Gas Prices

[normal rules]

Interesting also that all the embargo talk has been about Oil only. Which is much easier to import on boats etc. Gas, the stuff we use  to cook and heat with gets into Europe via pipeline only. There is no other infrastructure in place currently to replace this. Not without extensive investment in time and money. Russia could really up the ante by shutting off this supply completely. This would plunge many European countries into utter crisis.
I’ve done some research into what the future of Europe without a ready supply of oil could look like. Calls for free public transport and partial or total bans on private use of cars being mentioned to conserve fuel supplies.Closer to home, if fuel prices continue to rise, there will be many that simply have to consider use of private cars, and possibly even ownership.
Crazy times.
As the world gets to grip with post covid recovery, now we have this.

[BobG]

I remember the last time petrol  coupons were distributed. 1973. I kept mine for years - on the off chance.

It'd be interesting how any government chooses to distribute some sort of 'voucher' if the need ever arises. What happens to those with two and three cars? What happens to those that live out in the sticks? Even to get to the doctors and dentist I for one have no choice but to either drive or be driven. There ain't no buses, walking is beyond my physical capacity and a bicycle would kill me!

BobG

[Colemans Left Hook]

lest we forget when BoB G was a lad

https://www.reddit.com/r/WeirdWheels/comments/mptwan/during_wwii_fuel_was_heavily_rationed_so_many/

[River Don]

This is either deluded, deceitful or both:

Johnson

UK can emerge from cost-of-living crisis 'very strongly'
Asked what steps he takes to stay in touch, the Prime Minister said: "I try to talk to my constituents as much as I can… but I think the answer to this is I recognise the country is going through a tough time economically because of what happened in Covid.

“I think we can come out of it very strongly and in the meantime the Government is going to have to use a lot of fiscal firepower that we have built up as a result of the tough decisions that we took to help people.”

The UK had already begun to emerge from the pandemic, growth was returning (best in G7! Remember?) forecasts were positive.

All that changed in the autumn of 21 when European natural gas prices exploded. Putin began to turn the gas taps off as he pressured Europe over Nordstream 2. Since then the Ukraine war has worsened the situation as Putin engages in an economic war with the west. Constraints in the supply of hydrocarbons and food are clearly what's behind the high inflation all of Europe and the wider world is experiencing.

Johnsons suggestions the UK will emerge from the cost of living crisis (caused by Covid) or that we might avoid recession are plain wrong. The war in Ukraine looks certain to go on and as it does Putin well knows things in the economy will deteriorate as winter approaches.

[rich1471]

They have just said prices will rise by 60% in October and 4% in February putting the average bill at £250 a month ,it will just for e more people not to pay it or sit in the cold,we are just been ripped off

[roversdude]

Might be even worse if Sunak gets the PM job, absolutely out of touch with the majority of the population

[danumdon]

Might be even worse if Sunak gets the PM job, absolutely out of touch with the majority of the population

You could well be right, but how many PM's have actually really been in touch with the majority of the population?

I can think of a few with the rags to riches backstory but did they really give two hoots for your average Joe?

[SydneyRover]

Just tick the 'don't know' box on the ballot paper

[danumdon]

I was watching the rugby yesterday, Aus v England, some big burly Aus fella was screaming in the face of a weeny white pale and frightened for his existence Englishman,

I thought of you.

[SydneyRover]

Don't think do

[scawsby steve]

More and more pundits and journalists are now talking about the likelihood of civil disobedience taking place, with people just refusing to pay their bills.

In the past, if people have continuously refused to pay their bills, they've had their gas or electricity turned off.

Surely they can't turn us all off. Big trouble ahead, methinks.

[SydneyRover]

Totally agree, the government has made a mess of the economy the pain should be spread in equal measures.

[rich1471]

Was talking to a friend yesterday and his bill is going up from £150 to £450 a month,an increase of 3.5k a year enough is enough,I was pissed off at paying 3k a year for a 2 up 2 down mid terrace ,some bills will be more than a mortgage ,just think you can afford the mortgage but not the gas and electric bill ,you know then something is wrong

[albie]

With rocketing energy prices, people needing to change their heating will be looking at electric instead of gas.

