Posts Tagged ‘Business Energy’

BT proposes long wave radio for smart meter network

22 July 2010

BT aim to create a secure, dedicated communications network for the millions of smart meters set to be installed for home and business electricity and gas customers across the UK.

The telecommunications giant has joined forces with Arqiva, specialists in broadcast infrastructure, and business consultants Detica to take advantage of the proposed smart metering initiative.

Under the scheme, by 2020 28 million homes and businesses will have smart meters installed. These will enable users to monitor how much energy is being consumed – vital to businesses aiming to keep overheads of business gas and electricity as low as possible as it then means steps can be taken to use energy more efficiently.

Smart meters will also help utility companies make their networks more efficient, and may lead to the introduction of specially tailored energy package based on customer usage data.

BT is proposing a long range radio scheme, which a BT spokesperson told Telecoms.com “can provide truly nationwide coverage and dependable reception indoors.” This makes it more reliable than mobile telephone communications.

Smart meters were first introduced as standard in the UK in 2008.

Read the full article in Telecoms.Com.

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Funding cut for green energy technology

21 July 2010

Investment is urgently needed in green energy and low carbon programmes, despite the UK government’s recent decision to cut them by £34million.

Energy Efficiency News reports that the UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has urged the government to protect funding for low-carbon technology, research, development and rolling out.

The independent committee has warned that new low-carbon technologies need support from the government if the target of cutting emissions by  80 per cent by 2050 is to be met.

This recommendation comes just days after the Department of Energy and Climate Change announced £34million of cuts to low-carbon projects as part of the government’s wider £6.2billion of spending cuts.

Among the projects losing out are The Carbon Trust, which will see its grant for low carbon technology and business support cut by £12.6 million, the Low Carbon Buildings Fund, which will close early to save £3million, and the Central Government Low Carbon Technology Programme, which will have its funding reduced to save £2.9million.

DECC is keen to emphasise that it is still investing more than £150million in low technologies this year alone.

The CCC’s report also supports the continued deployment of nuclear power alongside green technologies, with the goal of securing supply and keeping prices manageable for domestic and business electricity customers.

Read about the funding cuts here.

And the CCC’s report here.

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Failure of business electricity supply biggest business emergency

14 July 2010
Damage caused by burst pipes and business electricity disruption caused businesses major problems last year.

Damage caused by burst pipes and business electricity disruption caused businesses major problems last year.

Failure of business electricity supply was the biggest business emergency last year, according to a report in Management Today.

Some 38 per cent of small and medium sized businesses were hit by a ‘business breakdown’ in 2009, with power failure, blocked drains, lighting failure, burst pipes and broken heating all making a significant impact.

Losing business electricity, or experiencing any of the above problems, has an impact on earnings. Of those firms affected, 16 per cent were forced to undertake temporary closure of premises, 24 per cent lost earnings, 9 per cent lost customers, and 3 per cent believe that their reputation has been damaged by enforced outages.

When there is a shortage in electricity supply, it is often business electricity customers who are first to lose out because they are on interruptable contracts. These mean prices are lower but do leave you at risk of being forced to shut off your power.

To find the best type of business energy contract for your company, it’s a good idea to contact an independent energy broker such as Energy Advice Line, who can advise you on all types of contract available and what would best suit your business needs.

Read the full story at Management Today.

Image credit – CCA: There’s a hole in my ceiling by Elsie esq

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Britain needs investment for energy

12 July 2010

Investment in the energy industry is urgently needed if an energy crisis is to be avoided. That’s the stark warning from the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF). The UK’s competitiveness and future security could be under threat if the government does not do anything.

The report, in The Independent, highlights how the UK faces a series of unprecedented energy challenges in the next ten years and the EEF urge the government to act now on issues such as tax and planning permission to encourage private companies to invest in the energy industry.

The EEF has launched an Energy Action Plan, a blueprint for attracting the billions of pounds of investment needed to meet government targets on renewable energy, and also to act as a safeguard for domestic and business energy customers.

The warning comes on the same day that The Independent reports that measures to tackle climate change could push up bills for domestic and business electricity customers alike.

Measures brought in last year added 21 per cent on to business electricity bills and last year’s renewable energy strategy could have added up to 70 per cent to business energy bills by 2020.

A review by economist Ruth Lea and Jeremy Nicholson from the Energy Intensive Users Group warned that the UK is badly placed to meet its renewable targets because it was starting from a very low base.

They urged action on business energy prices to prevent a migration of manufacturing companies to countries with cheaper business energy.

Read about the risk of energy crisis here.

And the warning about manufacturing here.

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Local businesses to get £1billion help from UK government

6 July 2010

Businesses most affected by cuts in public spending and the demise of Regional Development Agencies will get £1billion of help from the government, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced.

Regional Development Agencies have played a pivotal role in developing investment in low-carbon methods of business energy generation.

As Energy Efficiency news reports, Mr Clegg also announced that Local Enterprise Partnerships between local businesses and councils would be formed to replace the RDAs. However, while they will cover such areas as local transport and supporting new businesses, LEPs won’t cover such areas as inward investment or access to finance, which will instead be led nationally.

