I’m sure there’s some unique circumstance that applies to Britain because we are special which makes this entirely logical and fair.
DrIvoPingasnik on
Yes, we know.
We are being fleeced and our government (also previous one!) is complicit.
Ulysses1978ii on
I’m sure water will follow since the companies have given up on even trying.
Illustrious_Guava_8 on
We can’t expect energy company execs and major shareholders to cope with only 3 yachts each.
Pretty inhumane of you.
wkavinsky on
Set aside the “but steel” thrust of that article and consider this:
The government keeps announcing plans to “make us a world leader in AI” and the like – but “AI” and the algorithms behind it consume absolutely insane amounts of electricity – if the cost of the electricity is 4x as much as the US, you aren’t even founding or bringing your AI company to the UK.
and even though its business energy, the profits these generators are making is truly shocking, and yes we’re paying more than anyone else in the world to enrich these companies. Why doesn’t the government do something? back to enrich these companies who lobby and donate, and support. Bloody Brilliant that!
BackHand2001 on
They should be turning up at the commons with pitchforks but that’s never going to happen. A truly apathetic nation. I guess the conspiracy theory could be true about fluoride.
Psy_Kikk on
Thankyou nimbys and boomers, and 15 years of “Ditch the green crap” government. Wankers.
Xerac149 on
All the turbines that we were told would make us self sufficient. LMAO.
bertiebasit on
Britain is corrupt…and they’ve all got their fingers in the pies…
terrordactyl1971 on
We have thousands of wind turbines on land and off shore……and yet our energy prices are the highest in the world. Broken Britain again. Is anything in this fucking country run properly?
cartesian5th on
So you appreciate the need for cheaper electricity to charge electric cars, renewable energy is cheaper, but the push for net zero will increase energy costs? That doesn’t make sense
NauticalNomad24 on
We have the tories – specifically the witch Thatcher to thank for this.
They sold the family silver in the 80’s and have been renting it back to us (with interest for their cronies) for decades.
ShitHouses on
Are people with links to energy companies making donations to politicians?
bryansb on
I emigrated to Canada. I pay 6.7c per kwh (which is about 3.7p) for the first 40kwh used per day. Also, houses are much better insulated because of the cold winters. I’d dread to think how the UK would cope with winter at -20°.
LauraPhilps7654 on
which most major, developed nations are part of):
– We have the highest industrial energy prices in the IEA. FOUR times, yes FOUR, as expensive as the USA. 46% above the IEA median.
– We have the highest domestic energy prices in the IEA. 2.8 times that of the USA. 80% above the IEA median.
– Between 2004 and 2021, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the industrial price of energy tripled in nominal terms, or doubled relative to consumer prices.
Yet another blessing of neoliberalism and privatisation. The market will provide. Water, energy, rail and housing are so much better because of it.
Remember it’s only a cost of living crisis for the poor. For shareholders it’s a bonanza. And they pay politicians to keep that way.
>Energy profits hit £420bn in recent years as standing charges rise
This is what happens when you flog off critical national infrastructure so it’s owned by shareholders, investors and hedge funds. Asset stripping, profiteering and aggressive cost shaving, to the detriment of price and service.
After all, who’s going to put their hand up and say actually, fuck you, I’ll manage without electricity?
queen-bathsheba on
Do other countries it to the price of oil as I understand uk does?
Red_Brummy on
>Scotland paying the highest electricity prices in the UK, and therefore the world, despite generating enough electricity to power all of Scotland’s homes.
Horace__goes__skiing on
Our aversion to new nuclear over the decades hasn’t helped.
eggyfigs on
Instead of sharing semi-informed opinions on Reddit, why don’t we ask some experts?
Fire_Otter on
>*Nuclear won’t come on stream until 2021-22 so that’s not an answer -* ***Nick Clegg 2010***
We could have been building the next generation of nuclear power plants during a historically low period of interest rates, that would have come online in time to help mitigate the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine’s effect on energy prices. if it weren’t for short sighted thinking like this
Joneb1999 on
Because of the Tories and probably the previous Labour government and probably the current one, we live in a land of soaring capitalism (profiteering and exploitation) and the slow eradication of human rights and welfare.
