Reducing energy usage

[Rjk]

Like many European nations the government are planning to launch a public information campaign to encourage people to use less energy. This seems like a sensible move, as the less energy everyone uses, the lower our bills and the price of energy will decrease. There will be less likelihood for power cuts in the winter and it reduces some of the leverage that Putin has over the west. I'm sure there are lots of things that we could be doing more for the common good that a little gentle reminding would help us out with.


edit - never mind, Liz Truss has scrapped it for ideological reasons.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: Reducing energy usage

Like many European nations the government are planning to launch a public information campaign to encourage people to use less energy. This seems like a sensible move, as the less energy everyone uses, the lower our bills and the price of energy will decrease. There will be less likelihood for power cuts in the winter and it reduces some of the leverage that Putin has over the west. I'm sure there are lots of things that we could be doing more for the common good that a little gentle reminding would help us out with.


edit - never mind, Liz Truss has scrapped it for ideological reasons.

Yeah 'ideological' like being lobbied by the industry to not get in the way of their taxpayer funded cash grab.

Complete disgrace and so transparent.

[Canton Kev]

Re: Reducing energy usage

They don't want to advise people to use less energy because "we're not a nanny state"
What a baffling stance to take.

[JamesWales]

Re: Reducing energy usage

I think a campaign on sensible ways to cut energy usage would be a good thing that they should do. But you absolutely know how it would have been spun by her opponents - as the govt discouraging people from heating their homes / pressuring the elderly into not using energy etc etc etc. Any elderly deaths would have been pinned back to that campaign. Thats how toxic the political climate is. They are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Someone will be wheeled out to say "the govt told me to use less energy and now I have damp walls", "The govt told me to ration energy and now my kids are in cold rooms" etc etc etc.

Charities etc are probably best placed to do this, and the vast majority of people will know that this is the winter to reduce energy use.

We are already seeing it with how people are spending their money.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11289363/Shoppers-feeling-pinch-save-energy-costs-winter.html

Like I said, I think we should be encouraging people to use less energy, but I think you will find that will happen organically without a formal government campaign

[Dorcus]

Re: Reducing energy usage

Fair play to this Government, it's very transparent. At least everyone can see it will remain utterly loyal to its friends to the end.

[JamesWales]

Re: Reducing energy usage

Fair play to this Government, it's very transparent. At least everyone can see it will remain utterly loyal to its friends to the end.

I'd bet my energy bill that if the govt had done this, you'd have been on here saying:

"Ha! typical of this bloody government. Won't go after their mates in the energy industry and put a windfall tax on them, but will ask Old Mrs Jones and desperate families to use less heating. Absolute scum!"

Or words to that effect..

[Dorcus]

Re: Reducing energy usage

I'd bet my energy bill that if the govt had done this, you'd have been on here saying:

"Ha! typical of this bloody government. Won't go after their mates in the energy industry and put a windfall tax on them, but will ask Old Mrs Jones and desperate families to use less heating. Absolute scum!"

Or words to that effect..

I bet you don't get an energy bill. Liz Truss pays it for you.

[JamesWales]

Re: Reducing energy usage

I bet you don't get an energy bill. Liz Truss pays it for you.

She doesn't pay all of it, which is reasonable given that she only stays at mine two nights a week

[Dorcus]

Re: Reducing energy usage

She doesn't pay all of it, which is reasonable given that she only stays at mine two nights a week

That's a fair point; I agree with you on this one.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: Reducing energy usage

I think a campaign on sensible ways to cut energy usage would be a good thing that they should do. But you absolutely know how it would have been spun by her opponents - as the govt discouraging people from heating their homes / pressuring the elderly into not using energy etc etc etc. Any elderly deaths would have been pinned back to that campaign. Thats how toxic the political climate is. They are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Someone will be wheeled out to say "the govt told me to use less energy and now I have damp walls", "The govt told me to ration energy and now my kids are in cold rooms" etc etc etc.

Charities etc are probably best placed to do this, and the vast majority of people will know that this is the winter to reduce energy use.

We are already seeing it with how people are spending their money.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11289363/Shoppers-feeling-pinch-save-energy-costs-winter.html

Like I said, I think we should be encouraging people to use less energy, but I think you will find that will happen organically without a formal government campaign

Polling has suggested that something like 25-40% of people think their bill is capped at £2500. Less incentive to organically reduce your bills if you don't think you are footing the bill. The cause of this is the bungled messaging around the cap from the government, they were more concerned with making the support package sound as good as possible than actually making sure people understand what the energy bill support does and how it works.

As for your first paragraph, if you mean the opposition wouldn't have supported the message then you are definitely wrong.

This is about taxpayers money going directly to energy companies. Every unit used unnecessarily will cost the future taxpayer. I think this is too important to just hope charities pick it up.

[Canton Kev]

Re: Reducing energy usage

I'd bet my energy bill that if the govt had done this, you'd have been on here saying:

"Ha! typical of this bloody government. Won't go after their mates in the energy industry and put a windfall tax on them, but will ask Old Mrs Jones and desperate families to use less heating. Absolute scum!"

Or words to that effect..

Why is that not a valid point?

The government spreading awareness of how to reduce energy costs shouldn't be rewarded with a "give them a clap, they've solved the problem". Regardless of the government advising people on energy usage or not, some people will voluntarily go cold or hungry or both this winter. Others won't have the choice.
Running an ad campaign shouldn't absolve them of criticism.

[Dave Blue]

Re: Reducing energy usage

£2500 is not exactly a free gift is it? I was paying a third of this a year ago.

[JamesWales]

Re: Reducing energy usage

Why is that not a valid point?

The government spreading awareness of how to reduce energy costs shouldn't be rewarded with a "give them a clap, they've solved the problem". Regardless of the government advising people on energy usage or not, some people will voluntarily go cold or hungry or both this winter. Others won't have the choice.
Running an ad campaign shouldn't absolve them of criticism.

It may or may not be a bad point - I just wrote it to suggest that whatever route they went down they would be criticised by some. Probably because in governance there are never perfect options

[JamesWales]

Re: Reducing energy usage

£2500 is not exactly a free gift is it? I was paying a third of this a year ago.

It's not, no, but it would have been a huge amount more with nothing. A lot of people will be paying less this winter than they have for years. Basic principle is it's heavily subsidised but the more you use, the more you will still pay

[Wales-Bales]

Re: Reducing energy usage

Like many European nations the government are planning to launch a public information campaign to encourage people to use less energy. This seems like a sensible move, as the less energy everyone uses, the lower our bills and the price of energy will decrease. There will be less likelihood for power cuts in the winter and it reduces some of the leverage that Putin has over the west. I'm sure there are lots of things that we could be doing more for the common good that a little gentle reminding would help us out with.

That sounds like coercion 101, and a worthy follow up to 15 days to flatten the curve. What's the end goal and how does it benefit you?