S T A N D I N G   C H A R G E S

RIP OFF STANDING CHARGES ALLOW BILLIONAIRES TO PROFIT SHAMEFULLY FROM A MONOPLY SITUATION CREATED BY MARGARET THATCHER'S  GARAGE SALE IN THE 1990s WITH NO CONDITIONS AS TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, COMBATTING CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALTERNATIVE RENEWABLES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Please use our A-Z to navigate this site where page links may lead to other sites, or see HOME

There is an abundance of clean, renewable, wind and solar energy that can produce green hydrogen and electricity to charge vehicle batteries, but there is no transport infrastructure to support rapid energy exchanges, refuel hydrogen vehicles and load level.

The idea of charging for the provision of a networked infrastructure might not constitute immoral earnings, except that there has been no investment in Research and Development (R&D) to provide storage for green hydrogen, and no physical development to provide electricity to charge electric vehicles. Leaving us with a situation where some EV owners are going back to fossil fuel, petrol and diesel vehicles. Having discovered the almost total lack of facilities for electric car owners.

Imagine then how frustrating this is for those who own, or would like to own hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. All the while massive dividends are paid to offshore investors, including China!

For some reason, the British governments, including Labour and the Liberal Democrats (as a coalition) with the Tories, have not connected the dots between power generation, distribution and transport. All of the calls we have seen for electricity related subject, not one of which is on point. On the other side of the coin, you will find calls relating to hydrogen storage, or electricity generation, equally foggy. It's like watching the blind leading the blind.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: SAFE RESILIENT TRANSPORT & SMART MOBILITY SERVICES FOR PASSENGERS AND GOODS 

These calls is due to open next month, May, for a 5th September deadline and includes 12 different Topics (i.e. 12 different competitions):

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-01: Centralised, reliable, cyber-secure & upgradable in-vehicle electronic control architectures for CCAM connected to the cloud-edge continuum 

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-02: Scenario-based safety assurance of CCAM and related HMI in a dynamically evolving transport system 

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-03: Orchestration of heterogeneous actors in mixed traffic within the CCAM ecosystem 

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-04: AI for advanced and collective perception and decision making for CCAM applications 

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-05: Robust Knowledge and Know-How transfer for Key-Deployment Pathways and implementation of the EU-CEM 

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-06: Optimising multimodal network and traffic management, harnessing data from infrastructures, mobility of passengers and freight transport 

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-07: Scaling up logistics innovations supporting freight transport decarbonisation in an affordable way 

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-08: Improved transport infrastructure performance – Innovative digital tools and solutions to monitor and improve the management and operation of transport infrastructure 

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-09: Policies and governance shaping the future transport and mobility systems 

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-10: Ensuring the safety, resilience and security of waterborne digital systems

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-11: Effects of disruptive changes in transport: towards resilient, safe and energy efficient mobility

• HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-12: A new framework to improve traffic safety culture in the EU

They are all 'airy-fairy' peripheral technology development calls to support academics in universities, that do not deal with the core issues. The one slight exception being HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-09. Where, there is a slim chance of being able to persuade Europe, as to why they are getting nowhere fast - in not supporting practical entrepreneurs, who are not now patenting as much, presumably for fear of being cheated by big corporations, like Ford ripped off Robert Kearns. Provided we live so long.

We tell it as we see it : )

SO WHY ARE GRID STANDING CHARGES SO HIGH & HOW ARE THE OLIGARCHS ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH IT?

The simple answer is because Maggie sold the British public into financial slavery. Creating a monopoly situation that she must have known would benefit her rich supporters, and cause long term hardship for the poor. The truth of this is plain in that no conditions were imposed, as to R&D, in connection with future needs and climate change renewables. As in reinvesting a reasonable proportion of profits into improving the system.

But everyone knew about global warming and harmful emissions that cause cancer in the 1990s. The only State in the USA who jumped, being California's Air Resources Board (CARB). But they were soon whipped into line by the oil baron's lobbying efforts. Scrapping their clean air laws, and thousands of EVs in the process.

Electricity could be the most convenient way of transmitting clean, alternative energy, from the point of origin (conversion from natural harvesting) to the end user, if it were not for the staggering profiteering of privately owned distribution networks - that should never have been shamefully privatised in Margaret Thatcher's garage sale in the 1990s. We are living in the modern age of electricity, where energy security is as yet, unsecured, leading to massive human rights violations perpetuating energy poverty. Contrary to SDG7.

ENERGY LIVE NEWS 2 APRIL 2024 - ELECTRICITY STANDING CHARGES SOAR

A recent analysis reveals that energy companies have allegedly amassed over £420 billion in profits since the onset of the energy crisis, with a significant portion attributed to inflated standing charges

Energy companies have allegedly accrued over £420 billion in profits since the beginning of the current energy crisis, according to an analysis by researchers affiliated with the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.

This analysis examined financial reports from various entities in the energy sector.

Approximately £30 billion of these profits allegedly come from the entities responsible for transmitting and distributing electricity and gas, known as “network costs,” which are covered by standing charges on consumers’ energy bills.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in electricity standing charges, with a projected 147% rise starting 1st April.

This increase is driven by various fees, including 14 concealed charges within each bill for network costs. Gas standing charges have also risen by 15% since 2021.

Researchers estimate that the average household’s contribution to gas network costs has increased from £118.53 annually in 2021 to £163.69 as of April 1st, 2024, marking a significant 38% rise.

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented: “As standing charges go up today, households will have to cut back on their energy use just to keep their bills the same.

