have to decide once you
have finished reading this article.

Consumer education has proven to be an effective way to improve energy
efficiency of households and businesses alike. When combined with programs
that apply social science to energy conservation it can incite individuals
to reduce consumption and make decisions that will enable their companies to
save as well.

Read more:
http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/achieving-greater-energy-eff
iciency-3803392.html#ixzz17VxMbH1X

Wind Farms To Spring Up All Over Britain

Wind Farms To Spring Up All Over Britain

Wind Power a low cost green technology for the future - It is becoming ever
so clear that the Government is planning in relying mostly on wind power to
achieve its climate change bills commitment. By 2020, 15% of all energy
generated in Britain must come from renewables. As the windiest place in
Europe it is only logical that we rely on this type of renewable
energy resource.

New Wind Farms All Over Britain
The Government is subsidising a handful of projects that are working on
making eolic energy generation more efficient. Two of these projects have
caught our attention - Floating Wind Farms and the new generation of giant
wind turbines.

Floating wind farms have been discussed for quite a while now and the
progress in research made by companies like Statoil are making a viable
business opportunity for the near future.

Read More: http://bit.ly/f7l18E

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Barcap in talks to secure LNG import capacity

Smart metering specialist Bglobal has announced its maiden profit and a surge in revenues

The s
mart metering specialist Bglobal has
announced its maiden profit and a surge in revenues.The AIM-listed
Lancashire company said it has passed several milestones, including buying
near neighbour Utilisoft for £12.8m in May.In the six months to September 30
group revenues rocketed 114% from £5.82m in the first half of 2009 to
£12.46m. A profit of £770,000 was declared, compared with a loss last year of
£670,000.Chief executive Tim Jackson-Smith, said: "The group has passed a
number of milestones.
http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/100529-maiden-profit-for-bglob
al.html?news_section=28384#

Energy bills are likely to rise, say energy bosses

Shale gas growth 'may hit regional LNG market'

Investment in the development of shale gas, a natural gas recovered through
a careful procedure involving horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing
in the US and Europe could hit Middle East gas markets, said an expert.

"Over the last several years, technologies for extracting unconventional
natural gas from shale formations have been implemented with greater
precisions resulting in lower costs," said Colin Chapman, president of
Euro-Petroleum Consultants' (EPC), a leading independent consultancy for
downstream oil, gas and petrochemicals industries.

"So much so that costs for these types of gas projects have been in some
cases lower than those of more conventional projects," Chapman pointed out
in the EPC analysis of the growing role of shale gas production in Europe,
North America and Asia.

Offering fresh insights into the future of global gas market, Chapman said,
'In Europe, shale and other unconventional gas resources have been
identified in France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.'

http://www.tradearabia.com/news/CM_190009.html

Gas and electricity bills designed to confuse...

E.ON, RWE May Raise U.K. Gas Prices in Next 6 Weeks, Times Says

E.ON AG and RWE AG may raise natural gas prices for U.K. households within
the next month to six weeks, the Sunday Times reported. The two German companies have signaled their intention for a single-digit
increase to energy bills, the newspaper said, without saying where it got
the information.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-05/e-on-rwe-may-raise-u-k-gas-prices-i
n-next-6-weeks-times-says.html

Monday 6 December 2010

Camden has become the first council in the UK to launch a fleet of vehicles powered entirely by renewable energy

The 15-strong fleet operates on compressed biomethane gas, which reduces
both CO2 and nitrogen dioxide emissions by 60%, when compared to fossil
fuels. The gas was produced from organic waste manufactured from a landfill site in
Surrey. The vans will be supported by a newly upgraded refuelling station at Camden
Transport Service, in King's Cross. Camden is also launching London's first free electric charging point for
commercial vehicles, which generates some of its energy from the refuelling
station's solar panels. Camden Council's cabinet member for sustainability, councillor Angela Mason,
said: "I am delighted to launch this innovative fleet. "It is incredible to think that just one tonne of this special fuel can
power a 44-tonne heavy goods vehicle for an entire week. ]
http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=19100

Mitsubishi plans energy centre

One of the largest companies in the world has announced a £100 million
investment in a green energy centre for the UK.

Mitsubishi is establishing an engineering centre in Scotland for research
and development of offshore wind technology.

The firm expects to create up to 200 jobs at its Centre for Advanced
Technology in Edinburgh. Mitsubishi is also acquiring an Edinburgh
University spin-off, Artemis Power, safeguarding 25 jobs.

The move was welcomed by Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, who said:
"Scotland is a leader in the development of clean green energy and boasts a
world-class research and development base that is pioneering technologies
that will have a global impact on combating climate change."

The deal was made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) through its
subsidiary, Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe (MPSE), and announced at a press
conference in the Scottish capital.

http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/mitsubishi_plans_energy_centre_1_28273
98

Energy Market Brief December 2010:

Short Term Risk Drivers

Well the big news and main driver of prices for last month has been the
weather, and so far the system has coped well with the increased demand.
However any prolonged spells of cold weather will impact on storage levels
and could leave us with potential shortfalls. So any expected deliveries of LNG will be greatly received and could
contribute considerably to keeping supply margins in place. Prices have
steadily risen throughout the last month and as we write this report gas
demand is approaching all time highs as the wintery weather continues to
cause distribution. Any serious system issues could have wider implications
for our continued supply demand and with this uncertainty hanging over the
market.

