Utilities unite to turn on gas power plants
It has been revealed that Gas and Electricity suppliers including E.ON AG and Centrica, along with additional European utilities, are planning to start at least 19 new gas-fired power plants this quarter. The power plants from Greece to Ireland will have the potential to reduce power and emissions prices whilst actually boosting gas demand.
Electricity producers are planning to add 9,364MW of natural gas-fired capacity in the three months leading to December, which is compared to five facilities, or 1,300MW, this year through to August – according to data from energy information provider McGraw-Hill Cos. Platts.
Gas plants are far cheaper to build and also emit around half the carbon dioxide of plants which are fired by coal – which is the most commonly used fossil fuel in power generation – a new combined cycle gas turbine plant in Europe costs between €600,000 and €700,000 per MW, the equivalent to half the price of a new coal-fired station.
Source;
e-news @ power technology, link
http://www.power-technology.com/news/news66120.html?WT.mc_id=DN_News&mxmroi=14002247/2196746/false
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Energy Suppliers make businesses suffer
More businesses are being refused energy supplies or are being forced to accept punitive credit terms, reports Bobby Collinson for utilityweek.co.uk.
The issue is caused by businesses who, are finding themselves struggling to operate due to the current harsh financial climate, then as a resulting factor are being compounded by the actions of the energy supply and credit markets – where in an effort to protect themselves from rising levels of business insolvencies, the energy suppliers have begun to rely on a simple pass or fail approach to credit checks, which means that for business customers, finding an energy supplier offering competitive tariffs is even harder than before.
Energy suppliers and the three big credit insurance agencies are also being much tougher on customers too – as the number of companies failing credit checks is outstripping the number of firms that can be realistically considered to be heading for insolvency. Once a company fails the energy supplier can refuse to supply the customer altogether or they can choose to put them on an out-of-contract rate – which is usually twice as high as normal rates – if they are unable to obtain the services of other suppliers.
With this in mind, Andrew Bainbridge, chairman of energy procurement consultancy – Power Efficiency – and director general of the Major Energy Users’ Council, has set up the ECAG – Energy Credit Action Group – to tackle the government and Ofgem, the UK’s gas and electricity regulator, about the issue. ECAG has already held working groups with energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband in a bid to encourage action to prevent this situation from continuing.
Full source article;
http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/features/uk/suppliers-credit-terms-too-tou.php
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Cheaper Energy Solutions
The HeatSeekers van is travelling to Allerdale, Cumbria, in a drive to inspire residents to compare energy rates from rival utility suppliers and encourage people to install insulation and become more energy efficient.
HeatSeekers will be in Allerdale from today (October 5th) where they will be using thermal imaging cameras to assess the energy-efficiency of the city’s homes – Imaging is carried out at night ensuring minimal disruption to local communities where as many as 1,000 different properties can be evaluated in just one hour.
Energy experts will also be on hand to offer useful tips and energy saving advice to residents.
Utilise the expertise of Utility Exchange to compare the market for cheaper gas, electric, and telecommunication utilities, for both your home and business, saving you time, energy and most of all money; www.utility-exchange.com
Source;
Energyhelpline.com/ Gas and Electricity News (HeatSeekers vehicle to promote cheap energy practices in Allerdale-02/10/09)
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First to undercut Utility big six
Energy supplier First:utility has undercut E.ON, one of Britain’s ‘Big Six’ suppliers – becoming the cheapest supplier – just hours after E.ON cut its gas and electricity prices. First:utility, an independent energy supplier, is now the UK’s cheapest dual fuel energy supplier.
First:utility has reduced the prices of its iSave and Smart tariffs following E.ON’s announcement reducing the prices of its FixOnline V3 tariff and the move makes First:utility the cheapest dual fuel supplier in all 14 of the UK’s energy distribution areas.
Mark Daeche, chief executive of First:utility stated that as a smaller energy provider they are able to be more nimble and therefore react more rapidly to market conditions, after reducing their tariff he said:
“Today sees the second price cut from First:utility in three weeks. It demonstrates our commitment to UK consumers and to maintaining our position as the challenger in the UK energy marketplace…
… As an independent energy company we are able to be more nimble and react more rapidly to market conditions than the established players”
First:utility’s iSave tariff is available everywhere (Excluding the East and West Midlands areas) and is the cheapest gas and electricity online-only deal. iSave costs the “average” energy user £954 a year – which is a price difference of around £8 compared to the second cheapest deal from E.ON.
Source;
Energychoices.co.uk/ Energy News (First:utility undercuts E.ON to become cheapest energy supplier)
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India’s Gas Contractor Named
Indian engineering firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has secured a $415 million turnkey contract from GMR Energy for the development of the 2x384MW gas-based power station at Vemagiri, near Rajamundry, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Under the terms of the contract, Larsen and Toubro will be responsible for the design, engineer, erect and the commissioning of the facility on a turnkey basis in addition to undertaking construction and project management services.
The gas-fuelled power station will have high efficiency steam turbines along with advanced class gas turbines, whereby L&T will also design and manufacture the heat recovery steam generators, condensers, cooling towers, valves and switchgear.
L&T-Sargent & Lundy, a subsidiary of L&T will utilise their LLC propriety technology to implement the plant integration and detailed engineering – The project will be implemented on fast track reaching completion before the end of 2012.
