Archive for the ‘News’ Category
November 13th, 2009 | 
Author: CITIES LINK UP IN GREENHOUSE GAS BATTLE
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> ENVIRONMENT Cities Yorkshire
> Nov 5, 2009 3:52:39 PM
>
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> Britain’s biggest cities, including Leeds and Sheffield, have joined
> forces to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.
>
> The Core Cities Group of Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool,
> Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield have signed up to the
> programme run by a charity set up by former US President Bill Clinton.
>
> The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) will see the councils work together
> and with the Greater London Authority to cut greenhouse gas emissions
> over the next two years, starting with improving energy efficiency of
> their buildings.
>
> The scheme was announced at the Core Cities Summit in Liverpool by
> Councillor John Shipley, leader of Newcastle City Council.
>
> He said: “This gives us the chance to demonstrate our commitment to
> addressing climate change, show leadership, and show that we are acting
> together to reduce carbon emissions across all our cities on a big
> scale.”
>
> Ira Magaziner, chairman of the Clinton Climate Initiative, said: “We
> will provide the cities with technical support and assistance, building
> on our experience working with other cities around the world that are
> committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
>
> London has already set up the Building Energy Efficiency Programme
> (BEEP), in partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative.
>
> The capital has 42 buildings currently being retrofitted under the first
> stage of the programme and has committed another 58 buildings to follow.
>
> London Mayor Boris Johnson said: “London is leading the world in having
> developed a simple way for public buildings to go green, helping to
> shave money off energy bills which is especially pertinent in lean
> financial times. We are set to save GBP1million off annual public fuel
> bills as a result.”
>
> The Core Cities group said urban areas alone are responsible for about
> one third of all carbon emissions in England.
Posted in 
PROFITS UP BUT ENERGY GIANT WARNS OF PRICE RISES
> One of the UK’s biggest energy suppliers revealed a sharp rise in
> profits today before warning it may have to hike prices next year.
>
> Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE), which owns Southern Electric, Swalec
> and Scottish Hydro Electric, said the 36% increase to GBP410.5 million was
> flattered by comparisons with a year earlier, when delayed price rises
> hit margins.
>
> It said the performance in the six months was consistent with its
> overall goal of a “moderate, single-digit increase” in profits for the
> full year.
>
> The company, which has more than nine million electricity and gas
> accounts, said its main gas supply business traded at a loss in the half
> year, while higher forward annual wholesale prices and rising
> distribution and environmental costs were adding to pressure on the
> business.
>
> It said: “While SSE would like to follow the reduction in energy prices
> it implemented in March with a further reduction if it were possible, it
> is not able to commit to do so.
>
> “It remains committed, however, to ensuring its prices and, more
> importantly, bills, are as low as possible over the medium term.
>
> “Given the upward pressures on energy prices, avoiding an increase
> between now and the end of 2010 remains an important goal.”
>
> Scottish highlighted the upward pressure on prices by launching a new
> product, which will enable customers to fix the price of their
> electricity and gas at about 5% below current standard tariff prices
> until August 2011.
>
> In today’s results, the company said it achieved a net gain of 100,000
> energy supply customer accounts in the half year, the eighth successive
> year in which it has achieved a net gain in customer numbers.
>
> As well as supplying gas and electricity, the company is the second
> largest electricity generator in the UK and Ireland with facilities such
> as the Fiddlers Ferry coal-fired site in Cheshire.
>
> It is currently more than 18 months into a five-year, GBP6.7 billion
> programme of investment in electricity generation, energy networks and
> gas storage.
>
> Robert Hammond, energy expert for Consumer Focus, said: “Millions of
> customers struggling to afford their energy bills will find it difficult
> to understand how energy firms are making such healthy and, in some
> cases increasing, profits in the recession.
>
> “There needs to be greater transparency of energy company accounts if
> consumers are to have confidence that their bills are justified, and are
> not just lining the pockets of shareholders.
>
> “We also believe there is generally room for further price cuts, which
> should be made now before winter bills hit consumers’ doormats.”
PUBLIC SERVICE EFFICIENCY SAVINGS OVERSTATED, SAYS AUDITOR
WALES Savings
Nov 2, 2009 5:55:36 PM
Press Association
Public services have overstated the success of efficiency savings, the spending watchdog said today.
A review of local councils and other public bodies in 2005/06 and 2006/07 found “the overall level of declared efficiency savings was significantly overstated”.
In a letter to the Assembly’s Finance Committee, Auditor General Jeremy Colman said: “I identified a number of public bodies where it was not possible to validate any of their declared efficiency savings.”