Read More -
http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/news/energy_market_brief_december2010/?
p

Saturday 4 December 2010

Clear incentive for London's workplaces to switch off lights, Assembly told

Switching off unnecessary lights would save money for London's workplaces,
which is a clear incentive in the current economic climate, the Assembly's
Environment Committee heard today.

In the capital, workplaces make up 43 percent of carbon emissions and
lighting accounts for a fifth of these. It has been estimated that lighting
costs could be cut by up to 15 percent simply by turning off lights in areas
that are not being used.

Howard Dawber, head of strategy at the Canary Wharf Group, told the
Committee that the Government's Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy
Efficiency Scheme ( CRC ), is acting as an incentive for companies to adopt
energy savings policies because it is now a business cost. Under the scheme,
all organisations whose annual electricity bill is equivalent to about
£500,000 a year must measure their carbon emissions and "buy" allowances to
cover their emissions for the previous year.
http://media-newswire.com/release_1135522.html

Friday 3 December 2010

UK gas price rises as cold spell drains stocks

UK gas prices rose yesterday as high heating demand in a prolonged cold
spell continued to drain Britain's limited gas stocks, increasing fears over
supplies for the rest of winter.

With temperatures plunging to less than -20 degrees Celsius in Scotland
overnight, prompt UK wholesale gas prices rose to their highest level since
early 2009, when a fifth of Europe's gas was cut off during a row between
Russia and Ukraine.

Gas for delivery on Thursday rose to a high of 64 pence per therm before
easing to 62.50 at 0910 GMT, up 1.25 pence from the close on Wednesday,
while gas for delivery on Friday traded roughly in line with Thursday
contracts.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/business-news/134471-uk-gas-price-rises-as-
cold-spell-drains-stocks.html

Opus Energy wins Independent Energy Supplier of the Year award

Opus Energy celebrated winning the Independent Energy Supplier of the Year
award at last week's inaugural Energy Excellence Awards. The result was decided by both a popular vote and a panel of judges. The
awarding panel acknowledged that: "[Opus Energy] has shown major growth and a rising profile in the past year,
with new and flexible products introduced for smaller companies. [Opus
Energy] offers smart meters for free, helping companies be greener and drive
emissions down." http://www.prlog.org/11122288-opus-energy-wins-independent-energy-supplier-o
f-the-year-award.html

Coal's Two-Year High Prompts U.K. Utilities to Burn Wood: Energy Markets

The highest-priced coal in two years is making wood pellets a viable
alternative as a fuel for U.K. power producers, heralding a doubling of
electricity generation from biomass in the next three years. Using coal to make a megawatt hour of electricity in the U.K. costs 40.25
euros ($53), compared with 39.35 euros for wood, according to Bloomberg New
Energy Finance. Prices have been "approximately the same" since May, it
said. Pledges by Prime Minister David Cameron's government to step up renewable
energy use are stoking investment in U.K. projects to get electricity from
biomass such as tree and vegetable matter just as coal prices surge amid
rising demand from China. Utilities plan to more than double biomass
capacity in Britain to 5,800 megawatts by 2014, enough to supply almost 6
million homes, New Energy Finance said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-03/coal-s-surge-coaxes-u-k-utilities-t
o-burn-wood-energy-markets.html

Thursday 2 December 2010

UK gas price rise as cold spell drains stocks

UK business gas prices rose on Thursday as
high heating demand in a prolonged cold spell continued to drain Britain's
limited gas stocks, increasing fears over supplies for the rest of winter.

With temperatures plunging to less than -20 degrees Celsius in Scotland
overnight, prompt UK wholesale gas prices rose to their highest level since
early 2009, when a fifth of Europe's gas was cut off during a row between
Russia and Ukraine.

Gas for delivery on Thursday rose to a high of 64 pence per therm before
easing to 62.50 at 0910 GMT, up 1.25 pence from the close on Wednesday,
while gas for delivery on Friday traded roughly in line with Thursday
contracts.

Britain's biggest gas storage site, Rough, continued to pump into the UK
network at near capacity, according to data from National Grid, leaving less
to top up supplies for later in winter which is usually colder than early
December.

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE6B10GC20101202

Npower crowned 'Energy Supplier of the Year'

npower has once again proven its credentials as an award-winning energy
company, by picking up the 'Energy Supplier of the Year' at the inaugural
Energy 'Buying & Supplying Excellence' Awards.

The award, voted for by business customers, celebrates the UK supplier that
has performed outstandingly in customer service, relationship management and
product offerings over the past year.

The Energy 'Buying & Supplying Excellence' Awards were created to recognise
excellence by energy procurement specialists, and the energy brokers and
utility suppliers that support them. The awards were presented at a ceremony
at The Langham Hotel in London on 25th November 2010.

