Energy Issues.
I keep reading about the high prices which the energy companies
charge to their customers within Britain.
This is related to the problem of Fuel Poverty.
At the same time there is a major debate about energy subsidies.
This goes hand in glove with the idea of giving tax breaks to
‘green energy’ and carbon capture projects.
The problem about this is that the nukiller industry getting in to
the act, and erroneously claiming that these power plants help to
halt climate change.
This is the kind of argument which George Monbiot has fallen for:
– despite the fact that the mining and transport of uranium contributes to climate change.
Yet take away all of these subsidies,
and what do you get?
The use of solar and windpower as the cheapest form of energy production.
Some Real Alternative To Energy Production.
Of course the real challenge is to cut down upon the use or
energy,
or better use just what energy we do produce.
This should be done in conjunction with a major push to introduce
better energy conservation measures throughout the UK and the world.
Rather than give tax breaks to the energy companies,
it would be much better to put the money in to energy saving
measures.
Just cutting VAT ( Value Added Tax ) on double glazing,
or sales tax as it known in the rest of the world,
might be a good starting point.
At present the Energy-saving materials in the UK are VAT rated as 5%.
All energy conservation products should become zero VAT rated !
At the same time a lot of the present problem of fuel poverty,
and pensioners being killed as a result of hypothermia,
could be alleviated by increasing the Winter Fuel Payment from
the present derisory level of just £200 a year.
Such measures would be cheaper for us all in both the long and
short term too.
In the long term all these measures might help to cut down our
taxes and other expenditures,
and increases the amount which is paid out in pensions.
Thus in turn it would alleviate the whole set of problems which come with fuel poverty.