The true cost

[James Curry]

Well if the Gas & Electric companies were not owned by foreign interests and still nationalised industries that would not be the case I assume. EDF is 83.9% owned by the French government.

EDF Energy is a British integrated energy company, wholly owned by the French state owned EDF (Électricité de France), with operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of natural gas and electricity to homes and businesses throughout the United Kingdom.

[vic mcclymont]

You assume wrong. The interconnector flows both ways.
In normal times when it's peak demand in th UK electricity flows from the EU to the UK. and vice versa
As a number of French nuclear power stations are off line, the UK is helping to meet French power demands.
Its nothing to do with nationalisation or who owns what it's an arrangement that's been in place for a number of years.
The agreement was made with the French power companies and the UK national grid.

[happy daze john in oz]

Some years ago I read a report which showed that Germany was getting much of the power it needed from France.
France at that time had an abundance of nuclear energy above the nation's needs, not sure of the situation now.

Spain in a report yesterday said it would be willing to be the main gas supply for much of EU, we wait with baited breath.

But yes it is a global problem and to some extent Louis is correct, govs of all parties have at times sold off utilities to overseas owners, not just in UK, we have done it here in Oz.

But the biggest problem is the rush to renewable energy, such a major push that many nations are attempting to run before they can crawl.
Having renewable with no base load back up is one of the major problems causing energy shortages.

Here in Oz the power companies who know what they are talking about say one of the major problems is the current power grid.
It was not deigned to take power from renewable sources and needs to be upgraded.
Thye are doing the best they can for this but the gov is pushing renewables faster than the new grid can be put in place.

Attempting to supply all power from renewables will continue to cause problems for many countries.
Heer in Oz we are lucky in as much as we have some areas where sun light is always plentiful, but batteries will still be required.
One problem there, all batteries no matter what kind have a limited shelf life, so where to next?

[Julian Norman]

Here in Wales our Water Company (Dwr Cymru) is a not for profit company, no foreign shareholders and I assure you prices are no lower and discharges into the sea are just as bad.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

And the man who started this crises with the gas supply died yesterday. Gorbachove one time President and and destroyer of the Russian Federation died yesterday. Held responsible for the break up of Russia, the end result is now the war in the Ukraine, and through that the lack of supply of natural gas to Europe. My thoughts, when you see the people he communicated with, the likes of Thatcher and Ronald Regan, two of the most right wing people of the times|
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes Des, he was different from most in Russia.
But his legacy will live on, he did far more good than many.
Wonder how he would deal with the likes of Putin??

[Doc Vernon]

Good job you dont own or run a pub any longer in the UK John, possibly here too very soon.
Things as you have said not loking very pretty any longer there!
Good old London Town, where has it all gone !
\Cheers

Last orders: UK pubs brace for mass closures as energy costs soar

LONDON (Reuters) - Like thousands of pubs across Britain, the Red Lion and Sun fears financial ruin this winter as its energy costs surge, just as business was starting to recover from the fallow years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nestled in a leafy north London suburb, the pub's annual energy bill is on course to more than quadruple this year to 65,000 pounds ($76,000) from 16,000 pounds, said James Cuthbertson, a director of The Frisco Group, which manages the pub along with two others in the capital and southeast England. "We need to come up with an extra 50,000 pounds in profits each year, at the same time that profits are coming to a standstill as consumers see their own prices rise at home," he said. The Red Lion and Sun's dilemma is typical. Figures from energy analysts Cornwall Insight show that small UK businesses negotiating new energy contracts for the winter face on average a four- or five-fold price increase compared with deals made two years ago. Over the same period, British wholesale natural gas prices have risen 14-fold, including a doubling since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
For Cuthbertson and others in his position, the choice is between raising prices, cutting staff, reducing opening hours, or closing entirely. More than 400 British pubs closed down last year in the wake of pandemic lockdowns, according to a British real estate analysis company, and that number could rocket.
"It is extraordinarily difficult to see how good local community pubs are going to find their way through," said Emma McClarkin, chief executive officer of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
Almost two thirds of British hospitality businesses are currently in the red, according to research from the BBPA, the British Institute of Innkeeping, and UK Hospitality.

[Tony Taylor]

Good job you dont own or run a pub any longer in the UK John, possibly here too very soon.
Things as you have said not loking very pretty any longer there!
Good old London Town, where has it all gone !
\Cheers

Last orders: UK pubs brace for mass closures as energy costs soar


LONDON (Reuters) - Like thousands of pubs across Britain, the Red Lion and Sun fears financial ruin this winter as its energy costs surge, just as business was starting to recover from the fallow years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Almost two thirds of British hospitality businesses are currently in the red, according to research from the BBPA, the British Institute of Innkeeping, and UK Hospitality.

I went out for lunch on Sunday, first time for many years. I took an OAPs / kids lunch - roast beef, mash, roast spuds, Yorkshire pudding (huge), broccoli, carrots, cauliflower cheese, parsnip - £5.95. I struggled to eat it all, so was pleased I didn't order the standard size which my daughters had and was huge.
The landlady came to see if all was ok, but when I chatted with her she told me she was going to close on Monday - Thursday as costs were already skyrocketing and she could not maintain the business for much longer opening full time.

[James Curry]

You assume wrong. The interconnector flows both ways.
In normal times when it's peak demand in th UK electricity flows from the EU to the UK. and vice versa
As a number of French nuclear power stations are off line, the UK is helping to meet French power demands.
Its nothing to do with nationalisation or who owns what it's an arrangement that's been in place for a number of years.
The agreement was made with the French power companies and the UK national grid.

Since 2010, 26 plants have closed, representing roughly 20% of UK energy generation capacity. And by 2030, all but one of Britain’s 15 currently operational nuclear facilities are to be taken offline, equating to a 35% reduction in the country’s total power.

The discovery of widespread carbon segregation problems in critical nuclear plant components has crippled the French power industry—20 of the country’s 58 reactors are currently offline and under heavy scrutiny. France’s nuclear safety chairman said more anomalies “will likely be found,” as the extent of the contagion is still being uncovered.

Yet this government has contracted EDF to build the new Nuclear power station.

French state-owned EDF owns and runs the UK’s nuclear power fleet. It is also building the UK’s first new nuclear power station in a generation, Hinkley Point C in Somerset, with its minority Chinese partner CGN. Well that is great news, the French & Chinese are building the new Nuke plant.

You mentioned the interconnector runs both ways!!! it was not that many months back President Macron threatened to shut it down. All over the fishing rights around the UK waters.

What are you afraid off Vic everytime someone mentions Nationalisation you seem to be upset about it. There is no way a nations Utility companies should ever be in the hands of private companies and certainly not under the control of Foreign governments. Successive British governments have sold the country down the river.

[Jim R Christie]

Here in Wales our Water Company (Dwr Cymru) is a not for profit company, no foreign shareholders and I assure you prices are no lower and discharges into the sea are just as bad.

Here in Scotland water has been nationalised for 20 years after a brief period in privatised hands, the company (Scottish Water) is run as an arms-length not for profit company owned by the Scottish Government.
Scottish Water consistently outperforms the private water companies in England: water rates are cheaper than the rest of the UK and are part of our council tax (also cheaper than England), water quality is better, leakage rates and discharges to the sea are far superior to England.
An investigation in 2021 found that not a single one of England's rivers was in "good health" with regards water quality, whereas 67% of Scotland's rivers are.
Last year Scottish Water was also ranked as the number 1 UK water company.
It shows what can be done if the political will is there - a national asset run for the benefit of the people rather than the benefit of spivs and shareholders.