David Cockshott, director of industrial and commercial markets at npower,
who accepted the award, said: "Being named 'Energy Supplier of the Year' is
a fantastic achievement for npower and a testament to everyone's hard work
and dedication over the past year.

http://www.easier.com/81158-npower-energy-supplier-year.html

Fears over record gas bills in cold weather

Households face the possibility of further rises in their energy bills,
after the cold weather that has struck the country caused gas prices to rise
to the highest level for 18 months.
The National Grid has reported a significant increase in the demand for
power as many parts of Britain have been experiencing unprecedented low
temperatures for this time of year. Demand for gas yesterday was 25 per cent more than it was at this time last
year and the third highest daily amount on record, as households and
businesses turned up their thermostats. The surge in demand caused concern in the wholesale markets, with the price
of gas jumping 11 per cent to 62p per therm - the highest level in 18
months. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/8174586/Fear
s-over-record-gas-bills-in-cold-weather.html

North East-based renewable energy centre Narec will reveal details of its involvement on a new £6m project

North East-based renewable energy centre Narec will reveal details of its
involvement on a new £6m, pan-European project at a major industry event
next week. The nationally-focused organisation, which pioneers clean energy technology,
will tell market leaders from across the UK about its Europe-wide work at
the Solar Flair 10 conference in Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

The conference, organised by the County Durham Development Company (CDDC)
will bring together key figures from the photovoltaic technology industry,
as well as executives from industries that could play a lead role in the
nation's solar energy drive in the coming years.

Blyth-headquartered Narec has recently been enlisted to help develop several
European projects that, when combined, are valued at over £20m.

The latest of these is a contract for its photovoltaic division to work on
20Plus - a three-year project worth around £6m to nine project partners that
span six countries.

Dr Alex Cole, business development manager specialising in PV technology at
Narec, will give further details of the project at Solar Flair 10, as well
as explaining his work with crystalline silicon PV technology.

Speaking ahead of the event, Dr Cole said: "In the 20Plus project, major
European industry and research institutes have come together to develop the
next generation of crystalline silicon solar cells with efficiencies over
20% and thicknesses less than 100 micro metres, thus reducing cell cost and
PV energy payback time.

http://www.realwire.com/releases/North-East-firm-to-unveil-European-success-
story-at-solar-conference

Prompt electricity hits new 22-month high on cold weather

UK spot power prices surged to their highest level in 22 months Wednesday on
the back of a cold weather forecast and bullish UK gas prices, said traders.

At midday Wednesday, UK OTC power for next-day delivery was trading GBP15.50
above Tuesday's closing level at GBP70/MWh in base, with the peakload
contract GBP26 higher than Tuesday at GBP91.25/MWh. This is the contract's
highest level since January 8, 2009, Platts data show.

Block 5--the contract corresponding to the evening period when demand is the
highest--was heard trading at GBP125/MWh, according to a source.

On the N2EX wholesale power exchange, day-ahead base was also up more than
GBP15 day-on-day at GBP70.36/MWh.

"The weather is very cold and the nuclear plants are not running," a source
said. "There's certainly a risk premium factored into these prices...the
oil-fired plants haven't run for a long time...it's a necessary safety net."

http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/ElectricPower/8242674

Wednesday 1 December 2010

French LNG Gas Injections...

French liquefied natural gas injections in the week ending Sunday rose by
26.2% year on year to 4,235.1 GWh, as gas demand surged on the back of
freezing temperatures, the latest data from gas grid operator GRTgaz showed
Monday.

LNG injections into the grid were boosted by a rise in gas sendouts from the
Mediterranean Fos Tonkin and Fos Cavaou terminals, where combined flows rose
by 46.8% on the year to 3,065.9 GWh.

At the Montoir de Bretagne facility, on the Atlantic coast, flows fell by
7.7% to 1,169.1 GWh.

http://www.lngworldnews.com/france-lng-inputs-up-26-2-on-year/

Cancun climate summit: UK paying large proportion of global fund to help poor countries

Fact and Figures about Global Warming

Fact and Figures about Global Warming

There are many facts and myths surrounding global warming but there is no
debate in the scientific world that human evolution has contributed to it.
In this article you will find facts and figures that prove human kind are
contributing towards climate change. In the last 50 years, Alaska's
temperature has gone up around twice the rate of the rest of the world.

Fact and Figures about Global Warming
This could very well be because Alaska is close to one of the biggest
producers of green house gases countries.

Aviation is considered responsible for about 3.5% of climate change, but
that figure could reach 15% by 2050 as air travel increases.

If China eventually uses as much paper as the U.S. currently does, it will
need twice as much as the entire world now produces. Imagine how many trees
will have to be cut down to produce that much paper.

Read More -
http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/blog/latest-news/global-warming-fact-an
d-figures/

Tuesday 30 November 2010

G4S Utility Services has signed a three year contract to deliver end-to-end smart gas and electricity metering services

Kim Challis, Managing Director of G4S Utility Services says since British
Gas was already their largest customer, "We already deliver a wide variety
of services to British Gas Business. This contract will make us a major
meter operations service provider in the UK market at a key time."

British Gas Business Managing Director, Kanat Emiroglu, adds, "G4S Utility
Services have delivered excellent service since they commenced delivering
Smart electricity meter installations earlier this year. The awarding of
this contract demonstrates the strength of our partnership with them." G4S Secure Solutions is the largest security solutions company in the UK and
Ireland, serving more than 6,000 customers, including 59 FTSE 100 companies.
In addition, G4S serves a majority of UK Government departments. For more
information please visit www.g4s.com/uk.
http://www.smartmeters.com/the-news/1419-g4s-lands-smart-meter-deal-.html

UK Wholesale Spot Gas Prices Reach 2010 High

Spot UK wholesale gas prices on
Monday reached the highest level of 2010 as the key Day ahead contract
traded at 57.25 pence per therm. This is the highest level since February
2009.

UK wholesale prices have been increasing in the past week because of a rapid
rise in demand for gas triggered by falling temperatures. Demand for gas
from local distribution zones, which includes residential heating, has more
than doubled since the start of the month.

