The Environment Thread :-)
58 watchers
Feb 2022
11:19am, 9 Feb 2022
41,353 posts
|
HappyG(rrr)
Is it only me that is thinking this higher gas price problem might just be a good thing for pushing people towards less reliance on gas and moving to more sustainable heating sources? It's completely wrong that it is disproportionately poorer people who are going to be paying the price, and it's doubly wrong that Shell and BP are making multiple Billions of ££ of profit from it. But oil and gas should be expensive, and electricity and insulation should be cheap, if we want people to change? No?  G
|
Feb 2022
11:29am, 9 Feb 2022
24,291 posts
|
Angus Clydesdale
Utterly disgusting amounts of profit made out of the pockets of those that can least afford it? Oh yes, that sounds just perfect in modern Britain. BTW, did you see how much profit the electricity companies made? I'll leave that there.
|
Feb 2022
11:34am, 9 Feb 2022
864 posts
|
fuzzyduck79
It will motivate some people to improve their insulation, and some to install PV panels, maybe load shift some of their electric consumption if they have off peak pricing. But electricity is also going to get very pricey per unit. Mostly I think it will just put a lot of people in fuel poverty, and lead to hardship next winter and probably further out. Many seem to think that prices will come back down soon enough, I'm not convinced. I think it's more rational to hope for the best, prepare for the worst. |
|
Feb 2022
11:37am, 9 Feb 2022
24,293 posts
|
Angus Clydesdale
Fortunately I have a selection of axes and a bowsaw.
|
Feb 2022
11:49am, 9 Feb 2022
2,605 posts
|
Fields
I think that’s a bit of a Pollyannaish view unfortunately. Anyone who rents long term is screwed unless their landlord makes a change which most won’t as profit is their only motivation Anyone on a fixed income eg pensioners, those who rely on benefits eg for ill health is screwed as they are often already facing the heat / eat decision which extreme fuel poverty brings Anyone who is about to buy may have their mortgage potential downgraded due to higher heating costs or be less able to save Those who have the right (and the capital) to make the necessary investments will do so. A cottage industry of disreputable installers will exploit whatever greenwashing tax credits are available, as will a new arm of financial services (mis)selling loans to desperate homeowners. Says a lot about the death throes of capitalism era that we live in that the access to a cheaper future is typically only available to the wealthiest while the poorest get gouged. |
|
Feb 2022
12:05pm, 9 Feb 2022
24,295 posts
|
Angus Clydesdale
~ stands and applauds ~
|
|
Feb 2022
12:38pm, 9 Feb 2022
2,888 posts
|
JRitchie
Gas and oil prices are set globally. They go up and they go down. The fall to $20 a barrel a few years ago when Aberdeen jobs market and population contracted 20% didn’t get that much airtime. Of course the current spike is hitting the poorest and government support is needed. A windfall tax on UK o&g activity is also justified in my view (so long as it’s removed when the prices come back down - which they will). Sadly previous windfall taxes just had a habit of “sticking” when the price comes back down. BP and Shell Etc make big profits and a lot of that is getting recycled into new energy investment and energy transition development - if it wasn’t, the energy price will stay very high. They pay dividends - but most of that is to provide cash flow for pensions scheme who own most of the shares. Also a dividend is a form of return on lending - like interest on a loan. It’s not going into the pockets of non-Dom high new worth individuals. The price is more likely to be impacted by how Putin feels when he gets up in the morning than anything we can do. Accelerated energy transition and removing our reliance on Gas will help but that’s 5- 19 years out. Agree high prices change behaviours. Pricing levels so we are more careful about how we use it and how much is a good thing. It’s certainly had that impact on me. |
|
Feb 2022
1:24pm, 9 Feb 2022
85,499 posts
|
Hanneke
Hear hear! Fields! I am eligible for a rebate but I doubt I get it, because I own my home... And the govt thinks you should sell up first and use all the proceeds before you get anything 🙄🙄🙄 They do not understand you can be poor but asset rich... I think that’s a bit of a Pollyannaish view unfortunately. Anyone who rents long term is screwed unless their landlord makes a change which most won’t as profit is their only motivation Anyone on a fixed income eg pensioners, those who rely on benefits eg for ill health is screwed as they are often already facing the heat / eat decision which extreme fuel poverty brings Anyone who is about to buy may have their mortgage potential downgraded due to higher heating costs or be less able to save Those who have the right (and the capital) to make the necessary investments will do so. A cottage industry of disreputable installers will exploit whatever greenwashing tax credits are available, as will a new arm of financial services (mis)selling loans to desperate homeowners. Says a lot about the death throes of capitalism era that we live in that the access to a cheaper future is typically only available to the wealthiest while the poorest get gouged. |
|
Feb 2022
1:47pm, 9 Feb 2022
41,363 posts
|
HappyG(rrr)
Good news on a fusion study, showing that the big French fusion development should be able to be net power generating, and stable, which is important! bbc.co.uk I wonder if in 100 years they'll all be wondering why we didn't get to fusion more quickly. G
|
|
Feb 2022
1:52pm, 9 Feb 2022
85,505 posts
|
Hanneke
I just heard this on the news too and thought the same Happy!
|
Useful Links
FE accepts no responsibility for external links. Or anything, really.- why Kodak completely missed the boat when it came to digital cameras
- rf_fozzy: This is quite a good article about how disruptive technology work
- run free's Grand Designs example Ben Laws is a man who built his dream
- Carbon Commentary carboncommentary.com
- UK ombudsman for problems with electricity or gas
Related Threads
-
Ethical choices
Apr 2021
-
Electric car anyone?
Dec 2024
-
Solar pv and other domestic micro-generation technologies
Oct 2024
-
Reusable/collapsible water cups
Oct 2024
-
Reducing single-use/disposable plastic
Sep 2024
-
The Green Runners
Apr 2024
-
Today I will consume mindfully...
Apr 2024
-
Journey to Zero Waste
Jan 2024
-
Greta Thunberg - JFK for the Climate Generation?
Oct 2022
-
Preventing Food Waste Ideas
Dec 2021