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November 16th, 2009 | 
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Further carbon taxes to be introduced around Europe
France and Ireland to join Denmark and Sweden by levying new carbon taxes on businesses and households.
In January 2010 France will introduce a new tax at a rate of €17 per tonne of carbon emissions, a similar rate to that introduced in Denmark in 1992. In his 2010 budget proposals, the Irish finance minister is also expected to include a carbon tax at a low rate of around €14 per tonne, whereas Sweden’s existing rate of €26 per tonne is expected to rise further.
France will be the first major European economy to adopt such a tax and though householders will be re-compensated through income tax deductions, businesses will receive no overall tax reduction as taxes have been deemed to be low enough already. Nicholas Sarkozy has described the plan as ‘the only choice that could guarantee the future of the planet’.
The UK Government says it has ‘no plans’ to introduce a carbon tax. The UK has chosen, to date, not to use the tax system to stimulate energy savings: VAT on fuel of 5% is the lowest in Europe, and there are few tax incentives for energy saving investments.
However with carbon reduction targets looming in 2020, and with more of Europe turning towards carbon taxes the Government’s green tax stance could come under review, and businesses with carbon saving and environmental practices instilled into the organisation could enjoy further a competitive advantage over inefficient
WINTER FUEL PAYMENTS ‘UNSUSTAINABLE’
Oct 21, 2009 2:45:14 AM
Winter fuel payments for pensioners are an “unsustainable” response to fuel poverty and should be reconsidered, a report said today. The Government’s GBP2.7 billion-a-year budget for winter fuel payments might be better spent on lagging, insulating, reglazing and modernising the homes of pensioners who cannot afford to heat them properly, suggested local government spending watchdog the Audit Commission.
The Commission pointed out that only 12% of people receiving the payments – worth up to GBP400 a year – are classed as being in fuel poverty. And it said that the payments do nothing to encourage energy efficiency and reduce the CO2 emissions blamed for global warming.
Audit Commission chairman Michael O’Higgins said: “A one-off improvement in energy efficiency would cut household bills, giving householders lasting independence. Good for the planet and for their pockets. “Surely this would be much better than pensioners needing continual government support to keep draughty houses warm every winter.”
In a report entitled Lofty Ambitions, published today, the Audit Commission said that improvements in domestic energy efficiency can play a big part in meeting the government’s legally-binding target of 80% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Homes account for a third of Britain’s carbon emissions, which could be cut more quickly and cheaply than those from industry or transport, said the report.
Cutting the power consumed by homes by one-third would cost around GBP50 billion, but the money would be repaid through cheaper fuel bills within eight years. The measures would improve the health and comfort of the 4 million people who cannot currently afford to heat their homes properly – half of whom are pensioners.
“Expenditure on winter fuel payments, as well as being poorly targeted, does not provide a sustainable solution to the problem it seeks to address, said the report.
“Winter fuel payments increase incomes but do not reduce energy consumption or bills. It would be more sustainable to improve energy efficiency in fuel-poor households, reducing energy bills and CO2 emissions.”
Today’s report said that local councils are well-placed to support the fight against climate change by obliging or subsidising social landlords and private sector homeowners to reduce domestic CO2 emissions. It urged the Government to carry out a check on whether its voluntary approach to emissions cuts at the local level was working.
Mr O’Higgins added: “The global issue of climate change must now become a domestic one. “There is a growing realisation that, unchecked, climate change will destroy the natural and built environments. Reducing emissions now will be far less costly than adapting our world to the consequences in the future.”
But Dot Gibson, general secretary of the National Pensioners’ Convention, said: “Every year over 20,000 pensioners die from cold-related illnesses and one in three older people are currently living in fuel poverty; paying more than 10% of their income on energy bills. “Every time there is a 1% increase in energy bills, a further 40,000 older people fall into hardship.
“Suggestions that this scandal can be tackled by means-testing the winter fuel allowance is frankly stupid. The best way of getting money to those who need it most is to pay it universally and use the tax system to claw it back from those who are well off.”
The Benefit of Going Green
It has come to a point that going green is now a sort of popular trend. Being green has become the cool and fashionable thing to do. From buttons to t-shirts, the green trend has integrated itself into everything from clothing and accessories to businesses who want to keep up with the times.
Even the smallest steps taken can have a huge impact. Many steps can actually save money and increase revenue for businesses, making it a key tool for small businesses. Also, this increases the number of businesses finding ways to go green, offering more green solutions to consumers.
Often, going green can help save money as well. Green printers can be found for cheaper than non green competitors, not only saving your business valuable money but also attracting the sort of clients that will inevitably take an interest in the fact that you are trendy and green.
Scilly Isles Energy Day
E-Day designed to promote cheap energy use on Scilly Isles – 07/10/2009
Residents of the Scilly Isles took measures yesterday (October 6th) to reduce the impact of bills from energy suppliers by organising an ‘E-Day’ event.
The plan was for non-essential electrical items to be turned off in homes, schools and businesses throughout the region’s five separate islands and to measure the energy-saving potential.
Around 2,000 people live on the Scilly Isles and the islands are connected to mainland Britain by a single electricity cable, making reduced energy usage easier to monitor.
Matt Prescott, organiser of the event, told CNN: “The E-Day experiment will hopefully prove that the small things can make a big difference, especially when we work together and try to save energy.”
In a bid to gain more specific results, the campaign planned to spend the day measuring the energy usage of a single family and Five Islands School on St Mary’s Island.
Many firms across the UK are looking to pursue cheaper business energy costs by turning off non-essential electrical equipment and even taking measures such as switching off water coolers. For details about energy conservation visit www.theenergysavingco.co.uk.
The Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust do an outstanding job in raising awareness among large companies about the need to reduce Carbon Emissions and indeed offer Free Energy Audits to Companies spending over £50,000 a year on energy. This facility is however not available to smaller businesss so The Energy Saving Company helps by working with British Gas to carry out Energy Audits for smaller businesses with energy spends below £10,000 per annum. For details please contact The Energy Saving Company at contact@theenergysavingco.co.uk.
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