Monday's total demand was almost 26% higher than the normal level for this
time of year. It was the highest demand for any day in November on record.

The Day-ahead price has increased by almost 29% since the start of November.

Demand stood at 432 million cubic metres on Monday morning. The normal level
for this time of year is 344 million cubic metres. In November 2009, daily
demand averaged 299 million cubic metres/ day.

Demand reached an all-time high earlier this year on 8 January at 465
million cubic metres.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uk-wholesale-spot-gas-prices-reach-2
010-high-110969509.html

Monday 29 November 2010

Beware Electricity meter Scam

Luton has been revealed as one of the UK's hotspots for a scam in which
criminals offer cut-price energy to those with pre-payment meters.

A new report using data from leading energy suppliers, including British Gas
and EDF Energy, says 1,500 households in Luton have fallen victim to a scam
where they have bought pre-payment energy that doesn't exist.

Energy UK says the con is being carried out by organised criminal gangs, and
are urging customers only to buy their electricity meter top-ups from the
Post Office or official PayPoint or Payzone retailers.

A spokesman for Energy UK said: "The scam is of particular concern because
to obtain the fake top-ups people must let the criminals into their homes to
access their electricity meters.

"Reports of threatening behaviour from the perpetrators of the fraud have
been received by some energy
companies who are urging people to steer clear of those involved. Police
have also made arrests in connection with this activity."

http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/beware_energy_meter_scam_1_1682810

Energy companies blame green taxes for high bills as Ofgem launches prices inquiry

Ofgem sends a chill through energy market as prices continue to hot up

Friday 26 November 2010

Ofgem Launches Probe Into Energy Price Hikes

Bglobal shares surge after Ladbrokes deal

Shares in Bglobal galloped ahead after the firm announced a deal with
Ladbrokes to install 950 smart
meters in its betting shops across the UK.

Bglobal, which is based in Darwen, Lancashire, said it would also provide
Ladbrokes with meter reading, data collection and analysis services.

The shares gained nearly seven per cent to 39p after the announcement,
valuing Bglobal at £38.6m.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/business/s/1375671_bglobal_
shares_surge_after_ladbrokes_deal

Thursday 25 November 2010

£2k refund is the perfect Christmas gift

A Pub has received an apology and a £2,000 refund on its bill after a
clerical "oversight" by a water company. The Mason's Arms in Wadborough, near Pershore, will collect a water

rebate on a Severn Trent Water bill after an error was made
in calculating the amount of surface water running from the property into
the firm's drains. Severn Trent accepted it had made an error but would only refund the last
six months' overpayment. But following a call from your Worcester News it is now repaying the amount
back-dated to when the query was first raised in 2008. It comes as the
company announced half-year pre-tax profits from April to Sept-ember (2010)
of £272 million on turnover of £702 million. However, it has also said its customers have the lowest water bills
nationally (falling by four per cent by 2015) and is investing £2.2 billion
in its network over the same period. The pub is run by Rita and Barry Knight, who took over the lease in January
2008, and initially queried their £729 annual surface water charge, which
excluded mains water charges. However, Mrs Knight said she didn't actually pursue Severn Trent until
October this year when the firm then admitted its mistake. http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/local/8684935.__2k_refund_is_the_perfect
_Christmas_gift/

Telecom Plus PLC - Half Yearly Report 2010

Half-Year Results for the Six Months ended 30 September 2010 - Telecom Plus
PLC (trading as the Utility Warehouse), which supplies a wide range of
utility services (gas, electricity,
fixed line telephony, mobile telephony and broadband internet) to both
residential and business customers, announces half-year results for the six
months ended 30 September 2010.

http://www.investegate.co.uk/article.aspx?id=201011230700096240W

Gas key to UK energy security

"Gas is going to continue to play a vital role in keeping the lights on,"
said energy minister Charles Hendry at the launch of a major new study into
gas. Business Gas currently
provides 50 per cent of the UK's primary energy and, as the cleanest fossil
fuel, must remain central to the energy mix if the UK is to honour its 2020
commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 34 per cent on 1990 levels.

However, meeting the UK's energy security and climate change targets will be
hugely challenging. North
Sea gas reserves are in decline after four decades of
production, and in 2004 the UK turned from being a net gas exporter to a net
gas importer. It is likely to become increasingly reliant on gas imports in
coming years, possibly importing 80 per cent of gas usage by 2020. Although
the world has plentiful gas - enough for over 60 years of current demand,
according to BP statistics - global demand is also rising, perhaps by 44 per
cent by 2035, according to the International Energy Agency. This means the
UK must do more to safeguard and diversify its gas supplies.

http://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/Companies/ByEvent/Risk/Analysis/article/
20101124/47d44528-f711-11df-81b8-00144f2af8e8/Gas-key-to-UK-energy-security.
jsp

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Harnessing the ocean's power...

The Ocean's Power

Nowadays the buzz words of the energy industry are "renewable
energy". Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural
resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat. As
you might have noticed some of the afore mentioned resources come from the
Earth's biggest natural resources, the Oceans.

