Gas Prices - Is Your Heating On Yet?

[malco]

where do you think you will get all that gas when North Sea gas runs out in about 10 years time ?

I know. IRAN . IRAN. IRAN. IRAN.

Russia is more likely. There's no gas pipeline to Iran, so we'd have to import it by ship, which is expensive (and potentially dangerous). There's an extensive nat gas pipeline network from Siberia throughout Western Europe. There is already a connector under the North Sea, although its capacity is limited. Russia has chasms and chasms of gas, something like 70% of the world's known reseerves are in Russia.

Some asked how many nuclear plants we'd need to generate Britain's electricity? Assuming you're taking about 1,500 MW plant (fairly typical large nuclear unit) we'd need about 40. They could probably all be built for maybe £120 billion if it was a standard design (possibly cheaper). It's not the worst option, although I accept there is a waste problem. It's just that power generation is always a) expensive and intrusive/undesirable in some way. Coal plant release Mercury and surprisingly large amounts of radioactivity (uranium and decay products in coal) and a lot of CO2. A mix of hydro, tidal barrage, offshore wind and nuclear would work. But a programme like that requires long term political commitment. The French managed that, I see no sign that we will.

[rockdoctor]

In the medium term the gas is likely to come from Norway. Plans are quite advanced to supply us from the Ormen Lange Dome field (>12 Tcf [trillion cubic feet]) and they are racing to complete all the installations because the Russians have vast amounts of gas (eg Shtokman field in the Barents Sea has 113 Tcf) which they are eager to sell to the west.

The UK has a very good gas distribution network (best in Europe?) so we are a very good market to connect into. In the short term we are facing shortages because the Southern North Sea fields are nearly empty.

In the medium-long term I've heard it suggested we may see prices falling quite sharply, once all the pipelines have been constructed.

Edited October 19, 2005 by rockdoctor

[Levy process]

here is another tip i discovered myself..

if you are baking potatoes and it takes an hour to cook them switch the oven off after half an hour and they continue to bake as the oven cools down,

you get twice as much energy for your buck.

this works with any food cooked in the oven.

it makes perfect sense as your oven continues togive out lots of heat after you switch it off which ie usually simply wasted.

I think I'll skip that and avoid food poisoning thanks.

[Neil D Possitt]

if you are baking potatoes and it takes an hour to cook them switch the oven off after half an hour and they continue to bake as the oven cools down,

you get twice as much energy for your buck.

this works with any food cooked in the oven.

it makes perfect sense as your oven continues togive out lots of heat after you switch it off which ie usually simply wasted.

In the summer, if your house is already too warm, yes this makes sense.

In the winter when you have the heating switched on anyway the extra heat produced by the oven isn't actually wasted at all. It helps to heat the house, which reduces the amount of energy used by the central heating. Switching the oven off earlier wont necessarily save any energy overall, its swings & roundabouts.

Edited October 19, 2005 by Neil D Possitt

[SarahBell]

and i thought i was cynical !!

I want to avoid the coming war with Iran I dont want it to happen.

how does flu kil you anyway ?

Symptoms in humans who get H5N1 range from fever, sore throat and cough to severe respiratory illness and organ failure in fatal cases.

From

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_..._flu/html/1.stm

Normal flu generally only kills the weak and infirm most of whom are elderly. (Pnemonia and other lung infections)

However:

FLU COMPLICATIONS

You can have flu complications if you get a bacterial infection, which can cause pneumonia in your weakened lungs. Pneumonia also can be caused by the flu virus itself.

Complications usually appear after you start feeling better. After a brief period of improvement, you may suddenly get symptoms.

High fever

Shaking chills

Chest pain with each breath

Coughing that produces thick, yellow-greenish-colored mucus

Pneumonia can be a very serious and sometimes life-threatening condition. If you have any of these symptoms, you should contact your health care provider immediately to get the appropriate treatment.

Flu complications in children and teenagers

Reye's syndrome (see link for more info)

Other complications of the flu that can affect children are

Convulsions caused by fever

Croup

Ear infections, such as otitis media

Newborn babies recently out of intensive care units are particularly vulnerable to suffering from flu complications.

From: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/flu.htm

It isn't just the deaths if people are ill with flu then systems might break down - food, energy, water, and then we'd be in trouble.

Might make war with iran look cheerful

[clv101]

Anyway about the heating bills . . . .

I wrote something on UK energy prices here: UK Energy Price Increases

The real issue is why prices are rising. I think prices are rising as a means of rationing a scarce resource. The price is only rising so as to reduce demand to match supply, we shouldn’t really be talking about our own expensive bills but rather the people/industries that are going to have to do without, what it means to the pensioner, single parent or manufacturer when they simply can't afford gas and have to do without.

[beerhunter]

In answer to the original question

"Gas Prices - Is Your Heating On Yet?"

No.. it's not cold... and I'm a $£^&$£ southerner

My thermometer says inside it's currently (at the time I post this) 22c... heating normally goes on (just a few hours early morning) about christmas for a month or two... the price I (don't) have to pay for having 11 foot high south facing windows in a 1 bed flat.. and in laymans terms... I live in an edwardian greenhouse ;o)

Edited October 21, 2005 by beerhunter

[beerhunter]

In the summer, if your house is already too warm, yes this makes sense.

In the winter when you have the heating switched on anyway the extra heat produced by the oven isn't actually wasted at all. It helps to heat the house, which reduces the amount of energy used by the central heating. Switching the oven off earlier wont necessarily save any energy overall, its swings & roundabouts.

I've always taken the view that it's better to oven cook something rather than have the central heating on.

Ok both generate heat but with cooking you also gain a meal, which also makes you feel warmer... I guess you could always cook bacon on the radiators

Me, I'd turn off the central heating (unless really really needed)... cook a good (non microwave) meal.. and put a jumper on or wrap up in a blanket... it's amazing how much heat the body generates (and 2 are even better ). Plus the body hasn't evolved to cope with central heating... so if your young and healthy, your probably better off without.

Edited October 21, 2005 by beerhunter

[Smurf1976]

The thing that is usually ignored about gas is that we're likely to need a lot MORE of it as a replacement for oil in the coming years. Gas presently supplies less energy worldwide than oil does so the potential for a major demand increase is certainly there.

It's quite possible that gas supplies will peak globally within 25 years or so. THEN what do we do with both oil and gas in decline? As I said before, it's not smart wasting them to generate electricity.