As part of a groundbreaking program to encourage people to reduce their energy use during peak hours, National Grid plans to give away more than ยฃ3 million to individuals and businesses.
Between 4.30 and 6 o’clock on Tuesday, the electrical system operator conducted its “demand flexibility service,” which encourages British families to use less power during a predetermined time.
To help ease the burden on the grid brought on by the cold weather, the service was first actually used for the first time on Monday between 5 and 6 o’clock.
Octopus Energy tested the program early last year, and it was finally implemented this week. In November, it was extended to additional suppliers. More than 1 million consumers and businesses have registered.
An average household saved roughly half a kilowatt hour during the testing, which will be worth about ยฃ2 on Tuesday and result in a cost to National Grid of ยฃ2 million. Participants will get those funds, with suppliers keeping a portion to pay their expenses.
For the service on Monday and Tuesday, National Grid anticipates paying suppliers little over ยฃ3 million in total, with roughly ยฃ850,000 on the first day and ยฃ2.1 million for the longer session on Tuesday.
According to Octopus, 400,000 clients took part in the session on Monday and received a reward of ยฃ3.37 for each kilowatt hour of electricity they didn’t use. Following rising tariffs from National Grid on Tuesday, Octopus will offer ยฃ4 per kilowatt hour.
To take part, consumers must have a smart meter and be registered for the program. Consumers must choose to participate after receiving around 24 hours’ notice from their supplier of a savings session.
As a cold snap tempts Britons who have been putting their heating off due to high energy costs to turn it on, National Grid is striving to strike a balance between supply and demand.
On Monday night, the grid operator announced that it had requested that three coal units that are currently on standby this winter warm up in preparation for possible operation on Tuesday.
The three unitsโat EDF’s West Burton plant in Nottinghamshire and Drax in North Yorkshireโwere also ready on Sunday to assist with Monday’s supplies before being stood down.
Nadhim Zahawi has not made an โinnocent errorโ in his tax affairs, the head of HM Revenue and Customs suggested, raising fresh questions about the cabinet ministerโs ยฃ1m fine.
The Tory chair claimed he had โacted properlyโ with his tax affairs and that officials had judged his error to have been โcareless and not deliberateโ.
โIf you take reasonable care but nevertheless make a mistake, whilst you will be liable for the tax and for interest โฆ you would not be liable for a penalty,โ Mr Harra told the public accounts select committee on Thursday.
โBut if your error was as a result of carelessness then legislation says a penalty can apply in those circumstances,โ he added, stressing that he was not talking about Mr Zahawiโs specific case.
Labourโs deputy leader Angela Rayner said: โNadhim Zahawiโs excuses are continuing to unravel.โ
The prime minister is said to be โlividโ at Mr Zahawi over the controversy, and a growing number of Tory MPs and peers are keen for Mr Zahawi to resign now โ rather than wait for the outcome of the No 10 ethics investigation.
Saying his position was โuntenableโ without a clear explanation, Mr Mills added: โHMRC thought he did something they really didnโt like. Penalties are serious, though there are degrees of seriousness. It comes down to him to explain it and clarify all this.โ
Ex-Tory chancellor Philip Hammond also criticised Mr Zahawi, saying he would not have accepted the job of chancellor in the summer if he had been involved in a โliveโ HMRC investigation โ first revealed by The Independent in July.
He told LBC: โI think somebody needs to take Rishi Sunak to one side and say, look, youโre trying to protect him, we sort of understand that. But be in no doubt that you are taking on a huge amount of damage with every minute that you keep him in that post.โ
Mr Zahawi has given HMRC his approval to speak to the investigation into his tax affairs, a source close to the Tory chair later said.
Trade minister Andrew Bowie โ a close Sunak ally โ had told the BBC that if Mr Zahawi is found to have โfallen foulโ by the ethics adviser, the PM will โof course sack himโ. A No 10 spokesperson said on Thursday that Mr Bowie had been โgiving his opinionโ rather than speaking for the PM.
Asked about the HMRC chiefโs remarks, Mr Sunak said he would โawait the findingsโ of the ethics probe.