Power from the Ocean
Oceans can produce different types of energy, including thermal energy from
the sun's heat and mechanical energy from the action of waves and tides.
Public and private institutions around the globe are investing big bucks to
harness this energy resource in ways that are safe, sustainable and
environmentally safe.

http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/blog/latest-news/the-ocean%E2%80%99s-po
wer/

Tuesday 23 November 2010

U.S.-to-U.K. LNG Shipment Last Week May Mark New Trade Link, JPMorgan Says

A delivery of liquefied natural gas to the U.K. from the U.S. last week was
the first such consignment since 1959 and may mark the start of a new trade
link between the markets, JPMorgan Cazenove said. The LNG tanker Maersk Meridian delivered an initial shipment of the fuel to
the Isle of Grain terminal, east of London, from the Sabine Pass terminal in
the U.S., National Grid Plc said Nov. 19. The fuel had been reloaded at the
U.S. terminal, JPMorgan Cazenove analyst Fred Lucas said in a report dated
yesterday. "Cargo reloading will create a physical link, albeit presently very thin,
between the U.K. and U.S. gas markets," which were previously "isolated," he
said. "If reloading volumes rise materially, this could enforce a tighter
price spread between the U.K. and U.S. gas markets." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-23/u-s-to-u-k-lng-shipment-last-week-m
ay-mark-new-trade-link-jpmorgan-says.html

UK must triple efforts to cut emissions

New iPhone app puts UK businesses in control of energy costs

Monday 22 November 2010

Thanks a lot Facebook! now responsible for higher energy bills...

Centrica brings in LNG from U.S.

Britain's biggest energy supplier has taken delivery of the first liquefied
natural gas (LNG) to be re-exported from the United States to the UK. The Maersk Meridian tanker arrived at the Isle of Grain terminal near London
on Thursday night, according to terminal operator National Grid, to deliver
to Centrica, the owner of British Gas.

A spokesman for Centrica declined to say who the cargo was bought from or
how much was paid for it.

The shale-gas saturated United States started re-exporting LNG to
higher-paying markets in Asia, South America, and Spain earlier this year.

But the Meridian is the first to deliver to Britain super-cooled gas that
had previously been imported to the United States, in response to a widening
gulf between U.S. and UK prices.

http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?type=reutersnews
&articleid=TRE6AI3LY&feed=Bus&action=article

Smart Meter Company BGlobal hits installation delays

Smart meter group BGlobal has hit
installation problems with the total number of meters installed in the first
half behind expectations. "The board is revising its installation expectations for the year downwards
by 10% and anticipates that it will raise operating costs to ensure that it
maintains and increases the current installation rate," it said. This "will impact on Bglobal Metering's contribution to group performance in
FY11, it added. http://www.sharecast.com/cgi-bin/sharecast/story.cgi?story_id=3818326

Hillary Clinton meets with EU counterpart to talk natural gas supply

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with her European Union
counterpart, High Representative Catherine Ashton, in Lisbon Friday to
discuss alternative ways to supply the EU with natural gas.

The EU is beholden to Russia for a significant chunk of its gas supply, and
has been pushing for the development of a "Southern Corridor" to bring
commercial gas from the Caspian
Basin, Central Asia and the Middle East to the EU.

The meeting reviewed the principles of the Energy Security Working Group, a
task force charged with reviewing arrangements for the management of
emergencies in electricity, gas and liquid fuel markets. "We were encouraged by progress since the last meeting in the development of
a Southern Corridor to diversify sources and routes to help meet Europe's
long-term natural gas requirements," said Clinton, Ashton, and other
principals in a statement after the meeting.

The statement also noted the June 7 signing of a gas transit and pricing
agreement between Turkey and Azerbaijan, which allowed producers and
shippers to negotiate contracts to bring Caspian gas to European markets. The leaders also considered alternative, non-Caspian sources of gas for the
Southern Corridor, such as Iraq. They called on Iraqi authorities to
implement new hydrocarbon and revenue sharing agreements.
http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/NaturalGas/6614438

Gas and electricity bills hide internet savings

New energy statements are failing to make clear that some customers could
save hundreds of pounds on fuel bills. The statements, which will be
delivered to every UK home by the end of the year, will explain discounts
available on a customer's current tariff. But they will fail to detail the
savings that can be made by switching to an internet-based plan.

Figures show a difference of £239 between an online tariff and paying by
cheque when a bill arrives.

Suppliers have been told by the regulator Ofgem to start sending out annual
statements. They are intended to help consumers understand their energy use
and what it is costing them. They should include information such as the
name of a customer's tariff and a reminder that the customer can switch
provider, along with advice on how to do so.

They must also point out any discounts that apply to the tariff the customer
is on when compared with the same supplier's standard direct debit tariff.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11787658

Green restrictions on gas 'could endanger UK supply'

Friday 19 November 2010

Scottish Power hikes energy tariffs

Scottish Power hikes energy tariffs

Energy firm Scottish Power has said it is raising average gas prices by 2% and electricity bills by 8.9% in a blow to 2.5 million households. ...
See all stories on this topic »

Govt 'Underestimates' Somali Piracy Threat

Govt 'Underestimates' Somali Piracy Threat

story picture
Sam Kiley, security editor

Senior British commanders and other sources in the Ministry of Defence are warning that the Government is underestimating the threat posed to the UK by Somali pirates.

 


Read on Sky News

The Facts That You Might Like To Know Before Your Office Switched To A Different Utilities Supplier

This is the case as a business can be spending way too much on energy bills
and by taking a little time to make office cut-backs they can significantly
reduce the company's outgoings and also reduce the levels of carbon that
your office is producing.

With this in mind, let's help you achieve this within your own company as
here are some tips to help you minimise your energy consumption and just
some pieces of advice to help you know about the process of investigating
energy supplies.

