Where will all the electricity come from for the digital switchover?
October 16, 2007 at 10:57 am
Ready or not here, it comes. Digital television is coming to a home cinema near you. By 2012 we will all have to make the switch from analogue to digital whether we like it or not. Already 77% of us here in the UK have digital television access, either in the form of satellite, cable or Freeview. But over the next 5 years the government will be rolling out the service for everyone.
It will come at an estimated cost of up to £6 billion. Over half of that figure is estimated to come from larger electricity bills. On top of the actual hardware required, such as the aerials and the set-top boxes, vast amounts of money will be required for the regulator Ofcom to provide over-riding control of the content. The cost is felt to be worth it for the government, however, and there is nothing any of us can do to stop the ball from rolling now.
The principle reason for the switchover is to improve the quality, reliability and access of broadcasting in the UK. Running both digital and analogue together, drastically reduces the former’s performance. The European Commission has set the 2012 cut-off date, but across the water, Holland is already up and running. The US will be fully digital in the next 2 years and Japan around 2011.
With the vast range of channels, the far superior picture quality and, in general, the more extensive access to new and improving services, digital is clearly the way forward. However, where is all the electrical power going to come from?
Although digital technology actually uses less energy to power its devices, the set-top boxes needed to make the switch, will amount to an estimated 0.37% rise in electrical consumption in the UK. This may not seem excessive, but consider the fact that something like a plasma screen TV uses up to 5 Watts more than a regular CRT television. This could then add a much more serious 5% onto the consumer’s electricity bills, say the business advisors at Deloitte.
More worries about the switchover come from the fact that many appliances such as television sets, DVD players and VHS players might need to be replaced in order to withstand the new digital technology. This is obviously not only at a cost to the consumer but also to the environment, as these appliances will have to be disposed of correctly and not simply dumped in a landfill site.
There is worry too that the additional devices, such as the set-top boxes, will forever remain on stand-by mode, especially by those who aren’t totally familiar with the devices. This could also result in a hefty amount of power usage. Whether we like it or not, in 5 years time, we’ll all be speaking digital. Let’s just hope the power stations have heard us coming.
Old light bulb to be a thing of the past come 2011
October 5, 2007 at 3:06 am
It seems there’s a black-out coming for our old friend the light-bulb and we might all be seeing the last of those 150 Watt bulbs that we have, making our homes look like Blackpool Tower. This month’s Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth wasn’t just about Gordon Brown wooing us all, but also about the issue of climate change and what Labour plans to impose on this worldwide issue.
One of the new ideas proposed by the Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, will be to phase out traditional high-wattage non-environmentally friendly light bulbs and try to force Brits into going for the eco-friendly bulbs. The plan is to liaise with the major UK retailers and persuade them to stop stocking the dated incandescent bulbs, such as those that reach heights of 150 Watts, and replace them with the energy-efficient models that last a great deal longer, are more reliable, and are hugely better for the environment.
Already B and Q, Homebase, Asda, IKEA, Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Tesco and Waitrose are nodding their heads at Benn’s proposal. The hope is to save the UK an estimated 1,000,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted each year over the next 5 years. Hilary Benn said in Bournemouth, “Britain can either lead the world in the low carbon transformation of our economy, in protecting our countryside and wildlife, and in renewing our cities, with new jobs in new environmental industries, or we can be left behind.” However, some groups here in the UK feel we are already being left way behind.
Greenpeace is not as happy as you might think about Benn’s bulb brainwave. In comparison to other countries, especially Australia, this incentive seems somewhat meek. Downunder they have made it mandatory by 2010 to sell nothing but low-energy light bulbs. A Greenpeace spokesman has been calling for an outright ban on the eco-unfriendly light bulbs. If this attitude was adopted in the UK it could mean we save up to 2 to 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
Energy efficiency campaign group Ban the Bulb is also slightly disappointed with the government’s somewhat weak stance on this. Their founder, Matt Prescott said they were, “…disappointed that the measures announced by Hilary Benn are purely voluntary and illustrative.” There was criticism too from the Tories, who wondered “How many ministers it takes to change a light bulb.” It seemed to be the only major new incentive from Defra at the conference.
It is a step in the right direction for the government and for the UK but it seems the dimness of the 40 Watt bulbs might be a valid metaphor for the stance taken by Labour in this area. For once, a brighter future might not be what is needed.
Warning over new no-escape deals
October 2, 2007 at 9:46 am
A gas and electricity supplier is under criticism after it was revealed that it provides deals that lock customers in for a year and prevent them from switching their supplier. The new deal comes as one of many, after gas and electricity regulator Ofgem abolished the right which all customers had, to switch operator within 28 days of joining.
The energy firm in question is a very small provider called Utilita which tempts customers with its seemingly great prices but then disallows them from switching over by making them commit to a one-year deal. This deal has been criticised by many as it seems to force an unacceptable level of loyalty from customers.
As Mark Todd, of switching advice website Energyhelpline.com explains, these kinds of deals are certainly worrying for consumers who could well end up paying over the odds. He says this is especially concerning as in the coming winter months, the prices on the energy market will be more volatile and many customers will want to switch supplier to save money. Such a move to impose long-term contracts may be taken on by other energy firms too, which ultimately means it is the consumers who lose out. Statistics show that nearly half of all gas and electricity customers in the UK have switched supplier at least once and so these deals may affect a huge number of consumers.
Utilita, which has only 5,000 customers has reacted to the complaints dismissively, saying that there is nothing to worry about and that the deal is entirely permissible. Indeed, a spokeswoman from the company says that the terms of the contract are completely transparent and no customer is being left in the dark. She also indicates that the prices offered by Utilita are “very competitive” and imposing this no-escape deal will not actually damage the market.
During the study, even British Gas was accused of lock-in deals. However, these accusations were swiftly rejected by the company. British Gas states that their only “one-year policy” is their current offer which gives customers a year’s free gas to the value of £800 when buying an energy efficient boiler. There is no-lock in because if the customer moves home or changes their supplier, they will be paid £305 as a one-off payment.
Ofgem believe that their decision to abolish the 28-day rule has been wholly fair. A spokesman from the regulator says that removing the rule will not cause fewer people to switch and it is not ultimately in suppliers’ interests to stop people from switching either. Only 6 million customers have been signed up for long-term deals and there haven’t been many problems reported as a result.
However reasonable or unreasonable deals may be from suppliers, all customers have been urged always to make sure they check the fine print when tempted by low-cost deals, especially the details of any lock-in provisions. The best thing to do is be fully aware and do your research when comparing prices, and that way you are less likely to be let down by your supplier.
