Heyyy!! Stop being selective in a huge list of criticisms (#826) of the management of the energy regs and skewed pricing by Westminster against an energy-rich Scotland. These figures cover the tariff amendments for 2022 (that's just a cute snapshot of a criticism that covers a lengthier period than 2022 onwards!) and also do not refer to areas throughout Scotland, some of them in the islands and other rural areas within Scotland.
Energy Action Scotland (EAS) analysed Scottish energy statistics, following the UK government’s “historic intervention” in the energy market and a pledge that average bills will not rise above £2,500 for the next two years. The analysis, making use of official Scottish energy statistics, shows that across Scotland the typical dual-fuel bill has gone up from £1,375.97 in 2021 to £3,302.45 as of October 1st 2022.
Rural areas are worst hit – as they don’t have access to the gas network which is priced more cheaply. Argyll and Bute face the highest costs of the 32 local authority areas in Scotland with average annual dual-fuel bills soaring from £1,842.06 in April 2021 to £4,421.49 in Nov 2022. Residents of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the council that covers the Western Isles, face the second highest rises with average prices soaring from £1,754.80 in 2021 to £4,212.57 now. Even in the cheapest area Glasgow City, the least expensive local authority area for bills in Scotland, the average bill will be £2,672.47.
Note the Scottish First Minister met Rishi Sunak for the first time today to discuss various pressing issues (and hopefully come to an amicable consensus!) with one of the main issues unsurprisingly being the ongoing energy probs!!
An international comparison shows a growing gulf between the UK and other countries.
A study released in Nov 2022 looked at Government data on electricity and gas prices from the past five years to analyse the impact of the worsening cost of living crisis and discover which countries have had the biggest year-on-year increase in energy prices. The data, compiled by BOXT, was released when UK’s energy price cap was recently raised from 28p to 34p per kWh.
The Republic of Ireland has the second highest electricity cost, paying 18.99p per kWh. That’s 53 per cent more expensive than the average of these 24 countries. However, prices are slightly more affordable when it comes to gas in Ireland, which stands at 5.21p per kWh.
The countries with the highest electricity prices
Rank Country Price – pence per kWh
1 United Kingdom 19.31
2 Ireland 18.99
3 Spain 18.51
3 Belgium 16.34
3 Japan 15.64
6 Australia 14.01
7 Switzerland 14.00
8 Netherlands 13.98
9 Germany 13.58
10 Czech Republic 12.69
But Kwh is not a guide to what people pay. Most European countries are providing a great deal more help than the UK government is. For example, the Norwegian government launched a power bill support scheme earlier this year, which covers 80% of the portion of the electricity price that exceeds NOK 0.70 (6p) per kWh. From October to December of 2022, that percentage will jump to 90%.
In Germany, from January, gas and electricity bills were capped. Government subsidies allow households and small businesses to pay a lower rate for 80% of the gas they use and 70% of their electricity consumption.
Conclusion
Scotland is literally powerless to do anything about the way that Westminster decides to plan and regulate the UK’s energy sector. The UK government does that in line with political choices that are very different from the ones Scots make time after time at the ballot box. It will be very difficult for Scotland to rebuild the kind of capacity it lost through privatisation in the Thatcher years – and it is not something that can realistically be tackled without independence.
Anger over the way Scotland’s energy potential is being squandered is fuelling a drive towards independence. People can see how Norway benefited from oil and gas and where it is now, economically, compared to Scotland. Scotland was fooled once – it doesn’t want to be fooled twice.
Scotland should operate as its own node within the UK. The Scottish government should be able to control and regulate the energy market, including the national grid. It should be able to set the right market incentives for the kind of technologies Scotland needs and which will help the country to achieve ambitious net-zero targets.
The only way to achieve those powers is through independence!
Energy Action Scotland (EAS) analysed Scottish energy statistics, following the UK government’s “historic intervention” in the energy market and a pledge that average bills will not rise above £2,500 for the next two years. The analysis, making use of official Scottish energy statistics, shows that across Scotland the typical dual-fuel bill has gone up from £1,375.97 in 2021 to £3,302.45 as of October 1st 2022.
Rural areas are worst hit – as they don’t have access to the gas network which is priced more cheaply. Argyll and Bute face the highest costs of the 32 local authority areas in Scotland with average annual dual-fuel bills soaring from £1,842.06 in April 2021 to £4,421.49 in Nov 2022. Residents of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the council that covers the Western Isles, face the second highest rises with average prices soaring from £1,754.80 in 2021 to £4,212.57 now. Even in the cheapest area Glasgow City, the least expensive local authority area for bills in Scotland, the average bill will be £2,672.47.
Note the Scottish First Minister met Rishi Sunak for the first time today to discuss various pressing issues (and hopefully come to an amicable consensus!) with one of the main issues unsurprisingly being the ongoing energy probs!!
An international comparison shows a growing gulf between the UK and other countries.
A study released in Nov 2022 looked at Government data on electricity and gas prices from the past five years to analyse the impact of the worsening cost of living crisis and discover which countries have had the biggest year-on-year increase in energy prices. The data, compiled by BOXT, was released when UK’s energy price cap was recently raised from 28p to 34p per kWh.
The Republic of Ireland has the second highest electricity cost, paying 18.99p per kWh. That’s 53 per cent more expensive than the average of these 24 countries. However, prices are slightly more affordable when it comes to gas in Ireland, which stands at 5.21p per kWh.
The countries with the highest electricity prices
Rank Country Price – pence per kWh
1 United Kingdom 19.31
2 Ireland 18.99
3 Spain 18.51
3 Belgium 16.34
3 Japan 15.64
6 Australia 14.01
7 Switzerland 14.00
8 Netherlands 13.98
9 Germany 13.58
10 Czech Republic 12.69
But Kwh is not a guide to what people pay. Most European countries are providing a great deal more help than the UK government is. For example, the Norwegian government launched a power bill support scheme earlier this year, which covers 80% of the portion of the electricity price that exceeds NOK 0.70 (6p) per kWh. From October to December of 2022, that percentage will jump to 90%.
In Germany, from January, gas and electricity bills were capped. Government subsidies allow households and small businesses to pay a lower rate for 80% of the gas they use and 70% of their electricity consumption.
Conclusion
Scotland is literally powerless to do anything about the way that Westminster decides to plan and regulate the UK’s energy sector. The UK government does that in line with political choices that are very different from the ones Scots make time after time at the ballot box. It will be very difficult for Scotland to rebuild the kind of capacity it lost through privatisation in the Thatcher years – and it is not something that can realistically be tackled without independence.
Anger over the way Scotland’s energy potential is being squandered is fuelling a drive towards independence. People can see how Norway benefited from oil and gas and where it is now, economically, compared to Scotland. Scotland was fooled once – it doesn’t want to be fooled twice.
Scotland should operate as its own node within the UK. The Scottish government should be able to control and regulate the energy market, including the national grid. It should be able to set the right market incentives for the kind of technologies Scotland needs and which will help the country to achieve ambitious net-zero targets.
The only way to achieve those powers is through independence!