The high cost of energy
Peter Hoskin 8:39am
According to a new Ofgem report, rising fuel prices are behind a trebling in the number of homes disconnected by power companies over the past two years. And what lies behind rising fuel prices? Well, according to energy companies, around 50 per cent of the rises can be attributed to new costs – especially green taxes – imposed by the Treasury. The sad link between environmental measures and public impoverishment looks set to continue for the forseeable future – compliance with new European Commission environmental proposals will see a 15 percent rise in rise in electricity bills.
Regardless of whether or not its necessary in the first place, it's becoming clearer that the green tax programme hasn't been thought through properly. Whilst the Government has claimed that green taxes and other environmental measures will be targeted at big business rather than consumers, the hasty manner in which these costs have been imposed means that they are trickling down to the public. Whenever a massive cost comes almost out of nowhere (as widespread environmental measures did in 2007), companies will always seek to absorb it by raising the prices of their product.
This situation could have been avoided via an extended period of discussion with business leaders, followed by a slow roll-out of green taxes and compensatory measures over a number of years. Of course, there's the counter-argument that the environment can't wait on discussion, but when thousands of elderly people are dying because they can't afford heating costs, a little more forethought could well have gone a long way.
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Hyder Ali Pirwany
January 25th, 2008 10:16am Report this commentMr Gordon Brown boasts of the inflation of 2.1%. But we who live on State Pension alone are facing high food and energy prices which have risen far above 2.1% since Christmas. What is he going to do about it. Do the government ministers realise how the other half live?
Jack R
January 25th, 2008 2:24pm Report this commentThe UK population, which already pays the highest diesel and petrol taxes in the E.U., is now expected to pay the extra costs for the E.U.'s misguided 'green' policies, (supported bu E.U. subsidised Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth), which ensure that UK export prices will be uncompetitive with the less economically suicidal rest of the world.
Max Kaye
January 25th, 2008 3:46pm Report this commentThe green agenda is utterly stupid and economically suicidal.
TGF UKIP
January 25th, 2008 7:20pm Report this commentMax Kaye - and more than anything else politically stupid and suicidal. This issue could and should have been meat and drink to the Conservatives but Daft Dave painted himself into a corner where the Tories are now obligated to enter a bidding war on green taxes. Why so many people on this website think the sun shines out of his backside I cannot begin to understand.
Max Kaye
January 26th, 2008 10:24am Report this commentTGF UKIP - Maybe because Cameron offers the best chance of disposing of this awful government. (As a politician, I'm sure DC has no intention of honoring all his pledges. Perhaps he'll ignore this one, or, perhaps luckily for him the 'science' - or the fashion - may have moved on by the time he comes to power).
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