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

Energy group E.ON in talks over network sale

German energy group E.ON is in talks to sell its electricity distribution
network in the UK for up to £3.5bn. E.ON is believed to be in advanced negotiations with a group of foreign
investors over the deal, which could see a change of hands for Britain's
second biggest power grid - providing electricity to more than five million
homes. It is thought the bidding consortium comprises sovereign wealth fund
the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Canadian Pension Plan and Australian
Bank Macquarie. Read more:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/business-news/energy-group-in-tal
ks-over-network-sale-14999211.html?r=RSS#ixzz14mY6E1TX

Monday 8 November 2010

Utility companies in hot water over email problems

Thames Water has had to pay customers £60,000 in compensation after it
discovered an unmanned inbox containing thousands of emailed complaints and
comments.

It was one of a number of water companies identified by Ofwat as not meeting
industry performance standards due to email-related issues.

According to Ofwat's latest report, 'Service and delivery - performance of
water companies in England and Wales 2009-10', Thames Water reported to the
regulator that it had discovered an email inbox containing nearly 4,000
unread customer emails. The emails dated as far back as 31 March 2003.

http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/it-business/3247469/utility-companies-in
-hot-water-over-email-problems/

Green shake-up on the way for some of Britain's most famous royal palaces

Some of the UK's most famous royal palaces are to get a "green makeover",
with thousands of square metres of loft insulation installed to cut carbon
and save on energy bills.
Hampton Court Palace, the spectacular home of Henry VIII, will be the main
focus of the scheme to improve the energy efficiency of three sites managed
by the Historic Royal Palaces charity.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Green-shakeup-on-the-way.6616460.jp

Energy Market Report Nov10

Friday 5 November 2010

SSE takes stake in Intelligent Energy - 05 Nov 2010

Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has purchased an undisclosed stake in fuel cell developer Intelligent Energy (IE) as the utility looks to extend its reach into the low-carbon distributed heat and generation sectors.

Neither company has revealed the number of shares purchased or at what price, but the two companies have been in partnership since 2008 via joint venture IECHP, to which both IE and SSE also committed further investment yesterday.

IECHP has been developing fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) systems for the residential, commercial and light industrial markets in the UK and Ireland, funded by an initial £1.3m investment.

Both parties agreed to make a further series of investments once certain undisclosed milestones were reached. IE said that IECHP had now surpassed these requirements, triggering a further £2.7m of funding, which included a tranche from Scottish Enterprise.

Dr Mark Lawson-Statham, board member of IECHP, said the cash injection would allow the company to accelerate its expansion.

"The further investment from SSE and IEH serves to underscore the strong commitment of both companies to bring clean CHP technologies to the market," he said. "We are also delighted to be able to welcome Scottish Enterprise as a shareholder and look forward to playing a central role in the development of the hydrogen economy in Scotland."

Ian Marchant, chief executive of SSE said both investments were in line with the company's policy of developing sustainable energy in conjunction with specialist partners, such as the technology-sharing agreement it signed with Mitsubishi earlier this year.

"This investment is further evidence of our support for new technology development through investment and strategic partnerships with leading players in the clean technology sector," he said.

UK Hunterston B-7 nuclear unit in unplanned shutdown

British Energy's Hunterston B-7 nuclear power reactor stopped supplying
power to the grid due to unplanned work, a company spokeswoman said on
Thursday.

"We took the decision to take unit 7 at Hunterston B offline on Thursday,"
she said.

Hunterston B-7's maximum export limit dropped to zero earlier on Thursday,
National Grid data showed, indicating that the reactor had shut.

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/uk-hunterston-b-7-nuclear-unit-in-unplanned
-shutdown-targetukfocus-22dbec68d927.html

Thursday 4 November 2010

Reduce Energy Costs By 80% With Commercial Led Lighting

A new EU directive has banned the use and production of traditional style
filament light bulbs, businesses across the continent and in the UK are
looking for alternative lighting solutions. With the advancement in
commercial LED lighti
ng, the technology has been gaining in popularity thanks to an array of
benefits over incandescent and halogen light bulbs.

Nowadays LED lights are available in all forms of traditional lighting and
can be used for indoor or outdoor business lighting. LED lighting not only
reduces energy consumption considerably but they also have a much longer
life span than traditional light bulbs, which could bring a reduction in
annual maintenance cost of between 70% to 90%.

Energy consultants and energy management experts state that energy
efficiency is the biggest step businesses can take towards reducing their
CO2 consumption and carbon footprint. Investing in LED lighting should be
considered as a long term investment that will bring significant long term
savings for your business. There is even a scheme from the Carbon Trust that
allows you to obtain an interest free loan to invest in commercial LED
lighting, contact your energy consultancy firm and they will assist you in
obtaining this interest free loan.

http://technology.sustainablelivinginhawaii.com/1702/reduce-energy-costs-by-
80-with-commercial-led-lighting/

10 Ways to Improve Your Company's Energy Management

When Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu talks about energy
efficiency, he has been known to repeat this mantra: "Energy efficiency is
not just low-hanging fruit; it is fruit lying on the ground."

