The vast, shocking hole in BBC Panorama's analysis of rising energy bills

[kristopher]

The UK is in the midst of a political/economic battle right now where the conservative government wants to abandon renewable energy sources and turn to nuclear. They are hamstrung by both public support for renewables and a being a member of a ruling coalition that is dependent on a minority partner opposed to all subsidies for nuclear - a stance that effectively makes nuclear a nonstarter. That hasn't stopped the nuclear industry from pursuing longer term strategies for getting their hands on the public purse, however.

The vast, shocking hole in BBC Panorama's analysis of rising energy bills
In the last year wholesale prices put about £170 on gas bills alone, while support for renewables added £20 to combined bills. So which did the TV show focus on?

There was a vast, astonishing and utterly unforgiveable hole at the heart of the BBC Panorama TV show on Monday, which claimed to be investigating what has caused energy bills in the UK to soar in recent years: the rising wholesale cost of gas and electricity.

The wholesale cost makes up 56% of home energy bills, says the regulator Ofgem, by far the biggest single factor. And it's not as though it's hard to find out more. The very first words in Ofgem's most recent and very widely covered report are:
"Wholesale energy costs have continued to rise, particularly for gas, where for example the price of this winter's gas is around 40% higher than last winter's. This increase has been driven by global rises in oil and gas prices. This has contributed significantly to recent increases in customers' bills."

Instead Tom Heap, an experienced and respected reporter, put offshore wind at the centre of the prime time show. This form of renewable energy is relatively expensive and a fearsome array of talking heads lined up to out-do one another in superlatives: "eye-wateringly expensive" was the winner, in my view.

So how much are customers paying for this supposed lunacy? The answer, nowhere to be found in the whole 30-minute programme is about £20 a year - for all renewables subsidies. Include all government levies - mainly for schemes increasing energy efficiency and alleviating fuel poverty - and the cost rises to £80 a year. The increase in the average gas bill alone since last year due to wholesale price rises, using the Ofgem numbers above, was about £170.

Chris Huhne, energy and climate secretary...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/nov/08/energy-bills-panorama-renewables

[Zoeisright]

1. The more things change ...

Dirty energy proponents have been bashing renewables for the last 50 years. And the MSM puppets are still obeying their corporate masters and lying about just about everything.

[kristopher]

2. It isn't just the MSM, it permeates the internet

There is ample evidence that the public relations industry has recognized and acted on the potential represented by having anonymous internet "friends" helping guide people's thinking and beliefs in directions that benefits their corporate clients.

All it takes is money and/or manpower.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[kristopher]

4. Presuming your snide reference is to me...

because of the post you just made on another thread.

I didn't miss anything. The debate in the UK is a choice between one of two directions: energy efficiency and renewables of nuclear power. There has been a recent onslaught of propaganda in the media trying to sway the public against renewable and/or for nuclear.

BTW, the price volatility associated with natural gas prices is one reason I feel confident calling for switching as much of our generating capacity away from coal to existing natural gas plants as we can do. It gives us an immediate 60% reduction in CO2 emissions, reduces the price differential between that generation and renewables and the natural gas plant is far, far better at load following the fluctuations in wind and solar than either coal or nuclear.

If you don't like it try arguing the facts instead of just making ad hominen attacks.

BTW, do you know what a mutual ignore is?