Speaking at Chequers where he has been holding a cabinet awayday โ where he was joined by the Mr Zahawi โ Mr Sunak again insisted that the senior Toryโs tax affairs were not raised with him when he appointed him in October.
However, one source told The Guardian that No 10 was informed of Mr Zahawiโs penalty and tax settlement with HMRC prior to his appointment as Tory chair. Downing Street denied that this was the case.
Non-profit Environmental Impact CDP bases its A-rating on actions such as transparency in climate change response, completion of climate risk and vulnerability assessments, publishing of a climate action plan, and setting science-based climate targets.
The announcement comes as new borough-wide proposals outline how Wandsworth residents will collaborate to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.
In response to public pressure, the council has agreed to set a target of becoming a net-zero borough by 2043.
Successfully bid for ยฃ3.5 million from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to upgrade council buildings. LED lighting, building fabric upgrades, and solar PV will be installed in five recreation centers, five children’s centers, and six schools.
Improved energy efficiency and lower carbon emissions in council housing. It is investing in communal heating in new buildings and collaborating with residents to reduce energy consumption and bills.
It is also bidding for funds from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund for energy-efficiency measures such as insulation, double glazing, thermostatic controls, and other measures.
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Collaboration with schools was essential. Energy audits were performed at all schools to assess energy efficiency. The council will work with schools to improve building conditions and has established a Climate Change Network to provide additional assistance.
The Wandsworth Sustainability Partnership, which will be launched later this month, will bring together the public and private sectors, as well as voluntary organizations and community groups, to share best practices and collaborate to address the climate crisis.
Communications and engagement programs will also be expanded to reach more people, including efforts to assist people in managing the Cost of Living Crisis by reducing fuel consumption.
The council pension fund has been decarbonized. Renewable funds will receive up to ยฃ80 million in investment.
-Consented to the goal of having a net-zero borough by 2043. bid effectively on ยฃ3.5 from the public sector. -In council dwellings, there has been an improvement in energy efficiency and a decrease in carbon emissions. -Collaborated closely with schools. -Received input from the locals. -The council pension fund has been decarbonized.
“There is no denying the severity of the situation; thus, we must move faster and remain vigilant. The council will take all necessary steps to clean house and will function as a catalyst to engage the rest of the neighborhood in a genuine partnership that produces common objectives and moves toward achieving net zero by 2043.
It’s necessary to find out who is funding our politicians and to inquire as to why because without greater transparency, money runs the risk of inadvertently affecting our politics.
During this Parliament, wealthy individuals or corporations have donated more than ยฃ183 million to the British political system, directly into the bank accounts of political parties, all-party parliamentary groups, and the campaign funds and electoral districts of government ministers and MPs from all political parties.
Even though the UK is one of the least corrupt countries in the world, comprehension has been hampered for far too long by the way information about MPs’ outside income and who is ultimately supporting our politics is revealed.
Despite all the assurances of openness, it has been quite challenging to understand what is happening.
Records of financial transactions involving donors, corporations, and politicians are dispersed across numerous websites, platforms, registers, disclosures, and databasesโsome online, some in printโand frequently published in formats that make it difficult to compare or analyze them.
The chaos is deceptive; it hides things. Due to its seeming acceptance within Westminster over a long period of time, lobbying activities, paid access, and influence-peddling are harder to locate, trace, and more easily obscure than they should be.
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๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ซ Checking who is supporting and paying your MP as a voter shouldn’t be difficult or open to misunderstanding.
Money talks, and finding out who has any kind of financial connection to our leaders should be quick and easy.
Together with Tortoise Media, Sky News has created a searchable, interactive web tool to examine who is profiting from the UK political system’s money flow.
The Westminster Accounts will be publicly available to everyone via a website and app, and it offers new options for everyone to search by an MP’s name or a voter’s postcode, which are presently not feasible using Parliament’s own platforms.
Whose earnings during this Parliament have been the highest? Which funders support both parties and individual MPs? which businesses and individuals have contributed the most, and which MPs have benefited.
Greater transparency is urgently required. Westminster has recently felt bogged down in an endless discussion over lobbying and the impact of outside income.
The biggest individual donations to MPs across all political parties are now known to us by name.
For the remainder of this Parliament, we are dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Westminster Accounts.
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