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« Cameron sceptical of CCS? | Main | The names you need to know »
Wednesday
Jun052013

Reactions to the Energy Bill debate

There are a couple of interesting reactions to yesterday's Energy Bill debate this morning. Christopher Booker in the Mail stands back and surveys the scene of devastation that the government was wrought:

Sadly, most people still have very little idea just how dangerously crackpot Britain’s energy policy has become, not least because so few people in positions of influence — MPs and journalists much among them — have been prepared to do enough homework to ask precisely the sort of searching questions which Mr Davey thinks we shouldn’t be allowed to ask.

Meanwhile, Richard North examines a little-noticed detail of the bill,

However, while [the threat of Yeo's amendment] was very publicly seen off, creeping under the radar is the concept of Negawatts, aimed at getting us to use less electricity.

This comprised a central part of Greg Barker's speech to the Commons, delivered shortly after the Yeo amendment was defeated by 290 votes to 267 (spool to about halfway down).

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Reader Comments (56)

Jun 5, 2013 at 5:10 PM | chris y

Can you really see any UK government successfully deploying ~25 million smart meters (or is it 50 million, one for gas, one for electricity) and the internet/wireless infrastructure to collect reports from these meters at 30 minute intervals?

I'm betting it will end up like all socialist wet dreams - too difficult to implement.

I have no objection to MPs trying out the smart meters first - connected, of course, to only windmills/solar PV power sources.

Jun 5, 2013 at 7:11 PM | Unregistered CommenterBilly Liar

Owen Paterson for President. Oops, well for something.
==================

Jun 5, 2013 at 9:07 PM | Unregistered Commenterkim

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I see 'Smart Meters' as an incredibly Orwellian device which could be used by rogue local authorities to wreak havoc on the lives of any householder unlucky enough to fall foul of them and having power supplies cut in midwinter for non-payment of school fees, or to have power cut for using 'too much' of it despite paying over the odds for the privilege to do so.
I know from sad experience that 'local authorities' anywhere in the world are not to be trusted with the levers of control.

Jun 5, 2013 at 11:22 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlexander K

Some interesting reactions here, clearly some things have slipped under the radar and perhaps this is a cause for concern.

Jul 16, 2013 at 4:16 PM | Unregistered CommenterPatent Attorney

Alexander K,

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I see 'Smart Meters' as an incredibly Orwellian device which could be used by rogue local authorities to wreak havoc on the lives of any householder unlucky enough to fall foul of them and having power supplies cut in midwinter for non-payment of school fees, or to have power cut for using 'too much' of it despite paying over the odds for the privilege to do so.
I know from sad experience that 'local authorities' anywhere in the world are not to be trusted with the levers of control.


=======

Well there's that much to it, they were certainly quick to apply anti-terrorism legislation creatively. Furthermore they are under no sort of democratic control.

I'm inclined to think back to the ID card/database debacle.

What did we have to fear most?

That it might work as per the scheme as sold to politicians and civil servants taken to a high place and offered the kingdoms of the world by software shysters. Probably the idiots couldn't see what they were doing, but it offered so much convenience under the guise of keeping us safe.

That it would be a cock-up, costing tens of billions, infinitely hackable and a liablility all the more dangerous because of the huge amount of misplaced faith placed in it.

When I read about STOR and smart meters I'm reminded of the song about the old woman who swallowed a fly. Set off on totally the wrong course and rather than fess up and stop it, apply all sorts of would be cures which are worse than the illness.

Jul 16, 2013 at 10:56 PM | Unregistered Commentercosmic

The only way to get politicians to listen is to at least threaten their re-election.

Roger Helmer is the Ukip energy spokesman.

The way to get rid of Davey, Barker, Huhne and the rest is to vote them out. The more people who vote for Ukip, the more our views will be listened to.

Jan 14, 2014 at 1:51 PM | Unregistered Commenterdave

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