The abolition of the RDAs casts doubt over such projects as the Wave Hub project to drive the development of wave power for domestic and business electricity in the future.

You can read the full story at Energy Efficiency News.

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Boris Johnson backs Low Carbon London bid

24 June 2010

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has given his backing to energy giant EDF Energy’s bid for funding to reduce carbon emissions from the UK’s capital.

EDF Energy Networks, part of the business energy supplier, has submitted an initial proposal to OfGem’s Low Carbon Networks Fund to built a smart electricity distribution network that would help battle climate change by cutting carbon emissions in the city by 60 per cent by 2025.

London has one of the highest domestic and business electricity demands in the country. Low Carbon London – A Learning Journey is a project that would involve the energy company working with businesses and communities to create a blueprint for the electricity distribution networks of the future.

This project would involve smart grid technologies and carbon-cutting commercial energy arrangements, with customers playing a pivotal role in helping match demand for electricity with low carbon electricity production. The much trumpeted growth in micro-generation for domestic and business electricity customers alike would also be incorporated into this plan.

Boris Johnson commented: “The key to becoming a cleaner, less polluted and more energy efficient city is to utilise clever new technologies. I want London to be a pioneer in the introduction of ingenious solutions to crack the environmental challenges we face.”

Low Carbon London would match models of electricity distribution with real customer behaviour, finding the best way to help customers reduce their electricity consumption and carbon emissions.

For advice on how to save business electricity today, contact Energy Advice Line.

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Business energy shortage and powercuts are biggest concerns for business executives

21 June 2010

A shortage of business energy is one of the biggest fears for UK businesses, a new survey by T-Systems has found.

Sharp rises in the cost of business electricity and gas have also been cited as areas of major concern. The research was carried out in co-operation with the Economist Intelligence Unit and shows that more than 80% of directors and senior executives with large organisations fear sharp price increases and almost 50% expect demand for electricity to outstrip supply within the next five years.

Commenting on the report, Sam Kingston, managing director of T-Systems in the UK, said: “In the near future, access to energy and its careful management will be as critical to business success as, for instance, access to capital and management of capital is today…

“…Smart energy strategies at individual businesses as well as at the national level will need to be supported by advanced technologies that will ensure transparency of usage across the supply chain.”

Other key points uncovered in the report included nuclear energy will be the primary solution to the UK’s energy needs in the foreseeable future, and that 90% of businesses polled had already taken steps to increase their energy efficiency and cut their costs.

We’d like to know what small and medium sized business owners think the most important areas of the business environment are for the new government to focus on. Secure energy supply polled very highly in this report – do you agree, or do you have different priorities?

To find out how you can save money on your business energy, contact Energy Advice Line.

You can read the full report at Response Source.

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Energy firms paid to turn off turbines

21 June 2010

Wind farms across the UK are being paid to turn off their turbines when the wind is blowing because the National Grid is unable to use the power they generate.

In a story that will come as a shock to many business electricity customers who are frequently told that wind power is the way forward in ensuring demand for electricity is met, the Daily Telegraph has revealed that thousands of pounds are being paid to wind farm owners not to operate during windy summer evenings.

The reason behind this is because the electricity cannot be stored and there is not much demand for domestic or business electricity in the middle of the night.

This system is called ‘balancing mechanism’ and already operates for gas and coal power stations, but the concern is that shutting down wind turbines will end up costing the energy companies – and thus domestic and commercial electricity customers – a lot more.

While the traditional power stations often pay the National Grid for each megawatt hour they do not supply, the owners of the wind farms will be paid by the National Grid.

This will fuel the arguments presented by critics of wind farms that they are unreliable and not a practical source of domestic and business electricity generation for the future.

Read the full story in the Daily Telegraph.

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Government departments show business energy consumption in real time

15 June 2010

Two of the UK’s government departments, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Home Office, have put their business energy consumption on display in real time, reports Energy Efficiency News.

The online display is part of the government’s commitment to cut its energy emissions by 10% during its first year in office.

While the Home Office display will show the amount and cost of business energy used each day, the DECC homepage will show peaks and troughs of energy demand throughout each 24 hour period.

If the trial proves successful, the business energy monitoring scheme will then be rolled out to other government departments.

Read the full story at Energy Efficiency News.

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Wind turbines scrapped for London Olympics

9 June 2010

A wind turbine planned to generate electricity for the 2012 London Olympics will now not be built.

The body responsible for delivering the 2012 Olympics, the Olympic Development Agency (ODA), has confirmed it is scrapping plans for a wind turbine at the Olympic Park because of tough new health and safety regulations.

However, the ODA insists it remains committed to meeting the sustainability targets put in place for the site – 20% of the site’s legacy energy needs to be generated from renewable sources by 2014, when the park will be fully operational.

Domestic and business energy customers who move into the site will be affected by these renewables targets, with possible solutions to renewable electricity generation including photo volatic panels being installed around the site and biomass gasification to generate heat and electricity.

Read the full story at the London 2012 site.

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