News & Views

June 2008

19th June 2008

The space between the numbers - Part II.

Between the time of writing the last piece (The space between the numbers) it has been announced today that gas and electricity bills could rise by 40%, due to the rising cost of wholesale gas. Again our energy bills are going to rise, along with everything else.

Saudia Arabia has also announced that it would be increasing its production in oil to an extra 200,000 barrels a day.

But there could be a solution. Mexico has frozen the price of its basic foods for people.
If only someone was listening eh?

14th June 2008

The space between the numbers.

The cost of gas and electricity is going to rise, soon. Fact.

Household energy bills are going to go up by a hefty amount and it is likely that there will be further increases. To make matters worse we could be in the middle of another fuel strike, this time it is the tanker drivers that supply Shell's forecourts. After the dispute over pay was resolved at Grangemouth in April it appears that the record prices for oil and massive profits being made by the oil companies are not filtering down to everyone.

At this point I would continue about the same 'economy' that is happening with our very own warm and friendly energy providers and the massive profits that they are making (take a look at the last time we covered this - )

You may have been affected by the weekend's fuel strike, which was caused when drivers from 2 haulage firms (contracted to Shell) rejected a pay offer. Although talks have ended the current strike by drivers it is possible that another strike is due at the end of the week should a deal not be reached between Shell and Hoyer UK and (the appropriately named) Suckling Transport.

The constant unrest in the Middle East, a few 'wars' here and there, the perceived uncertainty over other oil supplies in the world - Nigeria for example, have all influenced the cost of oil. The way we live will no doubt change over the next decade as we need to become less dependent on oil but an interesting point was raised by Saudia Arabia, one of the largest oil exporters in the world. Declaring the cost of oil as being unjustified, oil production looks set to increase and in turn bring down the cost of oil - have a look at the trading price of a barrel of oil for this weekend, its gone down.

I constantly wonder whenever I pay for anything whether or not it should cost as much as it actually does. I wonder what happened to the equation; supply and demand and who is in control of this equation.

9th June 2008

This weekend I discovered that "the price of love" (appropriately New Order) is approximately £22.45 but I have countered balanced this with 4 recycling bags versus 1.5 bag of rubbish, that's energy efficiency for you. Feeling inspired I thought you should all be reminded that switching suppliers can save you money but if you reduce your gas and electricity usage you will also save money and the planet too.

How to become more 'Energy Efficient'

As well as reducing the cost of your gas and electricity by changing provider(s) or tariff(s) or even your payment method you can also reduce the cost of your gas and electricity bills by using less energy.

It is a matter of getting into good habits and not 'wasting' energy, for example: switching off the lights in rooms that you are not in and keeping doors closed to retain heat in those particular rooms.

On Standby

The revolution will not be televised so relax and turn off your TV, DVD player, Video player, et al before you go to bed, don't leave them on standby.

Most new devices have 'eco' friendly modes and options, so the dreaded flashing clock won't appear when you do switch them off.

If you have satellite TV you are sometimes recommended to leave your 'box' on standby for updates but for things like computers and anything else that might receive an 'update' you can do these when you first login and switch off for the remainder of time that they are not in use.

The way in which we live has radically changed over the past few years and will continue to do so but we must also change along with it. MP3 players and mobile phones are now common place for a lot of people but did you know that most people leave them on when they don't need to - approximately 5% of the energy is actually to charge the phone, which equates to around 250,000 needless tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year. Only charge your phone when the battery is run down, phones still use electricty when plugged in even when fully charged. So instead of charging every night, charge every other, or better still once a week.

Jim Royle: Get your coat on, Barb.
Barbara Royle: Are you taking me with you?
Jim Royle: No, I'm gonna turn the fire off...

That is one alternative regarding the temperature of your home, another is to turn down your thermostat by just 1 degree. Plus you should consider all of the following: double glazing, a new boiler (plus if you do get any other new appliances make sure that they have the Energy Saving Recommended logo), loft insulation and energy efficient light bulbs.

Most councils offer a reduction on things like loft insulation and cavity wall insulation as it helps them reach their targets.

That's right John Boy, turn that light off and get some energy efficient light bulbs in there.

If all the households in the UK installed 1 energy efficient light bulb you would have enough electricity for about 170,000 homes. It's the small things that make a big difference.

5th June 2008

Imagine the scene. You decide to go for the mother of all swims to cool off and you end up swimming for about 200 miles. Feeling quite proud of your achievement you decide to go for a little rest before heading back and then...

While we are on the subject of eejits with guns do you remember Bobby Jnr? He's now appearing as a free download for your mobile phone to help raise awareness over the plight of gorillas in Rwanda. You can find more here -

Don't sit there and let this happen - donate to a charity that can make a difference and stop this from happening in the future. If you switch suppliers with us - we will make a donation for you. Switch Here

1st June 2008

1st June We have a new charity of the month. Introducing Three Counties Dog Rescue who do tremendous work rescuing, caring for and rehousing dogs. Covering the areas of Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, as well as Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, Three Counties Dog Rescue need your support.

Use the Save for a Change Gas and Electric comparison service and your donation will at the very least provide a days care for a dog while it gets re-homed. Get a few of you together and you could even 'pay' for a weeks board (that's the equivalent of four dual fuel energy switches, not a lot when you think about it in the big scheme of things.

As responsible dog owners Save for a Change also wants to promote Three Counties Dog Rescue because they understand the important role that dogs have within people's lives and in society. By finding owners who actually want to look after these animals we hope that they will find a new and happy home.

My paws are quite tired from all this typing, so I’m off for a lie down.

Dante