Will will shortly be launching a regular e-newsletter - if you would like to receive a copy please drop us a note at greeningchinnor@gmail.com
Friday 23 March 2012
Our first Annual Report
22/3/12 at our AGM we published our first Annual Report and accounts.
For a new, small group this shows that a great deal has been achieved and is already planned for the forthcoming year and we are in a good financial position to enable us to move forward with our plans. There was also an excellent presentation on the subject of the rising cost of energy, offering market background and advice for managing energy costs to householders. A copy of the presentation can be found on our energy page.
Will will shortly be launching a regular e-newsletter - if you would like to receive a copy please drop us a note at greeningchinnor@gmail.com
Will will shortly be launching a regular e-newsletter - if you would like to receive a copy please drop us a note at greeningchinnor@gmail.com
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Changes to Bucks CC recycling centres
Of interest to you if you use the "dump" at Bledlow Ridge to recycle and dispose of residual waste from Chinnor and Kingston Blount: http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/news/recycling_change.page
Main changes from 1st April will be later opening time (9am all year) and new "meet and greet" staff to help unload and ensure the maximum amount of material is recycled.
Main changes from 1st April will be later opening time (9am all year) and new "meet and greet" staff to help unload and ensure the maximum amount of material is recycled.
Friday 16 March 2012
Do the Big Six energy suppliers make huge profits?
Reading the press, and with numerous current campaigns and calls for independent enquiries one has to ask whether the Big Six energy suppliers are making reasonable profits. Fortunately, Ofgem undertake regular analysis to reverse engineer the published tariffs and arrive at an estimate of the suppliers' net margin. The projected annual combined fuel net margin for a typical dual-fuel customer for the forthcoming 12 months is £70, which based on an average annual bill of £1325 is about 5.2%, significantly lower than many other industries.
Of course, this is only part of the story. Since the large energy companies also generate electricity they can to some extent choose where they report profit by manipulating their internal transfer price. Accordingly, they can keep profits in their upstream generation business to keep sales margins low in the consumer retail end, and thus make it harder for new competition. However, this is no different to any other vertically integrated business, indeed it's pretty much the whole basis of doing big business. So is the accusation of excessive profiteering then one for all large businesses to answer....
The Ofgem report is helpful in providing long term trends and highlights the need to look behind the press headlines for more realistic numbers. For example, in November last year Channel 4 announced energy companies would be making £125 profit per customer per year, up from £15 in June. In reality neither number represents a sustainable business, but both make good headlines.
For the full Ofgem report click here
Some energy companies are taking efforts (with encouragement!) to be a little more transparent about their pricing. Whilst the press look at the headline numbers showing £millions or £bns in profit, these merely reflect the scale of the businesses involved, not the actual profit margin. E.ON has just released it's 2011 Accounts, revealing a 1.68% margin on domestic supply in the UK. In a market affected by rapid swings in energy policy and frequent changes to market incentives, margins that low make it a risky business to be in, and slick account management and customer services is essential for survival.
Of course, this is only part of the story. Since the large energy companies also generate electricity they can to some extent choose where they report profit by manipulating their internal transfer price. Accordingly, they can keep profits in their upstream generation business to keep sales margins low in the consumer retail end, and thus make it harder for new competition. However, this is no different to any other vertically integrated business, indeed it's pretty much the whole basis of doing big business. So is the accusation of excessive profiteering then one for all large businesses to answer....
The Ofgem report is helpful in providing long term trends and highlights the need to look behind the press headlines for more realistic numbers. For example, in November last year Channel 4 announced energy companies would be making £125 profit per customer per year, up from £15 in June. In reality neither number represents a sustainable business, but both make good headlines.
For the full Ofgem report click here
Some energy companies are taking efforts (with encouragement!) to be a little more transparent about their pricing. Whilst the press look at the headline numbers showing £millions or £bns in profit, these merely reflect the scale of the businesses involved, not the actual profit margin. E.ON has just released it's 2011 Accounts, revealing a 1.68% margin on domestic supply in the UK. In a market affected by rapid swings in energy policy and frequent changes to market incentives, margins that low make it a risky business to be in, and slick account management and customer services is essential for survival.
Thursday 15 March 2012
Next Swap Shop can take electrical items.
The next local swap shop in Chinnor is on 5th May (see Events page for details). Three members of the Greening Chinnor team received Portable Appliance Testing training on 29th February through our friends at CAG Oxfordshire. We also have access to the loan of PAT test equipment. This means that we will be supporting the local Friends of the Earth swap shop on 5th May to provide testing services to enable electrical equipment to be swapped and diverted from landfill.
It is important to note that PAT testing is NOT a test to demonstrate that the electrical product is in full working order. It is purely a test of electrical safety. Please do not bring along any electrical items that are not CE marked (generally produced before circa 1993) as these will not be passed. We also cannot deal with electric blankets or white goods including microwave ovens.
It is important to note that PAT testing is NOT a test to demonstrate that the electrical product is in full working order. It is purely a test of electrical safety. Please do not bring along any electrical items that are not CE marked (generally produced before circa 1993) as these will not be passed. We also cannot deal with electric blankets or white goods including microwave ovens.
Waste updates
Extra brown bin collections in SODC area next week and what exactly can you put in the green recycling bin?
Updates in the waste section here
Updates in the waste section here
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