THE FUEL COST CRISIS IN THE ISLE OF MAN
First,
let me say that the rapid escalation of prices is not just a crisis in
itself, but in combination with pension insufficiency becomes a double
crisis of unprecedented proportion.
The
chart below should clearly illustrate this. It shows at a
glance how fuel costs alone are now
rapidly eating up pensions. Taking the government's own
figures of 17.6% inflation for heating and lighting costs, and 2.7% for
the next pension increase, the chart shows how these values will grow
if both rates are sustained. Some thought was given to
choosing the typical low income values of £5,000 annual pension
and £1,000 annual fuel costs. However, whatever values are
chosen, the principle is the same, of a steeply rising cost curve
overtaking a slowly rising income curve. In this, case the
pension is completely extinguished by the rising fuel cost after 12
years.
The
curves start roughly parallel, showing that fuel cost increases just
about absorb pension increases. Later, the cost curve turns
steeply upwards to rapidly eat into the pension. With similarly
escalating
charges for water and rates, the
future looks very bleak for
all those on low incomes tied to the RPI.
The
IOM government seems oblivious of the situation. I have many
times
suggested that the state pension should include a "fuel cost
supplement" (like air fares), or that the costs should be subsidised,
or VAT removed. Pensioners that have moved here from the UK are
denied the "winter fuel allowance", which is non means tested and paid
to all pensioner households in the UK. Is this fair, when we
consider the higher cost of fuel? Emigrants to the subtropical
climate of Spain would still receive it. Where is the
justice? There may be minimal help for
those on income support, but what about those on the borderline for
this benefit? We just have to freeze.
Renewable
energy.
We
live on an island that is swept by winds and encircled by tides.
Had our government had some foresight in this, the present price crisis
may never have happened. I have previously written to the press
about it.
We
can store energy from wind or tide by
pumping water up a mountain. (I calculated that one ton of water
lifted by 1,200 feet would store one unit (KWH) of
electricity). I believe that with a little ingenuity, we could
reduce the cost of generation, eg, by using electrostatic rather than
electromagnetic machinery.
I
would need to know more about the tidal streams around the Island,
before making any detailed suggestions. However, the first things
that come to mind are a possible experimental scheme combined with th
the restoration of Ramsey Pier, or something at the Sound.
One
thing I must emphasise, is that any such scheme must be government or
community based and not left to private enterprise. Otherwise,
instead of cheap power for the Island, the price would be determined by
world markets and profit for shareholders.
Solid
Fuel Problems. (Ash disposal)
Many
households (like mine) will have reverted to installing solid fuel
stoves following the increased electricity charges. In assessing
the cost of this, has anyone thought of including the disposal of the
ashes at £100 a ton? Or can someone suggest any form of
recycling?
Other Suggestions.
Invite
ideas
Fuel
costs have become a major problem for the Island. May I suggest
the setting up of a public "think tank", open to ideas from
anyone, from young school age scientists to the elderly with daft ideas
like me. We might come up with something useful, and far more
cheaply than paying millions of pounds to "consultants".
Low energy railways.
The Island's railways are in use for only about half the year.
Could I suggest their use for experiments in Low Energy Transport
. By this I refer mainly to regenerative braking. That is
slowing the vehicle by letting its motor generate power which is fed
back into the supply. Could we benefit from
exporting the results?
The
heat pump to keep buildings warm. This is simply a
refrigerator in reverse. It takes heat from the cold air or
ground outside (making it colder), which it intensifies to warm the air
inside. It can deliver about three times the heat energy as
the electricity it consumes.
Combined
heat and power. Most of the energy produced at a
power
station is wasted as heat in the cooling towers and
chimneys.
Only about a third is turned into electricity. By using small
local generators burning oil or gas, the surplus energy could be used
for heating the building and for hot water.
Ambient
energy. Everything around us, even if it feels cold,
contains heat energy. The only exception would be at absolute
zero (minus 273 degrees centigrade). The heat pump goes part of
the way in using this energy, but imagine more effective ways. We
might for example have a device to produce electricity by just
turning cold. Or a vehicle using no fuel, but simply leaving
behind a trail of cold air. Does anyone remember a popular toy of
the fifties - the drinking ducks, Dippy and Dally? On a small
scale they worked on this principle, by taking heat from the
surrounding air to evaporate water from their beaks. We just
need to develop the idea further.
Wind
power to heat. Most people think first of producing
electricity from wind power. But heating is generally our most
expensive use of energy, and the greatest wind chill factor is
when we have the most wind. So why not convert wind power
directly
to heat? This could be by friction devices, or more effectively
by driving a heat pump. Heat energy
is easier to store than electricity, as shown by the use of
storage radiators.
For more
detail.
Some
years ago I wrote a paper on energy and global warming topics.
May I refer you to this. It can be found at:-