Our utility bills are to rise, of that there is no doubt and there is also no doubt that hidden within our bills is a charge towards green energy. I think energy companies purposefully make their billing system complex to confuse the average consumer and thus they have been able to include green taxes without much public outcry.
But you can, according to moneysupermarket, switch to a green energy tariff which I presume would give intricate detail. Be aware if you switch that:
By switching to green energy you are likely to be spending more money. However, you will also be making a statement that you support renewable energy. If enough people make the switch then this could help to convince the Government to offer support to the industry.
Who could refuse such an invitation?The global warmers or climate changers have been silent since recent climate scientists have published material which disproves their assessments that the world is becoming warmer, but politicians continue to stagger down the renewable path- a path lined with wind turbines.
This week Alex Salmond attended the official opening of two new wind farms in South Ayrshire. He is determined that Scotland generates all electricity from renewable sources by 2020 - but he never mentions the cost to the consumer.
Wind turbines don't work in winter when ice and lack of wind render them redundant most of the time. That being the case they should be at their peak on spring, breezy days. They are. Research by the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) and a must read, shows the constraint payments made to contracted power stations that agree to stop generating in order to stabilize the network. A constraint happens when the National Grid is unable to absorb all the electricity being generated and those contracted to generate must be asked to stand down.
One occasion was during the first week of April when a number of Scottish wind farm contractors received payments - in some cases as high as 20 times the value of the electricity which would have otherwise been generated. In total approximately £890,000 was paid over a few hours to six wind farms and these costs will ultimately be passed on to the consumer. Wind farms are subsidised to the tune of £50-£55 per MWh but the National Grid, although obliged to pay to reduce output, has no standard MWh rate. The graphic shows the Farr wind farm was paid £800 per MWh to reduce output in April, nearly 16 times the value of the subsidy foregone.
The single most expensive day in terms of payouts was 24 May when seven wind farms were shut down for a total of 69 hours with a compensation payout of £613,000. Turbines were switched off again on 1 and 2 June but that cost has yet to be calculated.
John Swinney showed great angst at Scottish Power's announcement last week that bills were to rise roughly 15%. SP insisted it was the cost of oil which was responsible. Not a word about this exorbitant waste of power and the financial cost to end-users. Is it any wonder when these few days have cost Scottish consumers £1,503,000.
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