General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

UK gov could immediately relieve us of almost a quarter of our electricity costs!

This is because approx 23% of our leccy bills consists of levies.(ie a tax)

OK, this represents costs which would otherwise fall upon the taxpayer, but collecting the money in this way means that it is disproportionately paid by the less well off, who spend a much greater share of their income on fuel bills.

Some of these are historical costs, such as paying for a clean up of former nuclear power generation: that power which was "too cheap to meter" although even at the time, was the most expensive of our power generation options, and we are still adding to this bill! (In reality it was a hidden way of financing UK' nuclear weapons. Granted these have to be paid for, but there is a gross injustice in paying for them in this way: Government concealing its errors by keeping a cost off the books, methinks.)

Some of the excess are the so called green levies.

OK, you can make a case for these.

But, look more closely. eg A massive state subsidy to have Drax burn wood pellets rather than coal.

But, for each unit of power generated, Drax emits 10% more Carbon Dioxide from its wood-burn than it would from coal-burn. A carbon footprint only increased if you add the carbon cost of forestry, tree-felling, processing and transportation! These emissions are not counted. They are occurring not here, but in USA.

Once again, accountancy model to tick the right box, and suggest a target has been met in these respects, although IN REALITY, the result is greater greenhouse gas emissions! AND WE THE CUSTOMER PAY FOR IT!

No molecule of Carbon Dioxide is going to choose to behave differently on the grounds of being born here, or Stateside.

And the claim that the emissions due to wood fuel is offset by tree planting is fallacious! Sustainable forest labels are being attached to wood that will take from 20 to 80 years to regrow: even if it is replaced (much is not), how likely is it that such a status would be sustained over such a long period!

We are being taken for a ride!