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heyPrices continue to surge with each speech and social media post by Iran war fighters (Writes The Frugalist, who has the reins this weekend).
But the overall price trend is Towards upwards. And that usually means increased financial pressure on energy-intensive businesses and the electricity grid.
Especially when you consider that strait of hormuz Liquefied natural gas (LNG) typically accounts for one-fifth of exports.
Think about 2022 – lng cited As a key solution to the challenge of reducing Russian gas imports.
Oh dear!
President Trump has praised UAE’s decision to leave OPEC this week. But while conflicts in Ukraine and Iran continue, gas and oil prices are unlikely to reverse whatever happens with the oil cartels.
Furthermore, we have long known that with rising global energy demand, limited supply and rising costs of extraction, fossil fuel prices are likely to rise.
Well, there can be relief sometimes. (More fracking, anyone?) But oil will never be cheap and plentiful again.
heat hurts
The situation is even worse if you rely on physical fuel delivery to heat your home.
The UK government can’t fix geopolitical issues, but at least it has expanded its boiler upgrade scheme. This will provide so far £9,000 in grants For homes that use heating oil or liquefied petroleum gas to switch to heat pumps. It is different from direct financing For the affected families that comes through the local authorities.
However, how many such homes will prove suitable to get the best benefits from a heat pump is an entirely different question.
Can solar energy save us?
I myself have looked at solar energy many times. Not because it’s an attractive alternative to investing in global ETFs, but because I like the principle of DIY-ing my own energy production. The savings on energy bills will justify the expense.
Now, the price of solar panels is falling. But installation cost is still a problem.
In fact when it comes to my own house, loft is so complex that I would spend several thousand pounds even before I could buy a single panel.
Germany has led the way With a cheaper and attractive alternative – plug-in solar, where the panels are plugged into an inverter and then directly into your mains. The generated electricity then flows to where it is needed without the need for electricians, dedicated circuits or formal announcements.
You are free to mount such panels on fences, shed roofs or even mount them on wooden frames. (I can expect my DIY skills and big bucket of nails to come in handy again!)
The media considers the question of whether plug-in solar is economically profitable Meaningful.
But other, more thorny issues still remain. such as whether the panels present a security risk – Especially considering that British electrics have quirks that other countries don’t have to worry about.
solar flares
I’ve seen some people decide to jump right in with plug-in solar even before government legalization. Many sellers report that their items are sold out.
This may prove premature. I hope home insurers will pay particular attention to fires with large claims, to see if unapproved inverters were plugged into the mains.
Furthermore, if plug-in solar is only an option for homeowners and not the rental sector, it will limit their beneficial impact. It will be difficult to strike a balance between making plug-in solar power safe, not exposing homeowners to liability, and enabling renters to install their own panels. I expect the government will still take some criticism for not doing it quickly or safely.
Admittedly, installing a few hundred watts of solar panels on hundreds of thousands – even millions – more homes won’t immediately get us off fossil fuels.
But even though it looks like it will take a few years for plug-in solar to pay off financially, as soon as the standards are approved and the safety aspects sorted out, I’ll be at the front of the supermarket queue for my kit.
Hopefully, some panels will be added in time for a summer barbecue.
On that note, I hope you have a great Saturday!
from monevator
Handbags at the beginning of the AI ​​​​era – Monevator
Cash Total Return: A Long-Term Index for DIY Investors – Monetator
From Archive-ator: Reasons to rent a home instead of buying it – Monetator
news
The Bank of England voted to keep the base rate at 3.75% – Mediator
Biggest fall in high street sales in more than 40 years… – this is money
…with outlet giant Claire’s closing 154 stores – this is money
Pension Scheme Bill moves forward with ‘Railways’ – pension age
Edinburgh Worldwide accepts defeat from Sabah Capital – city ​​am
British Airways owner to increase air fares due to fuel hike – this is money
BP’s profit more than doubled due to increase in oil prices due to Iran war – BBC
UAE left OPEC – sherwood
Savers still prefer their cash ISAs – Simon French through x
Products and Services
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NS&I’s new fixed-rate savings accounts pay up to 4.5% – MSE
Mortgage borrowers left in limbo as bank rates freeze – moneyfacts
Get up to £1,500 cashback when you transfer your cash and/or investments to Charles Stanley Direct via this affiliate link. Terms apply – Charles Stanley
What does life insurance really cost? Who
Middle East crisis: will your travel insurer cover you? – MSE
Get up to £200 cashback when you open an Interactive Investor SIPP. Terms and fees apply, Affiliate Links – Interactive Investor
Savings with eSIMS for foreign travel – Be smart with your cash
What’s happening to home prices? – Who
Grade II-listed houses in England, in pictures – Guardian
Comments and opinions
Banning payments for order flow is an EU mistake that the UK should not repeat – city ​​am
Why private equity is likely to be worse than private debt – blessing
Diversifying during periods of positive stock-bond correlation – 7 circles
Politics could push UK bond yields higher… – Eng
…Or has the gilt selloff already gone too far? – JP Morgan
Naughty corner: active activities
Are investors overvaluing Corning’s AI infrastructure business? – morningstar
Seagate’s value continues to rise – yahoo finance
Tech stocks suffer after report that OpenAI missed key targets – sherwood
Will emerging market leader Mark Mobius be vindicated? – morningstar
Prediction markets are rushing to ban insider trading – Luck
15 stocks giving highest returns in the last decade – morningstar
run with it mini-special
How the two-hour marathon barrier was broken – Conversation
Adidas shares rise in view of London Marathon sensation… – this is money
…although investors need to be wary of Chinese competitors – BBC
kindle book bargains
Antifragile By Nassim Taleb – £0.99 on Kindle
The Big Short By Michael Lewis – £0.99 on Kindle
art of statistics By David Spiegelhalter – £0.99 on Kindle
Not the end of the world By Hannah Ritchie – £0.99 on Kindle
Or choose one of the great investing classics of all time – Monevator Shop
environmental factors
Air pollution during pregnancy can harm children – Guardian
European sea temperatures reach highest levels ever recorded – Guardian
UK supermarkets to start selling plug-in solar panels… – Independent
…but legislation may be needed to ensure that tenants can benefit – i paper
Plug-in hybrid cars can be surprisingly expensive to drive – this is money
America is paying Europe for its half-baked electrification… – geo-economic
…although the UK breaks its solar power production record again – pv magazine
Robot Overlord Roundup
White House memo claims massive AI theft by Chinese companies… – BBC
…while China blocks Chinese AI firm Meta’s purchase – reuters
Microsoft’s GitHub moves to metered AI billing amid cost crisis – register
Can AI predict fund managers’ trading? – Any
Microsoft and OpenAI loosen ties – telescope
Changing AI vendors at scale isn’t easy – register
not at the dinner table
US charges former FBI director James Comey over an Instagram post – Guardian
King Charles’s subtle but powerful warning to America – cnn
How Peter Magyar defeated Viktor Orban – bulwark
Hungary’s business elite shuns defeated prime minister (paywall) – foot
Russian super boats leave Hormuz blockade – BBC
out of our heartbeat
Electronic warfare is causing confusion in the cockpit – cnn
Australian teens say social media bans aren’t working – Luck
What does the Zoological Society of London do? – Guardian
Gamers who lost money on Peter Molyneux’s last project – Ars Technica
Why low-frequency sound can explain haunted houses – science news
And finally…
“In most of our decisions, we are not betting against another person. Rather, we are betting against all the versions of our future that we are not choosing.”
– Annie Duke, thinking in bates
Note that this article contains affiliate links, such as from Amazon and interactive investors.
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