Quick-Oil-5259 on
The summer before energy prices shot up Germany spent months retro-insulating properties. The UK was like stuff that, well just borrow some money and give people a short term subsidy. Mustn’t do anything to hit corporate profits.
For the life of me i don’t know why this country can’t provide government backed loans to fit solar, wind, heat pumps and the finance is secured on the property so that when you sell it is recovered then or passed onto the new owner.
HorristheHungryOgre on
So personally, I don’t think net zero is entirely to blame.
BUT
Theoretically, if it was to blame, would people be willing to reverse it, or would they argue it we should stick with net zero with on principle.
Ok_Analyst41 on
What is the cause of this? Higher dependence on natural gas?
I’ve seen people reference corporate price gouging, but why would this be more of a problem in the UK than say Germany or France, perhaps its to do with regulatory structure?
radiant_0wl on
Only about 35% of the cost of the bill is the wholesale cost of the electricity.
Network/distribution costs (26%), social and other environmental commitments (15%), VAT 5%, operating costs 19%.
We have a lot more added costs compared to other countries.
I don’t actually think it’s the wholesale cost which is a concern here although it’s a factor. We just have an overly complex energy system which needs simplifying
cookiesnooper on
Since the “green, cheap energy” started being pushed, the bills skyrocket
Build nuke plants. Where do you expect the energy to come from as you electrify everything?
Ok_Commission_8436 on
Its because our standard of living is so high compared to say most of the western world.
Mammoth-Ad-562 on
The commitment to net zero is a huge driver behind this. It’s not free, the cost is factored into the standing charge.
What’s even more outrageous is that we subsidise private companies to build the infrastructure and then they own it when it’s commissioned, with guaranteed minimum pricing for x number of years.
The new nuclear power stations at Hinkley and Sizewell are owned by EDF/China. Our government don’t even have a percentage in ownership.
32 Comments
I’m sure there’s some unique circumstance that applies to Britain because we are special which makes this entirely logical and fair.
Yes, we know.
We are being fleeced and our government (also previous one!) is complicit.
I’m sure water will follow since the companies have given up on even trying.
We can’t expect energy company execs and major shareholders to cope with only 3 yachts each.
Pretty inhumane of you.
Set aside the “but steel” thrust of that article and consider this:
The government keeps announcing plans to “make us a world leader in AI” and the like – but “AI” and the algorithms behind it consume absolutely insane amounts of electricity – if the cost of the electricity is 4x as much as the US, you aren’t even founding or bringing your AI company to the UK.
I was reading this article a week ago
[https://www.gen.uk/index.php?page=Home&option=Blog&article=20240904](https://www.gen.uk/index.php?page=Home&option=Blog&article=20240904)
and even though its business energy, the profits these generators are making is truly shocking, and yes we’re paying more than anyone else in the world to enrich these companies. Why doesn’t the government do something? back to enrich these companies who lobby and donate, and support. Bloody Brilliant that!
They should be turning up at the commons with pitchforks but that’s never going to happen. A truly apathetic nation. I guess the conspiracy theory could be true about fluoride.
Thankyou nimbys and boomers, and 15 years of “Ditch the green crap” government. Wankers.
All the turbines that we were told would make us self sufficient. LMAO.
Britain is corrupt…and they’ve all got their fingers in the pies…
We have thousands of wind turbines on land and off shore……and yet our energy prices are the highest in the world. Broken Britain again. Is anything in this fucking country run properly?
So you appreciate the need for cheaper electricity to charge electric cars, renewable energy is cheaper, but the push for net zero will increase energy costs? That doesn’t make sense
We have the tories – specifically the witch Thatcher to thank for this.
