It’s the demise of the 60 watt light bulb, as from yesterday, 1^st September, there aren’t any more being made.  It’s quite a problem for some users as 100 watt is often too bright and the 40 watt is only suitable for a wall light or table lamp.

The 60 watt is a good light for reading by – when in a lampshade it casts a soft glow and is used everywhere.  That’s the argument on one side.  The other approach is – use the new energy saving bulbs – they are much better, last considerably longer and, tough, just get on with it!

You can see both sides of the argument, and on one side is the traditional approach where people don’t want change imposed on them.  The flip side of the same coin says that we’ve all got to move forward.  The energy bulbs do take a little longer before they glow, and they certainly don’t produce a gentle soft graduation of colour.

The main point though, before everyone falls asleep is, that if all we need to worry about is the end of a light bulb then the world is a much better place than previously thought.  There is a report that a shopkeeper has stockpiled 2,000-3,000 of the 60 watt bulb so that his customers will still be able to buy them.

Really, when this becomes a major news item, it’s very strange.  Doing everything possible to reduce energy usage is considerably more important.  This shopkeeper may also be wonderful at saving energy.  Everyone has their own foibles and the British people are loved for their eccentricities.  Perhaps this comes under that heading.

It is possibly past the time of being reasonable to those small businesses which aren’t doing anything to reduce their own energy consumption.  If businesses aren’t going to co-operate voluntarily some sanctions may need to be imposed.  Everyone loves a challenge.  Ask the large energy providers for encouragement.  Look to the local independent energy brokers for assistance.  Every business needs to receive a visit from their local broker and to take advice on how to reduce their costs.  If necessary, make it a competition amongst local businesses, with different groups according to the size of the business.

This is something which needs to be started with the schools and students need to discuss the benefits of reducing their carbon footprint, together with information regarding green technology at an early age.  Many senior schools and colleges have already started embracing the new technology – they have their own gardens producing vegetables, as well as flowers and one or two schools even have a smallholding attached.

The teenagers of today will help with passing the word to everyone.  Let’s get everyone talking about green technology and wanting to be involved.  Let’s move forward – with not a 60 watt bulb in sight!

It is said that if more than ten per cent of household income is spent on gas and electricity then that family is in fuel poverty.  This seems a little too easy to state, and it surely, is relative.  For a household with a net income of £1000 per month then ten per cent is £100 and then they will be in the fuel poverty bracket.

A study which has just been concluded says that currently six per cent of the income is being used on energy.  However if increases in gas and electricity continue in the same manner as present by 2015 a further twenty five per cent of households will be in fuel poverty.

Currently the average annual cost of energy for the home is around £1300.  However, we’re not all average, and the figures, although to a certain extent need to be estimated rather than actual, are perhaps, slightly contrived.

Our household comprises two adults – the children have fled the nest now – and have their own energy bills to worry about!  Our energy is paid by direct debit, which is probably the most efficient method of payment.  Currently we pay £130 per month for our dual-fuel bill.  This equates to £1,560 per year.  We don’t like the rooms to be over-warm – however, if the home feels cooler than we like the heating is switched on.  We don’t own a large property – a three bedroom semi.  Our one extravagance is the gas-fired Aga which we have running throughout the year.  This costs around £30 per month however it does warm the downstairs of the home slightly.  Removing that cost leaves £100 per month, which is about average.

What I’m trying to say, is before grumbling at the cost of the energy bills, if yours is higher than neighbours, there could be a good reason – ours is the Aga.  We feel that the benefits outweigh the cost implications.

Look slightly outside the box to see if there are other ways in which you may be able to reduce energy.  There are lots of ways to get help if you are struggling.  Remember if help is offered, accept it.  Should you not like their advice, well, you don’t need to take it, but it is worth consideration.

Back to the beginning and fuel poverty.  It is all relative at which level fuel poverty kicks in.  Families living in a large property and with energy bills of, say £1,000 per month – this is a cautious estimate – are they in fuel poverty if their income is £9,000 per month?  I would tend to say no, however we don’t know details of their expenditure.  Even if their mortgage payments are £3,000 each month, the residue should cover every other bill, surely!

Energy brokers may be the best people to have a conversation with, as they spend every day looking for the best prices for their customers.  See if they can help you – what have you to lose?

Eon Energy this morning dropped Maximum demand business electricity prices by, 1 Year: Decrease of 1.8%, 2 Year: Decrease of 1.5%, 3 Year: Decrease of 1.0%.

This is extremely good news for business customers and should start to filter down to non Maximum demand customers over the coming weeks. This fits in with Bluemark market commentary over the past couple of months, everybody else was saying prices will continue to rise, our analyst was adamant they will drop. Once again our analyst Les Simmons got it right.

Les also believes that this is the tip the iceberg and wholesale prices will start to tumble to early 2007 prices in the coming 6 month period. “The weakness of the Dollar and dropping world demand for oil will have a massive impact on prices” He stated.

Southern Electric charges one of our customer 30 pence per kWh!!!

An organisation contacted Bluemark recently about a massive increase in their electricity prices. The customer’s unit price per kWh was increased from 9.8 pence per kWh to a whopping 30 pence per kWh!

We are dealing with the issue for the customer and are trying to ascertain if this is an automatic renewal rate for 12 months for if this is Southern Electric’s “out of contract rate”. Either way it is a totally unjustifiable figure.  And in my opinion a complete rip off.

When are certain electricity suppliers going to start being playing fair and being ethical? There is no justification for a unit rate of 30 pence per kWh and if it is an “automatic renewal rate” it is absolutely disgusting.

We will be taking up this fight on behalf of this customer and we will get this disgusting unit rate reduced.

Yours Disgusted of Dorset