I’m trying not to think about it really, Susan, but I do think if more people are suffering and getting into debt from not being able to pay, surely they (the powers that be) will have to do something?!
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We need to start fracking again PDQ 
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Perhaps in the short term until we’ve sorted out other means and methods and become as close to non reliant as possible. I don’t like the idea of fracking because on the whole I’m never to keen on shaking things which shouldn’t be shooked. But I hate the idea of being beholden to foreign countries more.
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The POWERS that be have put all of their eggs into the Basket (Case) called Global Warming.
Which might wipe us out somewhere in the future.
Sadly, that has left us without enough Gas, or Electricity, to get us through right now!.
So there is every chance that many will not get through the next few Winters.
I have to wonder if there is “Someone Up There” and is he sending us clues (such as this new War) as to what might happen through our priority system?
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If someone is up there, he shouldn’t really faff about with clues so much, but just give us a hand down here to sort this out so we can all go back to living properly! 
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All this talk of increased energy prices because of global shortages is wrong imho. Just this morning I received an email from an American friend that contains an exposé on verified but untapped American oil reserves situation. Here is that exposé verbatim:
- U.S. OIL SUPPLY…
About 6 months ago, there was a news program on oil and one of The Forbes Bros. was the guest. The host said to Forbes, “I am going to ask you a direct question and I would like a direct answer; how much oil does the U.S. Have in the ground?” Forbes did not miss a beat, he said, “More than all the Middle East put Together.”
The U.S. Geological Service issued a report in April 2008 that only Scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man was it big. It was a revised report (hadn’t been updated since 1995) on how much oil was in this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota, western South Dakota, and Extreme eastern Montana.
The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign oil. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable (5 Billion barrels), at $107 a barrel, we’re looking at a resource base worth more than $5.3 trillion. "When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see their Jaws hit the floor.
They had no idea." says Terry Johnson, the Montana Legislature’s financial analyzer. “This sizable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field found in the past 56 years,” reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
It’s a formation known as the Williston Basin but is more commonly referred to as the ‘Bakken.’ It stretches from Northern Montana, through North Dakota and into Canada. For years, U.S. Oil exploration has been considered a dead end. Even the ‘Big Oil’ companies gave up searching for major oil wells decades ago.
However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up the Bakken’s Massive reserves, And, we now have access of up to 500 billion barrels. And because this is Light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels will cost Americans just $16 PER BARREL!!! That’s enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 2041 years Straight. And if THAT didn’t throw you on the floor, then this next one should - Because it’s from 2006 !!!
U.S. Oil Discovery - Largest Reserve in the World Stansberry Report Online - 4/20/2006. Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the Largest untapped oil reserve in the world. It is more than 2 TRILLION barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush Mandated its extraction. In many recent years of high oil prices none has been extracted. With this mother lode of oil why are we still fighting over off-shore drilling?
Here are the official estimates:
8 times as much oil as Saudi Arabia
18 times as much oil as Iraq
21 times as much oil as Kuwait
22 times as much oil as Iran
500 times as much oil as Yemen
And it’s all right there in the Western United States !!!
James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we’ve got more oil in this very compact area than the entire Middle East, more than 2 TRILLION barrels Untapped. That’s more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in the World today, reports The Denver Post.
This can be verified. Check it out at the link :
USGS Releases Oil and Gas Assessment for the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of Montana and North Dakota | U.S. Geological Survey
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It’s as obvious as our noses on our collective faces. The US of A will hang onto this huge oil reserve until much of the rest of the world’s oil has been depleted and then they’ll have the whip hand.
But oil and gas will run out in the not too distant future. The sun, wind, oceans won’t though which is why we ought to go absolutely hell for lether to get into it.
The sun can only generate electricity when it’s shining and none at all at night. Likewise, wind turbines only work when it’s windy enough but not too windy. Wave generation is developing as we post. There was a new type shown on TV a few days ago that I hadn’t seen before using what looked like a drum with a rubber skin on it. Then there’s the “sea snake” generator that Southampton Uni has been developing for the last 12-15yrs. But even ocean wave generators have their limitations because of the “dead water” periods when the tides change direction.
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The trouble is, in winter when we need power the most we get less sun. And less wind on occasion. The problem being is that we can’t store power, and if it’s generated and not used it is lost. Sure, lithium batteries will store power for the short term, but the amount we are talking is phenomenal. So until someone can come up with a good method of storing lots of energy, long term, wind, tide and solar are non starters really. If we could tap into the heat below the earths crust or active volcanoes, it would solve all of our problems forever. I also believe that a network of small power stations (say one or two in each county) Would be preferable to having a ‘National Grid’ where each station could be adjusted to suit the demand. With such a massive grid as we have now, it becomes difficult to forecast when and where the demand will come from. And remember, generate too much and it goes to earth and is wasted.
The recent storms generated record amounts of electricity recently…wonder what’ll happen to that? 
Too much of powerful wind = 
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblackburnnews.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F01%2Fbroken-wind-tower.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
That was just one of several downed by high winds.
sigh
Well that isn’t very efficient then is it? 
But the ones still standing, they worked to make the energy, so I would still like to know how that will be distributed amongst the nation…
that was in Wales on Michael Portillo’s rail trip.
It goes back to earth Pixie, you can only generate the amount of electricity being used, any surplus is lost. That’s why conventional power stations had to be started up in anticipation of the load. Here at Thorpe Marsh we had the biggest power station in Europe when it came on line. It had two jet engines to deliver electricity while the two main alternators were up to full speed. I think it took 12 hours to start.
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Blimey 
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I just found my Smart Meter Manual!
(embarrassed)
The Display unit is a “geo” and is supplied by British Gas.
It’s been on the kitchen window shelf, for years, and I just wandered by & glowered at it, from time to time.
Today, however, I have take my own advice, from way back, and have done a RTFM (Read The Manual) trial. (The manual was unopened, in the filing cabinet, for the last thousand years!)
I can now see how much Gas & Elec I’m using, at any time I look, and set tariff warnings & all sorts, to save money.
Wow, am I going to save some money now!!!
If I throw a switch, I can see how much that switching is costing!
Note :- this is not a marketing post for smart meters!
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I have been notified:
Your estimated annual cost
£1070.71 a year for electricity
£2081.20 a year for gas
Which is more than double my current cost … 
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Ah, yes, so it was. Thanks for the reminder, Melgal, I knew I’d seen it on TV recently.
Yikes! 
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Its horrifying isn’t it?