1) Firstly, as the manager of the company you can sort out an audit of energy consumption. An audit
involves an energy specialist coming to your business and assessing your
energy needs and output levels. There are essentially three types of audits:
there is the basic audit, the visual basic and the comprehensive. With one
of these methods you could seriously cut-backs on office energy consumption.

Visual Inspection - This type of audit is the most cost-effective and it
involves booking an appointment for a trained specialist to your building
and performing a detailed visual inspection of your energy output. By doing
this they can identify when an office is inefficiently using too much energy
and will then be able to make suggestions on how to reduce energy levels.

http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/The-Facts-That-You-Might-Like-To-Know-B
efore-Your-Office-Switched-To-A-Different-Utilities-Supplier/1521707#ixzz15X
L753VQ

Thursday 18 November 2010

UK Gas Providers Might Lose Customers Due to Price Rises

Last week, on November 12th, UK-based comparison website Moneysupermarket
published its comments on the rises in gas and electricity prices in the
country.

Customers of such companies as SSE and British Gas have already seen
significant increases in their bills, whereas customers of other companies
have not yet been "bitten" by cold winter changes.

Experts, however, believe that rates will be raised by all gas and
electricity providers: "with hikes from both SSE and British Gas I would
expect the other major providers to follow suit."

Mr. Byrom, energy manager at Moneysupermarket, is determined that UK
consumers should consider switching from the expensive providers to those,
who currently offer more or less attractive deals. This move is guaranteed
to help people gain more control over their bills and expenditures.

http://www.moneyavenue.co.uk/news/gas-and-electricity/uk-gas-providers-might
-lose-customers-due-to-price-rises.html

Wholesale Gas and Electricity prices: How are they calculated?

Energy prices are going up. Both British Gas and Scottish and Southern
Energy (SSE) are putting up their gas and electricity tariffs in December,
and other major energy providers may follow suit soon. The companies have
blamed a 25% increase in wholesale costs this year. But have wholesale
prices gone up? And how does the wholesale price relate to the figure that
appears on your energy bill? Gas prices graphs
Is blaming the wholesale price justified?
Wholesale prices With other costs to supply energy relatively fixed and constituting a small
part of your overall energy bill, energy suppliers almost always cite
wholesale prices as the reason
behind a change in their tariffs. But at any one time there are many different wholesale prices, so to say
they have gone up by 25% is meaningless. All of these wholesale prices have
in fact gone up over the period quoted by SSE and British Gas. But anyone who knows anything about the energy market also knows that a
wholesale price movement can be found to support pretty much any retail
energy price change - whether up, down, big or small. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11767544

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Coal's Two-Year-High May Force European Utility Gas Switch: Energy Markets

Coal in Europe is trading close to a two-year high as rising demand in China
drives up prices around the world, making natural gas more attractive to
U.K. and German utilities for producing power. Benchmark coal for delivery next month in northwest Europe reached $108.50 a
metric ton yesterday, the highest level since Nov. 7, 2008, according to
broker data compiled by Bloomberg. China faces "a moderate shortage" of the
fuel that generates 80 percent of its electricity after temperatures fell
below freezing earlier than usual this year, New York-based Commodore
Research said on Nov. 15. "Coal prices are now completely driven by Asian demand, and European
utilities have to accept that price," said Emmanuel Fages, a Paris-based
analyst at Societe Generale. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-17/coal-s-two-year-high-may-force-euro
pean-utility-gas-switch-energy-markets.html

Renewable Energy Brokers

Energy costs represent one of the biggest slices in the expenditures pie of
any given business, be it small, medium or large sized companies, a well
planed energy management plan can help save money and reduce end costs. With that mindset, the objective of this article is highlight energy
management solutions that can help businesses save thousands of pounds and
reduce their carbon footprint at the same time.

First step is to choose the right energy supplier, one that offers an energy
contract that will best suit your business needs. As the UK energy market
grows more complex, the independent advice offered by energy brokers
and consultants can help you choose
the right energy supplier. The catch here is to find an energy consultancy
firm rather than trying to do the job in-house. A 'fresh pair of eyes', with relevant experience of achieving tangible
results in other organisations, can often uncover areas for significant
improvement that may not have been previously identified. http://www.alternativeenergyalaska.com/renewable-energy-brokers/

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Facebook responsible for higher energy bills...

Gazprom says plans big trading arm expansion

Russian energy company Gazprom plans to hire hundreds more staff at its
UK-based Gazprom Marketing & Trading (GM&T) arm in the long term, a
spokeswoman for the company said on Monday.

The Financial Times said on Monday that the downstream trading arm of the
Russian gas export monopoly could hire up to 600 more staff, on top of its
current workforce of around 300, in the next few years.

"We are looking to recruit," the spokeswoman said, adding the company had
big long-term expansion plans and was set to move into much larger offices
in London.

