Energy Prices, Fuel Poverty and Ofgem

Energy Prices, Fuel Poverty and Ofgem PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Business and Enterprise Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215523259
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 600

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Book Description
A report from the 'Business and Enterprise Committee' that inquires into the effect of the 'Big 6' energy companies - which include Npower, Centrica, EDF Energy, Scottish Power, and Scottish and Southern Energy - all raising their prices between January and April 2008. It aims to feed into a separate inquiry being carried out by Ofgem.

Energy Prices, Fuel Poverty and Ofgem

Energy Prices, Fuel Poverty and Ofgem PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Business and Enterprise Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215523259
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 600

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Book Description
A report from the 'Business and Enterprise Committee' that inquires into the effect of the 'Big 6' energy companies - which include Npower, Centrica, EDF Energy, Scottish Power, and Scottish and Southern Energy - all raising their prices between January and April 2008. It aims to feed into a separate inquiry being carried out by Ofgem.

Energy Prices, Fuel Poverty and Ofgem

Energy Prices, Fuel Poverty and Ofgem PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Business and Enterprise Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215523273
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Book Description
This report, from the Business and Enterprise Committee (HCP 293-I, ISBN 9780215523273) inquires into the effect of the big 6 energy companies (Npower, Centrica, EDF Energy , Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern Energy) all raising their prices between January and April 2008. The report aims to feed into a separate inquiry being carried out by Ofgem. The ideal objective is maintain a policy of low energy prices for both domestic and commercial users, but the Committee believes that the UK's energy market is not functioning as efficiently as they should and that UK prices may be higher than other countries.The Committee also states that Ofgem's inquiry will not examine the competitiveness of the wholesale gas market. The price of gas determines the wholesale price of electricity, with gas-fired power accounting for around a third of the UK's generating capacity. High fuel prices will inevitably lead to fuel poverty and the Committee also believes that a root and branch review of government policy in this area is needed. In total, the Committee sets out 43 conclusions and recommendations, covering some of the following areas, including: Ofgem's inquiry; the UK gas market; increasing gas dependency; wholesale gas market concentration; oil-gas price link; gas contracting; the wholesale gas market and Ofgem; wholesale electricity: rising environmental costs; wholesale electricity market concentration; new generating capacity; vertical integration; wholesale electricity market liquidity; changes in supplier costs; smart metering; social tariffs and improving housing.

Energy Prices, Fuel Poverty and Ofgem

Energy Prices, Fuel Poverty and Ofgem PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament House of Commons. Business and Enterprise Committee
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780215523693
Category : Fuel
Languages : en
Pages : 24

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Book Description
Government response to HC 293-I, session 2007-08 (ISBN 9780215523273)

Energy Prices, Profits and Poverty

Energy Prices, Profits and Poverty PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Energy and Climate Change Committee
Publisher: Stationery Office/Tso
ISBN: 9780215061416
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
At a time when many people are struggling with the rising costs of energy, consumers need reassurance that the profits being made by the Big Six are not excessive. The six largest energy companies are complex with several different arms - generating, trading and supplying energy - that sometimes sell energy and services to other parts of the same company. When reporting their overall profits they include all these different business arms making it difficult to determine the precise profits of the energy supply side of the business and how this impacts upon energy prices. Greater transparency is urgently needed. Ofgem is failing consumers by not taking all possible steps to improve openness and increase competition in the energy market. Considering consumers' lack of confidence in energy companies Ofgem should reconsider whether the transparency to be gained by implementing more of BDO's recommendations outweighs the costs involved. The Government is also not doing enough to help the millions of low-income families living in poorly insulated homes, struggling in 'fuel poverty'. Spending on the problem has been cut in England and some of the Government's fuel poverty programmes appear to be in hiatus. The use of levies on bills to fund social and environmental programmes will add to the burden faced by energy bill payers. The MPs argue that to help protect the most vulnerable more programmes should be funded through direct taxation rather than levies and the Government must respond to the Hills Review as a matter of urgency

Ofgem

Ofgem PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215023322
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 42

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Book Description
Some 2.25 million households in the UK are classified as being in fuel poverty, spending more than 10 per cent of their income on energy to heat their homes. Some consumers get into debt, often through inaccurate estimated bills, and they are then required to use pre-payment meters, even though this is the most expensive way of purchasing energy. Ofgems encouragement of suppliers to recover the cost of installing and using pre-payment meters is found to be inconsistent with its obligations towards vulnerable consumers (in contrast, Ofgem protects rural consumers from paying the higher costs of delivering energy to their homes). The Committee concludes that suppliers should provide accurate bills, should not discriminate against pre-payment meter consumers, and should provide more information to them about the disadvantages of those meters. On the energy efficiency commitment (administered by Ofgem), requiring energy suppliers to meet specific energy saving targets, the Committee queries whether the provision of measures such as cavity wall insulation and low-energy lightbulbs, do actually deliver the energy reduction intended. Ofgem, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the energy suppliers, should undertake a national campaign to encourage energy efficiency. Clearer explanation of the environmental measures to save energy, and their costs to consumers, is recommended.

Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty

Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215524447
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
The Committee decided to examine the UK Energy Efficiency Action Plan with particular reference to Defra's efforts to improve households' energy efficiency and its statutory duty under the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2008 to ensure that people in England do not live in fuel poverty after November 2016. The Committee had received many responses to its call for evidence, but on 3 October 2008 the Prime Minister announced the creation of a new Government department, the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The responsibility for fuel poverty was passed from Defra to the new Department. The Committee decided not to proceed with its inquiry, but has decided to publish the written evidence it received on this subject. The Committee recommends that the new select committee set up to examine the expenditure, policy and administration of the new Department of Energy and Climate Change seriously consider holding an inquiry into fuel poverty at the earliest opportunity.

Energy Policy

Energy Policy PDF Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Business and Enterprise Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215525505
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 72

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Book Description
In July 2008 the Committee completed an inquiry into energy prices and fuel poverty but since then there have been a number of developments within the energy sector. Amongst these developments were the publication of Ofgem's energy supply probe, the Government's launch of a one billion pound package to tackle fuel poverty and the creation of the new Department of Energy and Climate Change. These events have taken place against the back-drop of a global financial and economic crisis. This report looks at the implications of these developments for the future of the UK's energy policy. This is the Committee's last report on energy-related matters, as from January 2009 responsibility for the scrutiny of energy policy will pass to the new Energy and Climate Change Committee.

Fixing Fuel Poverty

Fixing Fuel Poverty PDF Author: Brenda Boardman
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136545727
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
Since its publication in the early 90s, Brenda Boardman's Fuel Poverty has been the reference text for those wishing to learn about this complex subject. In this, its successor, she turns a critical eye to the new millennium and finds that the situation, while now more widely recognised, is far from having improved. The book begins by discussing the political awakening to the issue and exploring just who constitutes the fuel poor. It examines the factors that contribute to fuel poverty - low incomes, high fuel prices and poor quality housing - and looks at and evaluates the policies that have been employed to help reduce the problem. The latter part presents a detailed set of proposals based around long-term improvements in the housing stock that must be employed if we are to avoid a dire situation continuing to get worse. Based on detailed analysis of the situation in the UK, the growth of fuel poverty (sometimes called energy poverty) in other countries and the new focus in European policy makes the book timely and provides important lessons for those who now have to produce policies to tackle the issues.

Fuel Prices

Fuel Prices PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Trade and Industry Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215024992
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 574

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Book Description
The Committee's report examines the recent price increases in gas supply and the resulting rises in electricity prices (as about 40 per cent of electricity generation in England and Wales is gas-fired), focusing on the effects of the price increases on all types of energy customers. The report seeks to assess whether the rises are a temporary response to short-term supply problems or the start of a long-term increase in UK energy prices, and to consider possible responses by Ofgem, the regulator of the gas and electricity markets, and the DTI to the problem. Topics discussed include: Ofgem's report into wholesale gas prices and reactions to it; the decline in production from the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS); gas storage and supply issues; the behaviour and transparency of the gas market and regulation issues; oil indexation in gas contracts; competition within European markets; vertical integration; the electricity market; new infrastructure projects; and the future of gas prices.

Social Action Plan and Household Energy Efficiency

Social Action Plan and Household Energy Efficiency PDF Author: Great Britain. National Audit Office
Publisher: Stationery Office Books (TSO)
ISBN: 9780102929188
Category : Electric utilities
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
This NAO report examines the role of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) in relation to the Government's policy aims of eliminating fuel poverty and reducing carbon emissions through improving household energy efficiency. Through its Social Action Plan, Ofgem has developed a range of initiatives to help vulnerable customers, including the elderly, those on benefits or in debt. On this social objective, the report finds that, although numbers in fuel poverty have fallen since the year 2000, it is difficult to measure its overall effect. Concern is raised over research that indicates many low income consumers who use pre-payment meters may not realise this is the most expensive method of payment. NAO recommends Ofgem review their scheme to help pre-payment meter customers in debt switch supplier and enjoy cheaper bills, with the aim of expanding it to include consumers with debts over £100, where appropriate. In relation to the environmental objective, the report's findings include that suppliers appear to have met their energy savings targets, although there is scope for targeting energy efficiency schemes at disadvantaged customers.