Energy Prices

[Thurston Garden]

Is it currently rising though? America's demand has reduced due to increased pricing. As someone said somewhere else on the forum, it is unlikely that the world can convince China back onto bicycles, so we are on a loser even if America's consumption is reducing.

[jondy]

Yes, fuel prices are sure to rise. Today, $135 barrel of oil. Have you heard about thieves making off with domestic heating oil? Could this be finding its way into Lorry fuel tanks?

Passive solar looks interesting, glazed in porches etc., works from day one and not plugged into the mains. Time to sell cars that can not achieve 30mpg. Citroen c1 for example, I think they can get around 50 to 60mpg, tax £35? Good buy for around £6,000?
Times are changing but watch out for Green Tosh.

John

[Big Al]

Yes, fuel prices are sure to rise. Today, $135 barrel of oil. Have you heard about thieves making off with domestic heating oil? Could this be finding its way into Lorry fuel tanks?

Passive solar looks interesting, glazed in porches etc., works from day one and not plugged into the mains. Time to sell cars that can not achieve 30mpg. Citroen c1 for example, I think they can get around 50 to 60mpg, tax £35? Good buy for around £6,000?
Times are changing but watch out for Green Tosh.

John

So should i sell my 2.6ltr v6 17mpg vauxhall omega John, lol....

[ina]

Yes, fuel prices are sure to rise. Today, $135 barrel of oil.

On Wednesday (when I was at that energy conference) it was only $130. Mmmh. If it keeps going at that rate...

[jondy]

Yes, Big Al, If you drive more than a few thousand miles a year, sell it, who will buy it though? The new VED/road tax bands look a bit scary for newer larger cars. Older cars can escape, pre '73 is OK.
I heard a report on the radio today about a 'British Company' introducing a 100mpg hatchback. (I have not googled it up yet) It will be very light, lots of carbon fibre. In the early days of motoring cyclecars/lightweight vehicles were popular transport. I think we will see a return to very economical (by UK standards) practical transport. There is a man on the net. 'Rory Squib' I think, who has made his own 100mpg car, it's on youtube, worth a look. I have had thoughts of copying his idea.
Tata the firm that brought Jaguar etc. have a small lowcost car, its about £1300 in India it should return around 50 to 60mpg I would guess.
Exciting Times
John

[red]

I think we will also see more of a move to work from home, where it is practical.

[Big Al]

I think we will also see more of a move to work from home, where it is practical.

The thing is that working from home has been going for a while now but only in limited companies who see the benefits ... or trust their employees,lol but I think this year will be a seminal year for re thinking a whole host of practices such as work from home, renewable energy / micro generation ecological transport modes etc. For some exciting times ahead, for most a kick up the proverbial.

Jondy,

I drive around 15000 miles a year, this year is mainly round town...( blue badge spaka ) but last year we did an extra 5000 miles ish following pools but next season will be on the bus and sod the pain.

Actually I tried to walk down town today, 3/4 mile, it took me 2 hours and had to get a taxi back home at £3.95 in absolute abject pain and all my wife said was well i told you so and she is right but since when did men listen to reason and women??

[jondy]

Hi big Al, what is following pools? A football team? Sorry to hear about your struggles in walking longer distances. Keep up the walking with shorter distances. It may be better to ditch the car, your cab fares appear to be very cheap. The cost of tax insurance maintenance petrol and the rest will pay for a lot of cabs. A person I know moved to Brighton where parking was very expensive, when he could find a place to park. He is happier without a car now and say's if he needs one he can rent one. Not 100% sure about this but I think he mentioned £3 an hour to park in some places.

John

[Big Al]

Hi big Al, what is following pools? A football team? Sorry to hear about your struggles in walking longer distances. Keep up the walking with shorter distances. It may be better to ditch the car, your cab fares appear to be very cheap. The cost of tax insurance maintenance petrol and the rest will pay for a lot of cabs. A person I know moved to Brighton where parking was very expensive, when he could find a place to park. He is happier without a car now and say's if he needs one he can rent one. Not 100% sure about this but I think he mentioned £3 an hour to park in some places.

John

Sorry Jony, following pools is following Hartlepool United football Club.... Sadly we are all home and away true blue and white supporters...for our sins.

I truly think that the car will be going. Certainly within the next 18 months if not before this year is out. Taxi fares are wuite cheap in Hartlepool and some of the private hire cars are mercs, lexus's and beemers so quality is available. I don't usually fill the tank up full but I am going to this weekend just to see how much it will cost. When I bought it is 2002 it cost £35.40 to fill the tank up.... I guess now it will be £100 + ??

[CaundleMama]

CCrofter~you wrote this bit *When you consider the entire education system 4 the past 50 years in most of the western world has been training our children, including myself, how to procure their basic needs through capitalist means and interdependence and barely any of them have a clue how to grow a carrot we've got big problems folks.**

which I think is spot on.I have been realising more & more the way we are raising our kids is going to be damned useful to them in the future.My kids wont be wailing & bored & heartbroken because the shopping centre has closed down due to not being able to afford the energy for the lights & escalaters

We moved here one year ago,I filled the heatng oil 1000litres in August,it cost £336, we still have 1/4 tank left as our mighty woodburner kept ths cottage the warmest place,we spent Winter in bare feet & tee shirts so theres alot of scope to even redude wood usage if push comes to shove,now I had the annual boiler service on Monday & the chap said to fill up would be near £600 now

That has to be leaving alot of folks wondering what the heck they are going to,I know our neighbours used a full tank in less than 3months
jeeze some might even start to think I am cool

[Highland Hopeful]

I'm the one who said it won't rise!

I suspect we could be in a speculation bubble with oil, the steep rise is too much in a short space of time to be explained by China or India. People are buying it as an investment, just as they were in the housing bubble that just burst.

And bubbles always burst!

[contadino]

I suspect that speculation is playing a part, but IMHO the driving factor has been countries like Saudi Arabia saying that they won't increase production in order to preserve their wealth for future generations. Suddenly people seem to be catching on - oil is finite, and the 'easy to get to' stuff is running out.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

- oil is finite, and the 'easy to get to' stuff is running out.

The common currency within the oil industry itself is that the easy stuff HAS run out, which is part of the driver: production costs are far, far higher than they were even five years ago.

And there are a significant number within the industry (myself included, though I quit almost six years ago) who believe that the much-talked of peak has been passed (2005 is the most popular year for this), despite denials to the contrary, and that more then half of the globe's conventional oil has been burned.

But like I said before, that doesn't necessarily mean an endless price rise since high prices encourage alternatives.

[contadino]

But like I said before, that doesn't necessarily mean an endless price rise since high prices encourage alternatives.

Well if you look at the cost of manufacturing and retail of PV panels over the last 10 years, you'll see that a ratchet effect is at play. PV panels are priced according to the price of grid electricity, not based on their manufacturing costs plus a fixed margin. The margin has increased as the cost has decreased.

The trouble is that we're hooked on electricity like junkies hooked on drugs, so 'the dealers' can do what they like with the prices.

[Millymollymandy]

I'm the one who said it won't rise!

I suspect we could be in a speculation bubble with oil, the steep rise is too much in a short space of time to be explained by China or India. People are buying it as an investment, just as they were in the housing bubble that just burst.

And bubbles always burst!

hee hee I'm the one who said between 0 and 20%. Because good old EDF seems to be happy enough getting a load of money from its UK customers so it leaves us lot in France with nice low leccy bills.

Our leccy bill which includes hot water (2 tanks) is currently standing at €59 per month. So no I have no current plans to change to solar water heating.