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/gazprom-says-plans-big-trading-arm-expansio
n-targetukfocus-d62c67c78c82.html

Monday 15 November 2010

Dash for gas could save UK £700bn say ENA

Heavier reliance on gas and less dependence on renewables, coal and nuclear
could save Britain £700bn over the next 50 years, according to the Energy
Networks Association.
New research found that if gas can be "cleaned" by capturing its carbon
dioxide emissions and pumping them underground, it would be a much cheaper
option. The industry group, which represents Britain's transmission companies, said
gas requires less new power generation capacity and infrastructure than
other sources of energy. Billions of pounds will need to be spent on making the UK's networks fit for
nuclear power and more renewable energy. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/8130075/Das
h-for-gas-could-save-UK-700bn-say-ENA.html

UK To Get Revolutionary Multi-Rotor Wind Turbine

Renewable energy market specialist VNCS is meeting eager investors at Clean
Tech World 2010 next week following the announcement of its deal with a
major US engineering specialist to deliver by the third quarter 2011 a new,
double-output generation of wind turbines: fully optimised Multi Rotor
500KWh and 1.5MWh Energy Towers. The VNCS team managed to secure a deal last week with the US manufacturer
Ajax Tocco Magnethermic, a subsidiary of the $1b t/o Park Ohio Holdings
Corporation, (Nasdaq PKOH), for the joint development of the Energy Tower
technology on a global basis. The operation will trade as Viridis Navitas Service Supply in the UK and
Belgium. http://www.pressdispensary.co.uk/feed/992858.php

Is Facebook responsible for higher energy bills?

As a market leading energy broker
we have noticed that the current generation is more committed to discovering
and reducing its carbon footprint than ever before. But despite this
growing awareness and our need to conserve and reduce our energy
consumption, there is one thing that has changed our lifestyle, and
increased our energy consumption like nothing else we have ever seen before.
Facebook, the social networking site accounted for 1 in every 10 internet
visits in September - up 4% from the same month last year, now overtaking
popular search engines such as Google in the rankings.

Facebook And Rising Energy Prices
Astonishingly Facebook now attracts 55% of all visits to social networking
sites but others such as Twitter, Linkedin and Tumblr have seen visits at
least double in the last 12-months, a recent report suggested.

http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/blog/latest-news/facebookthanks-for-hig
her-bills/

Friday 12 November 2010

British Gas to raise gas and electricity bills by 7%

British Gas customers will face a 7% rise in gas and electricity bills this
winter, the company has announced.

The increase, which comes into effect on 10 December, was the result of
rising wholesale prices, it said. The rise affects eight million customers, but the company added that its
300,000 most vulnerable customers would initially not be charged more.

British Gas has become the second major UK energy supplier to announce price
increases for the winter months.

It said that wholesale gas prices had risen by 25% since the spring.

"We know that rising energy prices come at a difficult time for many," said
British Gas managing director Phil Bentley.

The company said prices for those on a typical dual-fuel deal would go up by
£1.50 a week.

Vulnerable customers on the "Essentials" package with British Gas will have
prices held until 1 April 2011.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11741766

National Grid sees no rebound in UK energy demand

British gas and electricity demand appears to have bottomed out, but there
has been no rebound in consumption since the recession-led slide of late
2008-early 2009, National Grid said on Thursday. "We have bottomed out but there is no spectacular sign of recovery," a
spokesman for the power and gas network operator told Reuters.

Demand for gas from the power sector has increased slightly because of
several new gas fired power plants being started up in 2010, the spokesman
said. But once the effect on heating demand during last winter -- one of the
coldest on record -- is removed, demand for gas and electricity from the
start of April 2010 to the end of October 2010 is in line with demand for
both from April-October 2009.

Data for the industrial sector alone is not available.

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE6AA1WT20101111

Europe Unveils Plans for Single Energy Market within 10 Years

The European Union has unveiled plans for a single European energy market, a
1 trillion-euro ($1.38 trillion) strategy to achieve energy security and cut
fossil fuel emissions. The 10-year plan would include upgrades to the
continent's aging pipelines and build infrastructure that allows energy to
flow across borders from one end of Europe to the other. The new system also
will help the expansion of renewable energy supplies across the continent,
the EU said. "Looking at our network for gas, oil and electricity, we are all still stuck
within the borders of the 19th century principalities," Guenther Oettinger,
the EU's energy chief, told reporters. Within five years, he said, no
European nation should be isolated from its neighbors. Without a single
market, he added, the EU will not be able to meet its goals of cutting
carbon emissions 20 percent by 2020 or improving energy efficiency by 20
percent. EU officials say detailed legislation should emerge over the next
18 months. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS85010938920101111

How to Cut Down on your Business Gas Bills

How to cut down on your business gas bills

Are you always surprised after seeing the amount charged on your business
gas bill and wonder what is it you're doing
wrong? Are you worried that despite being careful about not wasting energy,
you end up having to pay large bills? If so, here are some things you might
want to look into:

1) Do you have many old equipment at your business or office? Equipment and appliances weren't as energy efficient even a few decades ago
as they tend to be these days. Therefore, if you have one of those age-old
air conditioners, refrigerators, or washing machines, you might want to
consider replacing them with ones that are more energy efficient. Even
simple things such as an old battery in the cell phone or a laptop that
needs constant recharging could add to your expenses.

http://www.mybusinessgas.com/latest-news/how-to-cut-down-on-your-business-ga
s-bills

A single energy market would be good for consumers, the environment and security

A single energy market would be good for consumers, the environment and
security OIL and gas are being drained from under the North Sea. But its time as
Europe's energy reservoir is not over. Along its shores and on its waters,
thousands of turbines are being built to harness the winds. Next month
ministers from ten countries will sign a pact to start work on an underwater
electrical grid to link up these disparate projects. When one place is
becalmed, a gale may be howling in another; when the turbines are churning
out surplus electricity, hydroelectric stations in Norway can switch into
reverse to become giant batteries.