“This means households continue to suffer as a few energy firms make billions in profits from running the electricity and gas networks.

“These numbers may look like fantastic amounts to shareholders, but the reality is that these profits have caused pain and suffering among people living in fuel poverty for the last few years.”

In a letter sent to Ofgem Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Brearley, Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said: “There is concern about how standing charges going up may limit consumers’ ability to reduce household costs.

“And in addition to minimising costs, some of the growing numbers of energy users striving to consume energy more efficiently and help towards achieving net zero see standing charges as a disincentive to doing so.”

An Ofgem spokesperson told Energy Live News: “The standing charge is covered by the price cap, which sets a ceiling on how much should be paid. Energy companies do not have to set a standing charge.

“We know the standing charge is an emotive issue and are carefully considering next steps following our call for input. However, there are no easy answers as the costs covered by it have to be paid. Moving them onto the unit rate may help some households but it would leave others significantly worse off.

“Where we can take action we have, such as equalising standing charges because we don’t think anyone should have to pay more because of the payment method they use. We are required under the price cap to allow the recovery of reasonable costs, which includes inflationary pressures and the costs of maintaining and upgrading the network to ensure a safe and secure energy supply.”

THE GUARDIAN 27 MARCH 2024 - NEW BLOW TO BRITISH SMART METER ROLL OUT AS NUMBER OF FAULTY MACHINES LEAPS TO 4M

Nearly 4m energy smart meters in homes and businesses are faulty, government figures have shown, in a further blow to the “troubled” rollout of the technology.

Data from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero reported that, at the end of last year, 3.98m meters in Great Britain were not working properly.

The department had initially reported that there were only 2.7m faulty meters in June 2023 but the figure for June has now been revised up – to 4.31m – due to reporting errors from some suppliers.

Related: Energy bills: why are so many smart meters in Britain turning ‘dumb’?

The latest data has raised concerns that customers may have been overcharged on their gas and electricity bills, and has prompted the government to write to the industry regulator, Ofgem, urging action against energy providers who are not supporting customers and meeting legal obligations.

Smart meters are seen as an important part of the transition to net zero by allowing homeowners to more easily track their energy use and take steps to reduce consumption. They send real-time data on customer usage to suppliers remotely when in “smart mode”.

However, when they are not connected properly, customers have to rely on estimated bills, which is resulting in some paying too much for their energy.

A spokesperson for the industry body, Energy UK, said: “Technical problems can prevent some meters from operating in smart mode and while this can be for reasons outside their control, suppliers still have an obligation to replace them when this happens.”

It added that the best way to avoid inaccurate bills through estimated readings was to send manual meter readings until their supplier is able to fix the issue.

Last week Lord Callanan, minister for energy efficiency and green finance, wrote to Ofgem saying the number of faulty meters fell short of what the government expected to see, and urged the regulator to take action.

He added that the level of underperformance of some operators showed that legal requirements put in place to ensure meters operated in smart mode were not being universally followed.

Last year, the public accounts committee called on ministers to set out how they plan to convince the public to take up a smart meter more than a decade into the “troubled” rollout of the technology. About 60% of all domestic and business meters now smart.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “The vast majority of smart meters are working correctly.

“However, we are concerned that reporting errors by a minority of suppliers have uncovered more meters not operating in smart mode than previously thought.”

Smart Energy GB, a government-backed non-profit set up to help with the smart meter transition, said: “There are now almost 35m smart meters… in Great Britain and the vast majority are operating as intended.”

It added that there had been an overall improvement in the proportion of smart meters operating in smart mode since 2022, increasing from 87.3% at the end of 2022 to 88.6% at the end of 2023.

[The only good use for a smart network, is to be sure customers are not being overcharged in relation to other service providers in other nations. Smart meters should tell customers in the UK how little end users in other nations all over the world are paying, and how much money is being given to shareholders, on the backs of the British public, who have been ripped off and sold down the river as disposable assets. But, they don't want you to know that rather more useful informaton: )]

....

ELECTRICITY PRICES

Unfortunately, where SDG 7 of the United Nations' sustainability development goals, is to provide "clean affordable energy for all," electricity prices vary considerably from region to region based on local policies, profit ratios for shareholders, lack of investment in renewables, reliance on fossil fuels. And of course natural resources. The most important of all being hydro electricity for the fortunate few.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

If we want a practical EV infrastructure solution by 2050 starting within the next 10-15 years to meet the 2030 transition, to 2035 zero emission targets of most countries party to the Paris Accord, we need  to make the most of electricity and our distribution networks for load levelling of renewable solar and wind generated electricity. But in the UK, other European countries, and in the USA, they are going backwards by doing nothing.

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/economic-bulletin/focus/2022/html/ecb.ebbox202204_01~68ef3c3dc6.en.html
https://www.ft.com/content/dcff4b52-bb21-4596-a66b-24753635df0c

https://www.energylivenews.com/2024/04/02/electricity-standing-charges-soar/

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/economic-bulletin/focus/2022/html/ecb.ebbox202204_01~68ef3c3dc6.en.html
https://www.ft.com/content/dcff4b52-bb21-4596-a66b-24753635df0c

https://www.energylivenews.com/2024/04/02/electricity-standing-charges-soar/

This website is provided on a free basis to promote zero emission transport from renewable energy in Europe and Internationally.

Copyright © Universal Smart Batteries and Climate Change Trust 2024. Solar Studios, BN271RF, United Kingdom.