Best Of

As I predicted, mandatory WFH here we come.

If we're really lucky we might even get a de facto lockdown

Huge energy price rises pile pressure on British companies

Warning of businesses going under as cost of gas set to rise by as much as 80 per cent, while electricity bills to increase by up to 30 per cent

Businesses across the UK are facing “eye-watering” rises in their energy bills because of the conflict in the Middle East, analysis for The Times suggests.

Unlike households, companies are not insulated from volatility in gas and electricity prices, which have almost doubled since the Iran war began.

The problem is particularly acute for the thousands of companies that fix their annual price tariff at the start of the financial year in April and will face an immediate sharp rise in their bills.

Analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight found that as a result of the conflict, business users’ electricity bills would rise by up to 30 per cent, while the cost of gas could go up by as much as 80 per cent. This would mean that a business such as a larger retail and leisure site, on an average 12-month electricity contract, would have an annual bill of £578,000 — £95,000 more than early last month.

For gas, bills have risen by £376,000, reaching just over £1.02 million a year, an increase of nearly 60 per cent, based on the latest wholesale prices.

On Tuesday Wael Sawan, the chief executive of Shell, warned that Europe risked fuel shortages as soon as next month. At an industry conference in Houston, Texas, he said the global oil and gas supply squeeze had already forced parts of Asia to cut energy consumption and that the “ripple effect” threatened to spread west within days.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/huge-energy-price-rises-pile-pressure-on-british-companies-6w9m0j0xk

Depressing. I’d much rather businesses were given some kind of some support - low interest government loans or similar - than handouts to people who can shoulder this. Loans that could bd used to install solar, heat pumps, batteries.

I include myself in this. We save for emergencies so can weather this out. We do huge mileage each year, but a lot of that is social, weekend driving that we can cut back on. We don’t need any help from the government.

OTOH , we don’t use much gas because we live in an energy-efficient flat, appropriate for two young-ish adults. I’m not sure why people like me should bail out those in big, detached houses. They’ve made their choice.

I live in a big house, but we've got solar panels, a battery, and lots of energy efficiency upgrades, and in January 2022 I signed up for a 2 year fixed deal so I was protected from the shocks of the Ukraine war yet the government thought I should receive £400 to reduce my costs.

As with my father's WFA that money went to the Trussell Trust but I am sure others weren't as generous as me.

OGH used to make a point of using his WFA to top up his Betfair account to point out the absurdity of it, sadly since the bank bailouts, everybody wants to get bailed out when things get bad.

As I predicted, mandatory WFH here we come.

If we're really lucky we might even get a de facto lockdown

Huge energy price rises pile pressure on British companies

Warning of businesses going under as cost of gas set to rise by as much as 80 per cent, while electricity bills to increase by up to 30 per cent

Businesses across the UK are facing “eye-watering” rises in their energy bills because of the conflict in the Middle East, analysis for The Times suggests.

Unlike households, companies are not insulated from volatility in gas and electricity prices, which have almost doubled since the Iran war began.

The problem is particularly acute for the thousands of companies that fix their annual price tariff at the start of the financial year in April and will face an immediate sharp rise in their bills.

Analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight found that as a result of the conflict, business users’ electricity bills would rise by up to 30 per cent, while the cost of gas could go up by as much as 80 per cent. This would mean that a business such as a larger retail and leisure site, on an average 12-month electricity contract, would have an annual bill of £578,000 — £95,000 more than early last month.

For gas, bills have risen by £376,000, reaching just over £1.02 million a year, an increase of nearly 60 per cent, based on the latest wholesale prices.

On Tuesday Wael Sawan, the chief executive of Shell, warned that Europe risked fuel shortages as soon as next month. At an industry conference in Houston, Texas, he said the global oil and gas supply squeeze had already forced parts of Asia to cut energy consumption and that the “ripple effect” threatened to spread west within days.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/huge-energy-price-rises-pile-pressure-on-british-companies-6w9m0j0xk

Forget the price and the bills that take up most of that story and focus on the end: shortages. If there is no petrol, the price doesn't matter.

The really bad news, as we saw after SMO inflation, is an upsurge in calls by misguided but influential pundits for tightening the money supply and higher interest rates to curb inflation. Idiots!

Presumably a lack of fuel will keep warships in port (and any other shipping too, of course).

Good morning, everyone.

As I predicted, mandatory WFH here we come.

If we're really lucky we might even get a de facto lockdown

Huge energy price rises pile pressure on British companies

Warning of businesses going under as cost of gas set to rise by as much as 80 per cent, while electricity bills to increase by up to 30 per cent

Businesses across the UK are facing “eye-watering” rises in their energy bills because of the conflict in the Middle East, analysis for The Times suggests.

Unlike households, companies are not insulated from volatility in gas and electricity prices, which have almost doubled since the Iran war began.

The problem is particularly acute for the thousands of companies that fix their annual price tariff at the start of the financial year in April and will face an immediate sharp rise in their bills.

Analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight found that as a result of the conflict, business users’ electricity bills would rise by up to 30 per cent, while the cost of gas could go up by as much as 80 per cent. This would mean that a business such as a larger retail and leisure site, on an average 12-month electricity contract, would have an annual bill of £578,000 — £95,000 more than early last month.

For gas, bills have risen by £376,000, reaching just over £1.02 million a year, an increase of nearly 60 per cent, based on the latest wholesale prices.

On Tuesday Wael Sawan, the chief executive of Shell, warned that Europe risked fuel shortages as soon as next month. At an industry conference in Houston, Texas, he said the global oil and gas supply squeeze had already forced parts of Asia to cut energy consumption and that the “ripple effect” threatened to spread west within days.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/huge-energy-price-rises-pile-pressure-on-british-companies-6w9m0j0xk

Forget the price and the bills that take up most of that story and focus on the end: shortages. If there is no petrol, the price doesn't matter.

The really bad news, as we saw after SMO inflation, is an upsurge in calls by misguided but influential pundits for tightening the money supply and higher interest rates to curb inflation. Idiots!

Thank you Trump and Bibi and fuck you too.

The phrase you want is “Fuck you very much, Trump
& Bibi”.