This offshore grid is the germ of a big dream: a Europe-wide system of
electricity highways. If it makes sense in the North Sea, it makes even more
for wind and solar power from Spain and, one day, solar energy from the
Sahara desert. And as well as Norwegian reservoirs, why not store power in
existing Alpine valleys? This would reduce the need for more power stations
to balance the spikes and troughs of renewables. Moreover if producers could
trade energy over the grid in a single market, the benefits could be bigger
still. European officials reckon energy savings of some 20-25% would be
possible.

http://www.economist.com/node/17463389?story_id=17463389

Thursday 11 November 2010

Energy risks for business set to increase, reveals new white paper

An increase in financial, reputational and legislative risks associated with
business usage of energy means organisations need to put in place effective
plans now to reduce their exposure to future risks. This is the key finding
of a new white paper published today, Energy Risk Management for UK
Business, commissioned by npower from the London School of Economics.

The white paper follows statistics in the latest npower Business Energy
Index, which revealed that businesses rank energy as posing greater risk to
them than health and safety, credit and security. They scored energy 6 out
of 10 in terms of level of risk it poses; this was in contrast to the
highest risk which was legislation, scoring 6.7 out of 10.

To address this concern and to stress the importance of immediate action,
the white paper provides a guide to current energy risks and forecasts how
they will grow in the future. It concludes by urging businesses to ensure
energy is a board-level consideration and to control their exposure to risk
by working in a collaborative manner internally - by combining the energy
management and procurement processes.

The paper also looks at how the role of energy suppliers is changing. No
longer can they simply supply energy; they now need to help businesses to
manage their consumption and procure energy in as cost-effective way as
possible, to ensure their survival. It concludes by highlighting the role
that energy suppliers now need to play is as a consultant to help
organisations manage energy risks.
http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/analysis/business-analysis/121630-energy-risks-
for-business-set-to-increase,-reveals-new-white-paper.html

Ofgem's new Unit spent more than £5m on energy consultants

Last week Ofgem quietly announced on its website
the details of expenditures
on external energy consultants. In just six months the energy regulator
spent over £5m on new green taxes and incentives that ranged from
feed-in-tariffs to smart
meters.

Ofgems expenditure
Ofgem has an annual budget of £50m, if spending continues at the same rate
by the end of the year the amount spent with external consultants will
account for 20% of its total budget.

To administer environmental programmes and sustainability projects Ofgem
created a special unit called, Ofgem E-Serve. The "E" stands for
Environment, Energy and Efficiency. The new unit has used external
consultants on 63 different occasions between April and September this year
accounting for the total sum of £5m.

http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/blog/latest-news/ofgems-e-serve-expendi
tures/

Gas prices to remain depressed for another decade

The energy statistics organisation has previously predicted an abundance of
gas for five years due to new "shale" reserves being exploited in the US and
the growing ability of gas companies to ship the fuel in liquefied form
(LNG). However, the IEA now believes the glut could last a decade and keep prices
lower for longer. There will be an oversupply of about 200bn extra cubic metres next year, up
from 130bn cubic metres this year, it said. This is likely to reduce prices
as a greater range of sources will loosen the grip of the traditional gas
producers, such as Gazprom, which insist on long-term contracts with
customers. These are linked to the oil price, which is increasing and has
decoupled from the gas price. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/8121129/Gas
-prices-to-remain-depressed-for-another-decade.html

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Start-up aims energy-management software at business

Software start-up ENXSuite released an updated version of its
energy-management software on Monday.

ENXSuite is one of many companies trying to bring stricter accounting to
costs related to natural resources. The company's software enables
businesspeople, either financial executives or sustainability officers, to
track usage of electricity, gas, water, waste or greenhouse gases. Once that
data is collected, people can create models to make decisions on
energy-efficiency initiatives.

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/application-development/2010/11/09/start-up-aims
-energy-management-software-at-business-40090798/?s_cid=938

British Metals Recycling Group Protests U.K. Government's CRC Changes

The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA), in a press release issued
by the association, has officially protested the United Kingdom's
announcement by the government to use Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC)
Energy Efficiency Scheme to support public finances.

The move is part of the British Government's comprehensive spending review.

BMRA's statement claims that revenue for the scheme was to be used to
recognize reductions in carbon emissions. The BMRA states that the change
effectively makes the scheme an additional tax on business that will raise
£1 billion (US$1.585 billion) per year and remove an incentive to improving
energy efficiency.

The BMRA adds that the move will have a significant impact on scrap metal
recyclers using large plants and equipment for processing recyclables. It is
also expected that the reach of the scheme will be extended to other users
in the future.
http://www.recyclingtoday.com/bmra-crc-changes-impact-scrap-recyclers.aspx

Tuesday 9 November 2010

UK gas prices fall on low export demand, storage

British business gas
prices fell on Tuesday due to low export demand and ample liquefied natural
gas (LNG) and storage, which helped bring prices down despite higher heating
demand from cold weather.

Gas for December eased 0.20 pence at 45.70 pence per therm ($7.37 per mmbtu)
at 1015 GMT while gas for delivery on Wednesday slipped 0.40 pence at 45.90
pence compared with day-ahead prices in the previous session.

Traders said the spread between prompt and front-month prices meant the
market expected storage to withdrawal to satisfy demand, as well as LNG
terminals having the option to turn up to add to supply.

"It's moved lower again from yesterday. We have high demand again today, but
again weak European prices. We're quite easily able to cope. The prompt can
only rally so much before storage will turn on," one energy
broker said.

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE6A812W20101109