This new product seems interesting, particularly if you have solar;
https://tepeo.com/thezeb

Word is that government plan to decouple electricity pricing from the cost of wholesale gas.
Gamechanger if they do this for new electric heating.

[BobG]

According to the BBC business pages the forward price of gas went up by over 20% yesterday...

BobG

[albie]

Completely mad prices for electric standing charges and unit costs in the UK;
https://twitter.com/CornwallInsight/status/1561688255699062791

No rational reason for this, just a leftover from the legacy pricing mechanism tied to wholesale gas prices. Plenty of scope for change on this!

[Filo]

If only we had kept our pits open and not knocked down our power stations eh?

[drfchound]

Hindsight eh Filo, like with most things.

[normal rules]

We went caravanning last weekend. Got chatting to an elderly retired couple who said they were going to live in their van on the drive for the winter as it would be cheaper to heat. Not a bad idea .

[normal rules]

With rocketing energy prices, people needing to change their heating will be looking at electric instead of gas.

This new product seems interesting, particularly if you have solar;
https://tepeo.com/thezeb

Word is that government plan to decouple electricity pricing from the cost of wholesale gas.
Gamechanger if they do this for new electric heating.

Storage heaters back in fashion ?

[Filo]

We went caravanning last weekend. Got chatting to an elderly retired couple who said they were going to live in their van on the drive for the winter as it would be cheaper to heat. Not a bad idea .

not bought a calor bottle in over a year, I should imagine they have gone through the roof, if they put the heating on electric it might not save much as Caravans lose heat quickly

[albie]

With rocketing energy prices, people needing to change their heating will be looking at electric instead of gas.

This new product seems interesting, particularly if you have solar;
https://tepeo.com/thezeb

Word is that government plan to decouple electricity pricing from the cost of wholesale gas.
Gamechanger if they do this for new electric heating.

Storage heaters back in fashion ?

Not quite, NR.

Watch the video....... you have a thermal store with 40kw hours reserve ready for use, so no need for supplementary storage capacity?

If you have solar, you are effectively transferring excess solar from daytime collection to evening use, with any top up optimized to least cost available source.

Without solar, you are still adding leccy at least cost, using the variable tariff.

Seems to me that most domestic use case scenarios are covered, with the key variable being future electricity pricing.

It will be interesting to see what price the combi version comes in at in 2023.
The current model needs a water tank, the new combi one will not.

[SydneyRover]

With rocketing energy prices, people needing to change their heating will be looking at electric instead of gas.

This new product seems interesting, particularly if you have solar;
https://tepeo.com/thezeb

Word is that government plan to decouple electricity pricing from the cost of wholesale gas.
Gamechanger if they do this for new electric heating.

Storage heaters back in fashion ?

Yep, pretty much NR, a lot more sophis' than a pile of bricks but improved technology surrounding retention and dissipation.

[normal rules]

I’ve read somewhere that sand has amazing heat storage ability?

[drfchound]

I’ve read somewhere that sand has amazing heat storage ability?

That would explain why it is hot in the Sahara desert then.

[normal rules]

I’ve read somewhere that sand has amazing heat storage ability?

That would explain why it is hot in the Sahara desert then.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi64fC_5N35AhVHdcAKHbP9Cv0QFnoECAwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.renewableenergymagazine.com%2Fstorage%2Ffirst-commercial-sandbased-thermal-energy-storage-is-20220707&usg=AOvVaw26IueXV0StlqxXcUmFS5CG

[BillyStubbsTears]

I’ve read somewhere that sand has amazing heat storage ability?

Pretty much the best heat storage material is water. It takes extraordinary amounts of energy to heat 1kg of water by 1 degree, compared to almost any other material.

[wilts rover]

The Spectator: Britain has a bold new plan for dealing with a winter energy crisis: "hope for good weather".

The Spectator!!!

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/britain-is-not-prepared-for-winter-blackouts

[drfchound]

I saw an interview with Phillipe Commaret, the managing director of EDF, this morning and when pressed on whether people would be cut off for non payment of bills he said that it wouldn’t happen.
I suppose we will see when the chips are down.

[Filo]

I’ve read somewhere that sand has amazing heat storage ability?

Anyone that has done the sand dance from the Sea back to the sunbed will vouch for that