As Director of Energy for a large corporation like AT&T, I must admit that
my first reaction is slightly defensive: "Wait a minute, it's not that
easy." However, the essence of what Secretary Chu is saying is absolutely
true. Effective energy management helps reduce a company's environmental
impact and benefits the company's bottom line. Below, I have outlined 10
ways that a company can be effective in improving its energy management and
efficiency.

1. Establish benchmarks ... then measure, measure, measure. The old adage is
true: "You cannot manage what you do not measure." Measuring your
organization's energy use is the first step to reducing it. At AT&T, we
consolidated our company-wide energy use data into a centralized data
system. This consolidation allows us to better track and manage our energy
use, as well as hold people more accountable, by increasing visibility in
the way we use energy.

http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-10-ways-to-improve-your-companys-ene
rgy-management-102910.aspx

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Ministers plan law to safeguard uk business gas supply

200 to quit a fixed-rate energy deal you didn't even want!

UK Gas Prices to Increase This Winter

Prices for gas in the UK firmed yesterday, on Tuesday November 2nd as the
weather became colder and demand from consumers increased. This fact also
coincided with a decrease in supply from Norway, which contributed to
further growth in gas prices.

As such, imports of gas from Norway fell to 60 million cubic meters per day
since the last lot was delivered on Friday, October 29th.

According to estimates, gas scheduled for delivery today, on November 3rd,
was priced at 45.8 pence per therm, which is 0.9 pence up.

A separate report suggests that UK consumers will face a 9.4% increase in
gas bills as Scottish & Southern Energy, one of the cheapest energy
suppliers in UK, plans to raise prices and its competitors are expected to
follow the suit. Those, who want to compare gas price
s, should know that approximately
£70 will be added to an average annual gas bill.

http://www.moneyavenue.co.uk/news/gas-and-electricity/uk-gas-prices-to-incre
ase-this-winter.html

Monday 1 November 2010

Campaign to scrap daylight saving gathers pace

David Cameron has been urged by MPs to experiment with extending British
Summer Time (BST) through the winter to save money and energy for homes and
businesses across the UK.

Tim Yeo, chairman of the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change
Committee, issued the call last week after hearing evidence from experts at
Cambridge University and National Grid.

"There is a real head of steam building up behind this proposal in
Parliament now - and it's due to be voted on in December," he said. "I am
calling on the government to launch a full-scale trial. Until we do this we
will all be in the dark about whether this idea really could help us to meet
our climate change targets without costing the taxpayer a penny."

The call throws weight behind the daylight saving bill, tabled by by
Conservative MP Rachel Harris, which is due to have its second reading on 3
December.

Researchers at Cambridge University told the Energy and Climate Change
Committee that the UK could save up to 447,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide
emissions annually by better aligning the waking hours of the UK population
with the daylight available. Researchers said the savings would be
equivalent to taking 172,000 cars off the road.

Officials from National Grid added that the measure could potentially ease
the UK's path to producing 15 per cent of energy from renewable sources by
2020, because extending BST would flatten peak demand.

Keeping BST could reduce peak electricity demand in autumn and spring by
1GWh, the equivalent of the hourly output of a large power station, they
said. http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2272498/campaign-scrap-dayl
ight-savings

UK Electricity prices: Prompt eases on lower UK gas, despite nuclear outage

UK spot power prices eased Monday due to lower UK gas prices and warm
temperatures, while an outage at the 450 MW Heysham 1-2 nuclear reactor
Monday lent a bit of support to prices by late morning, said sources.

UK OTC baseload power for next-day delivery was assessed at GBP43.25/MWh by
12:00 London time, down GBP1 from where Monday was assessed on Friday.

Peakload traded at GBP48/MWh a few minutes before 12:00, after most volumes
went for GBP47/MWh, said a source.

On the N2EX wholesale power exchange, day-ahead base cleared at
GBP43.31/MWh, in line with OTC.

"It's bearish on the gas and the warm weather...there's nothing that could
make the price go up at the moment," a trader said. "The Heysham 1-2 outage
was too late to have any significant impact on the day-ahead, although the
price came up by end of play."

UK gas prices were bearish Monday
due to lower Continental demand and a well-supplied system, said traders.
Within-day gas was down 1.95 pence/therm to 44.75 p/therm, while day-ahead
was down by a less significant 0.45 p/therm, at 45.05 p/therm.

Temperatures in London will remain above the seasonal average this week,
peaking at 6 degrees Celsius above the norm Thursday, according to
CustomWeather.

Britain's most environmentally concerned companies...