It’s common sense to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels! It’s common sense to control our burgeoning population!

But there’s not much common sense in fracking? It doesn’t need a degree in geology or stratum science to conclude that underground explosions plus the injection of water and chemicals could spell big disaster!

This is not common sense?

It’s more like the vested interests of some of the major players in the fuel industry and their ability to shout louder than the rest of us?

Leading climate change expert, George Mombiot says fracking is ‘bad for everyone’! It means higher emissions and higher prices!

Fracking has already created mini-earthquakes in northern England and could be the source of many other subterranean mishaps?

Fracking is short for hydraulic fracturing – that sound pretty bad for a start! It’s an extremely water-intensive process where millions of gallons of fluid – typically a mix of water, sand, and chemicals, including ones known to cause cancer – are injected underground at high pressure to fracture,  this releases gas and or oil from the rock, so it can flow into the well.

Over 250 communities in the US have wisely passed resolutions to stop fracking, and Vermont, France and Bulgaria have also stopped it!

The UK government, however, has given the go-ahead for a firm to resume fracking in Lancashire. But fortunately, Environment Minister Alex Attwood said: “There is, of course, a wider and more fundamental issue, that is the question as to how safe is fracking?

So why not investigate first and then frack later (or don’t frack) when there is a clearer picture of the possible consequences!

Image from the BBC website

More information: www.decc.gov.uk

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He also said that it is unlikely that gas customers will be recompensed should the allegations prove to be true.

Following his statement, the secretary of state faced a number of questions from MPs, several of which were about whether, should the allegations prove to be true, bill payers would be recompensed for having paid over the odds for their gas.

He replied that the Energy Bill, to be published later this month, would permit fines imposed on energy companies to be returned to consumers in the future, but that it is not currently the case. Fines imposed by Ofgem are kept by Ofgem.

David Thorpe points out that it is likely that any decision made by the regulator will be under the existing regime.

“At this early stage in the investigation it is not possible to understand what the impact on consumers, companies or markets may have been, if the allegations are proven to be true,” concluded Mr Davey.

He said that his Department and the Treasury were informed last Friday afternoon that the FSA had received allegations of manipulation of the UK gas market.

He told the House that in the first instance, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Ofgem will consider these allegations, which are being taken very seriously.

More information: www.decc.gsi.gov.uk

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Davey says: “Now I want to see more providers coming up with schemes with the scale and reach to help the most vulnerable consumers. Local authorities and housing associations could have real role to play here, helping their tenants cope with living costs.”

Richard Bates, Director of Empowered Consumers at Consumer Focus, suggests: “Many consumers are put off by the prospect of having to switch energy by themselves. Collective switching – where an intermediary can do the hard work on their behalf – offers an alternative, straightforward way of switching.

“And because the intermediary can aggregate together consumer demand, it can give customers much more muscle in markets than they have when switching alone.

“Other countries have already shown that collective switching can deliver significant consumer benefits, chiefly greater convenience and better value.”He says: “There is real scope for similar schemes to be developed in the UK and we hope many organisations will be interested in finding out how this innovative model can work in their area.”

More information: www.decc.gov.uk

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At around £15 each, Baroness Findlay of Llandaff, chair of the important All Party Parliamentary Gas Safety Group APPGSG), says alarms are as ‘cheap as chips’. And they can protect and save lives!

The threat of gas poisoning was being further highlighted at a special reception in the House of Lords just before Christmas. Andrew Leech, director of the National Home Improvement Council was present and asked the important question about how many detectors were installed in UK homes?

But statistics seem pretty ‘furry’ in this respect. It is estimated that between only 25% and 37% of homes are fitted with the poisonous gas detectors. Indeed it various from area to area. For example according to Gary Oakford of Merseyside Fire & Rescue, on his patch there are only 12% of homes ‘guarded’ by these alarms!

Yet there are around 50 deaths a year from carbon monoxide poisoning. Some 4000 thousand people are diagnosed with the symptoms of gas poisoning annually and 200 are admitted to hospital suffering the dire consequences!

The World Health Organisation identifies the common symptoms as: ‘Headache, lethargy/fatique, nausea, dizziness and confusion. A victim may also suffer from shortness of breath, cardiac palpitations, convulsion, paralysis, loss of consciousness, coma and eventually death!’

So perhaps a carbon monoxide alarm shouldn’t be ‘just for Christmas’ but an essential all-year-round home improvement!

More information: www.policyconnect.org.uk/appgsg

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One in five householders admit they’re too scared to open their gas or electricity bills. One in 25 admits they shove the bills in a drawer and never even open them!

With further gas and electricity prices rises, this year householders are looking for ways to ease the strain on their wallet and take charge of their bills.

The ECA’s Steve Bratt says:  “Taking charge of all your household bills, including those that relate to fuel and reviewing them regularly is a good way to keep on top of costs and identify ways to economise.

“As well as checking bills carefully, we’d also advise householders to take other energy saving measures. It’s the small things that count, such as turning thermostats down and switching appliances off when they’re not in use.”

ECA’s top energy saving tips:

1. An average household could save 19% – equivalent to nearly £108 – on their total annual electricity bills by using both internal and external lighting controls and fitting energy-saving light bulbs.ggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
2. The average householder could save 59% – equivalent to £300 – on their annual gas bill by using heating and hot water boiler controls, upgrading to a condensing boiler and ensuring room controls such as thermostats are set correctly.ggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
3. Don’t leave items on standby – they are still using energy. Make the effort to reach down and turn them off at the socket.ggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
4. It’s not just cutting out an appliance that may help your carbon footprint – cutting down on the use of a bigger appliance will be more effective then cutting out a smaller appliance altogether.ggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
5. Check how old are some of your appliances? You may not need to give them up, just simply upgrade them.gggggggggggggg  ggggggggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
6. Turning the thermostat down to between 18-21 degrees centigrade can reduce your heating bill, around £65 and more savings can be made by timing your heating so it is not on constantly, turning off radiators in unused rooms and turning the thermostat down at night or when you have a full house.ggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
7. Don’t waste water and electricity doing half loads in the washing machine. Also use a cooler temperature on the washing machine, as most of the energy in a washing machine goes on heating the water.gggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggg  ggggggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
8. Approximately 1 in 4 UK homes now has a dishwasher. If it is an inefficient model you could be paying double the amount in electricity charges than you would if you were using an efficient model.gggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggg  ggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
9. Turn light off when you leave a room – and drum it into your children and friends to do the same.gggggggggggggggggg  ggggggggggggg  gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
10. Only boil sufficient water for required use rather than boiling a full kettle each time.

Photos show: an energy-saving light bulb; a central heating control; and switch off lights

More information: www.eca.co.uk

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