Sadly gas and electricity price hikes of 20-35% are predicted for Summer/Autumn. If so, grabbing a price capped tariff now should save you cash; though the cheapest capped tariffs cost 10%ish more than the current cheapest uncapped tariffs. For those with finances on the brink, hedge towards capping as it provides surety. Of course you could wait, but when price rises start, caps disappear quickly; so it’s a balance.
This comes at a time when engineers, trade unions, farmers and house builders today backed a campaign by Friends of the Earth and the Renewable Energy Association to introduce a “feed-in tariff” system that would improve Britain’s take-up of renewable energy.
Ahead of a crucial House of Commons vote on Wednesday, which aims to add a feed-in tariff to the energy bill currently going through parliament, organisations such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the House Builders Federation , the TUC and the National Farmer’s Union said they wanted to see a feed-in tariff (FIT).
FITs have been introduced in nearly 50 countries around the world, starting with Germany which has massively increased the roll-out of technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, ground-source heat pumps both at the domestic and industrial levels.
FITs work by setting a guaranteed price for renewable electricity fed into the national grid that is above the market price. The countries which have adopted one have made big carbon savings and created thousands of new jobs. Britain, though, lags behind almost every EU country in its use of renewables, producing just 2% of its energy in this way.
Pop star Lily Allen and her solar-power recording studio, the Premises, have emailed MPs urging them to vote for the measure on Wednesday.
“Having worked at the Premises solar powered recording studio I have experienced how clean and green renewable energy is. I fully support giving people a renewable energy reward for the power they generate. It’s good to be green!” said Allen.
REA and Friends of the Earth also have the support of major UK energy academics including Dr Terry Barker, a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 4th assessment report last year.
REA director Philip Wolfe said: “The government does not seem to comprehend the urgency of climate change. We need immediate action to rapidly change the way we generate and utilise energy. The renewables industry is heartened by the huge groundswell of support for our sector and we strongly urge the government to take note and to act on this in the energy bill.”
The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, added: The TUC believes that without measures such as the Renewable Energy tariff, the UK will not only be left behind in the drive to cut emissions but will fail to be a competitor in the global market for renewable energy which obviously has huge potential over the next decade.”
Friends of the Earth said Britain’s performance on renewable energy was a “national disgrace”.
“If we want families and businesses to tackle climate change by investing in clean technologies such as solar panels for their homes and offices then they must get a strong financial incentive,” said energy campaigner Dave Timms.
“It is vital that the energy bill is amended to include legislation for a feed-in tariff. It is a proven and cost-effective policy. Countries, such as Germany, who have adopted it have raced ahead in generating renewable energy while also creating the green jobs and low-carbon industries of the future.”
The energy bill amendment was introduced by the Labour MP, Alan Simpson. It is supported by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat front benches. Over 100 Labour MPs have signed a parliamentary motion calling for the bill to be amended to include a feed-in tariff.
Source - Guardian
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