Business energy costs in UK could rise sevenfold – Daily Express
Sat 6:06 am +01:00, 30 Jul 2022 3
Energy crisis to leave Britons following in Germany’s ‘striking’ example this winter
German cities have imposed cold showers in swimming pools and sports halls, and turned off lights on public monuments as part of the energy-saving measures taken by the German government to push back on Russia‘s decision to significantly reduce gas flows into the EU. Energy expert Robert Buckley from Cornwall Insight reacted to the German initiative and warned the UK is “in danger of running into this kind of [measures] voluntarily”. He explained the cost of the crisis that the UK is now facing will lead to businesses being unable to “afford to run” and warned “businesses might themselves decide not to heat swimming pools”.
Mr Buckley told BBC Radio 4 Today: “We’re in danger of running into this kind of [measures] voluntarily.
“There is also a cost of business crisis here, because of these energy cost increases.
“We will go into a period where energy prices for business may be five, six or seven times where they’ve been historically.
“What you’ll end up there is that businesses can’t afford to run.
“Businesses might themselves decide not to heat swimming pools or whatever.”
BBC Radio 4 Today host Mishal Husain asked Mr Buckley: “Parts of Germany, including Berlin, are taking some quite striking measures to try and conserve energy for example cold showers or not lighting up monuments at night.
“If we did that kind of thing, could we affect the prices we pay for energy in the winter?”
He responded: “I think at the margin it might make a difference.
“I think that the fact that the Germans are having this conversation is really constructive for them.
“It’s a conversation that actually we should be having more of over here”.
The comments came as cities in Germany have started switching off lights on public monuments and imposing cold showers on swimming pools and sport halls.
The initiatives are part of the energy-saving measures that the German government has taken in response to Russia’s decision to reduce gas exports into the EU.
Hanover, in northwest Germany, was the first city on Wednesday to impose the measures, including using cold water in showers and bathrooms in city-run buildings and leisure centres.
In Berlin lights on about 200 public monuments and buildings were turned off on Wednesday.
Berlin’s senator for the environment Bettina Jarasch said: “In the face of the war against Ukraine and Russia’s energy threat it is vital that we handle our energy as carefully as possible”.
The city of Munich also announced its intention to turn off lights on its town hall and have cold water at municipal buildings in response to the Russian energy threat.
Energy crisis to leave Britons following in Germany’s ‘striking’ example this winter (msn.com)
Cornwall Insight Limited, Registered office: Level 3 The Union Building, 51-59 Rose Lane, Norwich, Norfolk, England, NR1 1BY. Company registration No. 5379768.
Volker
Beckers
Chairman
Volker Beckers graduated from Cologne University in Economics/Business Administration. With more than 25 years’ senior experience within the energy industry, he has a comprehensive knowledge of European energy markets. His professional expertise spans across all sectors – private, public and academia.
Volker was Group CEO, RWE Npower plc until the end of 2012 and prior to this, its Group CFO from 2003 to 2009. He has worked in a variety of trade and industry bodies, including the CBI President’s Committee, on the Board of the German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce, and since 1999 as Deputy Chair of the Executive Commercial Management Committee at the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) and was also member of the Executive Committee of UKBCSE (now Energy UK). He held a number of non-executive directorships including HM Revenue & Customs where he chaired the Scrutiny Committee. Since 2009 he chairs the Business Energy Forum at Energy UK.
Volker’s current activities include:
Non-Executive Chairman, The Chemistry Group Ltd.
Non-Executive Chairman, Open Utility/Piclo Ltd.
Non-Executive Chairman, Cornwall Insight Ltd.
Chairman of PwC UK Advisory Council
Non-executive Director, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority at HMG Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Non-Executive Chairman, Albion Community Power
Non-Executive Chairman, Reactive Technologies Ltd.
Non-Executive Chairman, Foresight Metering (now Horizon Energy Infrastructure) Ltd.
Director and Honorary VP, British Institute of Energy Economics
Honorary VP, Energy and Utility Forum
Non-executive Director, Elexon Ltd (until 03/2019)
Vice-Chairman Member of the Board of Directors, Danske Commodities A/S (until 02/2019)
Volker currently sits on the Advisory Board of the EU Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS) at King’s College and is Chair of the Advisory Board with Erasmus Centre for Future Energy Business (ECFEB), a specialist research centre at Rotterdam School of Management. He was appointed Chairman of the Advisory Group of ewi – the Energy Institute of the University of Cologne in 2019.
In 2014 he joined the Board of Trustees of Forum for the Future. He is also a member of The Worshipful Company of Fuellers and a Fellow of the Energy Institute (FEI). Further, he works for a couple of charity organisations and funds his own family trust supporting charitable initiatives (German Heart Foundation etc).
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