Putin's freeze-the-Germans strategy isn't looking so hot

[BeyondGeography]

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Lovie777]

1. Russia is burning tons of gas from their facilities prior to winter......

I'm pretty sure Russia is not the only place where Europe can get gas/oil.

[OnDoutside]

2. Hopefully this is true, and it will hurt the Russians even more by capping

gas price rises.

The over dependence was obvious even to me nearly a decade ago, but at least something is finally being done about it.

[Hortensis]

3. Well, for sure, it's forced European nations to rethink their degree of energy

dependence on a nation that operates outside international law and is using it for blackmail and as a weapon of war, and that's a very positive development.

Sure feel for all who will still need Russian LNG to get through this winter. Cold will be no fun, and neither will extremely expensive capitulation to blackmail.

Apparently one reason Germany was in a hard place, in spite of its wealth, was that it lacked the capacity to turn LNG into gas form again for use, or some such thing, starting to develop it now but wouldn't be ready this winter. This sounds like Germany at least is meeting the existential part of its emergency.

[moondust]

4. U.K. survey.

25% going without heat this winter.

Skyrocketing energy prices mean almost one in four adults in the UK will not switch on the heating at all this winter, according to a poll, with opposition MPs describing the findings as a “national scandal”.

The survey of more than 2,000 UK adults found 23% would do without heating over the winter months. That figure was even higher for parents with children under the age of 18, with 27% saying they would be forced to leave the radiators cold.

About 70% said they would turn their heating on less, while 11% said they were considering taking out a loan to cover extra costs. That figure rose to 17% for those with children.

The poll was conducted before the regulator Ofgem announced the energy price cap would increase by 80% from October. The decision will take the average gas and electricity bill from £1,971 to £3,549 a year.

~

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/29/almost-quarter-of-uk-plans-to-go-without-heating-this-winter-energy-price-cap

[Elessar Zappa]

5. Wow, 80% increase in cost?

Damn.