They sold the family silver in the 80’s and have been renting it back to us (with interest for their cronies) for decades.
Are people with links to energy companies making donations to politicians?
I emigrated to Canada. I pay 6.7c per kwh (which is about 3.7p) for the first 40kwh used per day. Also, houses are much better insulated because of the cold winters. I’d dread to think how the UK would cope with winter at -20°.
which most major, developed nations are part of):
– We have the highest industrial energy prices in the IEA. FOUR times, yes FOUR, as expensive as the USA. 46% above the IEA median.
– We have the highest domestic energy prices in the IEA. 2.8 times that of the USA. 80% above the IEA median.
– Between 2004 and 2021, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the industrial price of energy tripled in nominal terms, or doubled relative to consumer prices.
Yet another blessing of neoliberalism and privatisation. The market will provide. Water, energy, rail and housing are so much better because of it.
Remember it’s only a cost of living crisis for the poor. For shareholders it’s a bonanza. And they pay politicians to keep that way.
>Energy profits hit £420bn in recent years as standing charges rise
https://www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk/energy-profits-hit-420bn-in-recent-years-as-standing-charges-rise/
This is what happens when you flog off critical national infrastructure so it’s owned by shareholders, investors and hedge funds. Asset stripping, profiteering and aggressive cost shaving, to the detriment of price and service.
After all, who’s going to put their hand up and say actually, fuck you, I’ll manage without electricity?
Do other countries it to the price of oil as I understand uk does?
>Scotland paying the highest electricity prices in the UK, and therefore the world, despite generating enough electricity to power all of Scotland’s homes.
Our aversion to new nuclear over the decades hasn’t helped.
Instead of sharing semi-informed opinions on Reddit, why don’t we ask some experts?
>*Nuclear won’t come on stream until 2021-22 so that’s not an answer -* ***Nick Clegg 2010***
We could have been building the next generation of nuclear power plants during a historically low period of interest rates, that would have come online in time to help mitigate the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine’s effect on energy prices. if it weren’t for short sighted thinking like this
Because of the Tories and probably the previous Labour government and probably the current one, we live in a land of soaring capitalism (profiteering and exploitation) and the slow eradication of human rights and welfare.
The summer before energy prices shot up Germany spent months retro-insulating properties. The UK was like stuff that, well just borrow some money and give people a short term subsidy. Mustn’t do anything to hit corporate profits.
For the life of me i don’t know why this country can’t provide government backed loans to fit solar, wind, heat pumps and the finance is secured on the property so that when you sell it is recovered then or passed onto the new owner.
So personally, I don’t think net zero is entirely to blame.
BUT
Theoretically, if it was to blame, would people be willing to reverse it, or would they argue it we should stick with net zero with on principle.
What is the cause of this? Higher dependence on natural gas?
I’ve seen people reference corporate price gouging, but why would this be more of a problem in the UK than say Germany or France, perhaps its to do with regulatory structure?
Only about 35% of the cost of the bill is the wholesale cost of the electricity.
Network/distribution costs (26%), social and other environmental commitments (15%), VAT 5%, operating costs 19%.
We have a lot more added costs compared to other countries.
I don’t actually think it’s the wholesale cost which is a concern here although it’s a factor. We just have an overly complex energy system which needs simplifying
Since the “green, cheap energy” started being pushed, the bills skyrocket
[In completely unrelated news. ](https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedkingdom/comments/1fqgdt8/britains_last_coalfired_power_station_set_to/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Build nuke plants. Where do you expect the energy to come from as you electrify everything?
Its because our standard of living is so high compared to say most of the western world.
The commitment to net zero is a huge driver behind this. It’s not free, the cost is factored into the standing charge.
What’s even more outrageous is that we subsidise private companies to build the infrastructure and then they own it when it’s commissioned, with guaranteed minimum pricing for x number of years.
The new nuclear power stations at Hinkley and Sizewell are owned by EDF/China. Our government don’t even have a percentage in ownership.