Source;
Email news @ powertechnology.com
Link to –
http://www.power-technology.com/news/news65389.html?mxmroi=14002247/2189079/false
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EDF Energy Price Updates
Energypricebeater.com is an impartial energy price comparison service that compares the prices of all domestic electric and gas suppliers.
By comparing the prices of every single energy supplier and their tariffs available energypricebeater.com advises the latest price updates as soon as they are announced by the suppliers and posts them to their website.
According to energypricebeater.com – Utility supplier EDF has tariff updates as follows
EDF Energy - Date Updated and Effective date 02.10.2009
Details – Various discounts (monthly direct debit, Bill Saver and dual fuel) have been updated across non online and fixed price tariffs.
EDF Energy - Date Updated and Effective date 02.10.2009
Details - Gas unit costs have been aligned to dual fuel gas prices for single fuel customers.
Why not utilise the expertise of Utility Exchange to compare the market for cheaper gas, electric, and telecommunication utilities, for both your home and business, saving you time, energy and most of all money; www.utility-exchange.com
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Scottish Government to Invest in Cheaper Energy
The Scottish government has been urged to tackle bills from energy suppliers as well as reducing demand – by heightening its investment into nationwide efficiency. By spending an additional £100 million each year, a reasonable figure says the economy, energy and tourism committee, it would enable Scotland to overhaul its energy policies and reduce the number of people living in fuel poverty, reported the Scotsman.
Liberal Democrat MSP, Iain Smith who organised the committee, added that existing nuclear power stations in Scotland may also have to have their lives extended in order to avoid having to build new ones – as the government was once again criticised for refusing to consider a potential role for nuclear power in the country’s energy future.
Energy minister Jim Mather pointed out that the Scottish government is dedicated to energy issues and reiterated that energy efficiency is one of the core elements of the government’s plans whereby Scotland leads the UK in terms of renewable energy generation.
Source;
Energyhelpline.com/ News/ Gas & Electricity -Scottish government challenged to invest more in cheap energy through efficiency-02/10/2009
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Paper billing reduced by E.ON
Customers paying for their gas and electricity services supplied by E.ON – by the method of direct debit – will now receive paper bills just twice a year instead of the current quarterly billing process.
E.ON who provides gas and electricity as well as renewable energy to homes and businesses, stated that this moves not only has an environmental benefit by sending fewer bills a year, but it would also help those customers paying by monthly direct debit to manage their budgets.
According to an E.ON spokesperson the main benefit of direct debit allows customers to even out their payments across the year, so they will continue to review these customers’ payments each quarter and should any changes be required E.ON will notify the customer and send out a statement to the customer.
However, Confused.com, a utility comparison site, has criticised E.ON’s move, considering it to be a case of the rich robbing the poor – on behalf of the online company, Mr. Gareth Kloet commented:
“E.ON is robbing Peter to pay Paul by billing direct debit customers half-yearly”
At Utility Exchange it couldn’t be easier to save money on your business (and Home) utility prices including telecom and mobile services – our Business Electricity and Gas Comparison service is one of the leading facilities online, simply visit www.utility-exchange.com and request a quote, saving you time, energy and most of all money.
Source;
Energychoices.co.uk/ Energy News (Direct debit E.ON customers cut to two bills a year-01.10.09)
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Feed-in-Tariffs for renewable energy
Promoting solar power in the UK – We Support Solar – suggests that by providing a higher tariff for homeowners who produce their own renewable energy to supplement or replace that which is provided by energy suppliers could energise the clean energy sector in the UK, as reported by energyhelpline.com – Gas and Electricity news.
An environmental organisation, We Support Solar encompasses bodies such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace and believes that a rapidly increasing solar sector could be formed in the UK if the feed-in tariff was increased from 30 pence to 40 pence, claims the Ecologist.
We Support Solar said this could result in Britain’s take-up rising by a factor of six compared to existing levels, along with the Federation of Master Builders who believe that could lead to 400,000 new solar photovoltaic panels being installed over the next five years.
Seb Berry, of solar installation company Solar Century, advises that the construction industry has acknowledged the huge potential of solar power and therefore, the feed-in-tariff is a great chance to drive investment into the sector.
Wind turbines tend to get the most publicity in the UK with the government recently announcing plans to escalate the number of offshore wind farms to be built around the UK’s coastline.
Source article;
http://www.energyhelpline.com/news/article.aspx?aaid=19386675&y=2009&m=9&w=4&pid=1
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Planning Commission Open for Business
The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) is now open for business – advising developers of new large infrastructure projects which are vital to the country’s future, for example, power stations, transmission lines, gas storage schemes and reservoirs.
The newly formed organisation will be in a position to deal with major planning applications for energy projects from March 2010, however, although welcomed by business leaders, critics are claiming that the IPC risks posing a threat to the environment and communities by subjecting projects to less rigorous testing, whereby the Conservative party has pledged to scrap the scheme if they get elected.
The IPC has been developed to replace eight former planning systems by using one single process thus reducing the time it takes to make decisions from up to seven years to less than a year – the current government has calculated that the new regime has the potential to save the country up to £300 million annually.
Planning minister, John Healey commented that improvements to the UK’s infrastructure now as well as in the future are critical to maintaining and improving our quality of life, as well as protecting our prosperity and safeguarding the environment within an increasingly competitive global economy.
Source;
Utilityweek.co.uk/ News/ Pan Utility (New planning commission opens for business today)