Services are under pressure from the Assembly Government to cut overheads and red tape.
Ministers want to see savings of GBP600 million by next year as part of an efficiency drive across the public sector that began in 2004.
Having doubled in the first decade of devolution, the Assembly Government’s annual budget of GBP15 billion is poised to become increasingly constrained by a Treasury spending squeeze.
Mr Colman said the definition of efficiency savings “has led to error and inconsistency” and that the Assembly Government had provided unclear and incomplete guidance.
He added: “In the current economic climate, the delivery of significant savings is essential if the public sector is to continue to deliver high quality services with less money.”
Giving evidence to the committee on next year’s budget, Finance Minister Andrew Davies said: “I wouldn’t use the phrase efficiency cuts. I would say efficiency savings.
“There is a difference and my fear is that if public service providers do not adopt best practice, do not have at the top of their agenda delivering better services more effectively, then there may well be cuts. But I think they’re two different things.”
In a warning to public services, including the NHS and local councils, he said: “If they are not following best practice then they should justify why there are not doing it.”
SURVEY REVEALS UK PUBLIC TURNING TO ENERGY SAVING AS RECESSION BITES
A poll survey commissioned by UK’s leading supplier of energy saving radiator panels HEATKEEPER reveals a quarter of the 3,000 adults surveyed had changed energy suppliers in the last 12 months looking for a better deal 65% have started turning off the lights when leaving a room, 40% have or will turn down their heating thermostat to save energy and reduce bills, however only 5% had fitted radiator panels, despite their ability to reduce up to 20% of heating bills only 12% had made no energy saving changes at all.
When our parents berated us for not turning the lights off when we’d left a room we moaned, but an astonishing 65% have started making the effort to do exactly that, with this being the biggest energy saving change made within the last 12 months. The 41-55 age group are far more likely to be in the habit of turning the lights off with under 21’s seeing it as less of a priority. Women were also more likely to switch off then men, with 70% of women switching off and only 55% of men making the effort.
Tags: The Energy Saving Trust
This week the “Energy Saving Trust” launched “Energy Saving Week”. The theme of this years campaign is “WASTE”. The group will be encouraging businesses and households to think about where they waste energy.
OFGEM WARNS ENERGY COSTS ARE SET TO SOAR
Finding the cheapest gas and electricity supply has become more urgent than ever as regulator OFGEM has predicted that fuel bills could soar by as much as 60 oer cent over the next seven years.
It is also imperative that businesses should be finding means of reducing use. Many are so fixated on what they pay for energy that many overlook the fact that reducing use saves them money.
Carbon Cuts Will Hit Small Firms Unfairly
Hundreds of small companies could be unfairly hit by the Government’s carbon emissions rules. Companies with high energy usage will HAVE to join the carbon emission trading scheme but private equity chiefs warn that hundreds of small firms owned by funds could find themselves being dragged into the scheme next April.
Richard Lomas “We are supportive of any scheme to reduce energy use but we have real concerns about the way it is being implemented”.
www.theenergysavingco.co.uk
To arrrange an “Energy Audit” for your business please contact us at www.theenergysavingco.co.uk or e-mail us via contact@theenergysavingco.co.uk.
MONEY Energy Oct 21, 2009 2:47:15 AM
The number of people falling behind with fuel bills soared by nearly 50% during the past six months, a charity warned today.
Citizens Advice said it had seen a 46% increase in the number of people contacting it during the six months to the end of September who had fuel debts, compared with the same period of the previous year.
It said the rise continued a trend seen in recent years, with the number of people who were in debt to their fuel supplier jumping by 82% since 2005/2006. The majority of people who owed money on their energy bills in 2008/2009 were of working age, with only 5% of people aged over 65.
Eight out of 10 people who were behind with their energy bills had incomes which were half the national average, with 32% living off less than GBP400 a month, while a quarter of people with fuel debt had a disability.
David Harker, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “We are already seeing large increases in the number of people in fuel debt and it is not yet winter. “With fuel prices remaining at historically high levels it is essential that people get all the help that is available.
Recent Government increases in Warm Front Grants and Cold Weather Payments will go some way towards helping but information on what help is available, targeted to those who are most vulnerable, must be a prime focus for the Government and energy companies.
Prime Minister warns of “Energy Catastrophe”
The Right Honourable Prime Minister “Gordon Brown” today highlighted a Catastrophe if World Leaders fail to reach agreement and address the problems of Global Warming.
