It’s cost of living, climate change and Russian aggression in one go! Big electric vehicles are becoming practical. The Scania 64 ton tanker below runs a regular delivery route in northern ?Sweden.
Gas, oil and the cost of living
Price rises are overwhelmingly led by the cost of gas, petrol and diesel. There is a UK gas glut. Half of it comes directly from the North Sea and another third comes by pipeline from Norway. Re-exports to the EU of LNG landings from US, Qatar and Algeria is said to be limited by pipeline capacity and incapable of increase. Shell, BP and the other big gas extractors have a captive market of UK consumers. They have chosen to follow the world future price of gas, not UK current cost. Now could be the time for the UK government to acquire a “golden share” or other part-ownership of the North Sea gas producers (learning a little from the PRC).
The UK imports most of its fuel for vehicles and is less able to influence its price. That is a good argument for a massive shift to electric vehicles charged by sunshine. In our house our 40 kWh car battery gets most of its charge when the sun is on the solar panels. My recent 200 mile round trip to Barmouth cost about £10. As sunlight drops in winter we will need even more wind power, including onshore turbines on the high ground of Clee Hill and the Sheepwalks. The map section below shows No Man’s Green at 200m with contour lines dropping steeply towards the south-west – the optimum position for an onshore turbine.
Planning for windfarms strongly favours NIMBY objectors. The next government would have to favour generators.
Rishi Sunak’s measures seem to favour only large holders of capital. The £400 is delivered by government straight to energy providers. One figure for annual household energy is £1971, so the remaining 80% has to come from wages. Second homes get the same £400. The money is borrowed on the gilt market from pension funds etc. Google searches for UK two year bond returns 1.78%, while the two year US treasury rate it is 2.73%. The present government is delivering millions of Britons to fuel poverty and hunger.
Ecological and socialist measures are the realistic alternative.