Play the Game

1. Who are the big six?
a) Wind power, decentralised CHP plants (combined heat and power), hydro power, solar power, geothermal and energy efficiency measures
b) Simon Cowell’s latest sextuplet pop sensation
c) a monopoly of energy providers that are jealously guarding the UK’s energy markets for themselves: EDF, E.on, British Gas (Centrica), NPower, Scottish & Southern Energy, Scottish Power2. How many people in the UK die each year due to fuel poverty?
a)    300
b)   At least 2,700
c)    Only the ones who leave their windows open with the heating on3. Which of the big 6 energy companies put up their prices just before the cold weather set in?
a)    RWE Npower
b)   Eon, Scottish & Southern, British Gas (Centrica)
c)    Scottish Power, EDF, RWE Npower, Eon, Scottish & Southern, British Gas (Centrica)

4. How much did the big 6 energy companies put up their prices by in September 2011?
a)    5%
b)   18%
c)    10%

5. In September the big 6 on average increased prices by 17% (gas) 10% (elec), then in Jan they  reduced their prices by 3.2% gas, 1.8% electric – what is the change in price since last summer?
a) Increase of 20.2% gas and 11.8% electricity
b)  Increase of 18.8% gas and 8.2% electricity
c)  Increase of 13.3% gas and 8% electricity

6. Why have the  big six energy companies formed a gang?
a)  to stifle healthy competition
b)  to increase consumer’s prices
c)  to undermine climate laws

7. What percentage of UK households do the big six energy companies control?
a)    50%
b)   over 90%
c)    75%

8. What does EMR stand for?
a)    Electricity Market Reform
b)    Ealing Must Revolt
c)    Equitable Merger Rotation

9. What IS the Electricity Market Reform?
a)   an official bill that is supposed to protect the UK’s energy future and “deliver the best deal for British homes and businesses” that ministers are developing RIGHT NOW.
b)   a way that the Big Six energy companies and the government can ensure business as usual, bloat profits and ignore normal people’s energy needs
c)   a boring piece of legislation that is meaningless unless it breaks out the Big Six monopoly on energy provision and allows good energy providers a look in.

10. Roughly how many years will the Energy Market Reform bill shape our energy markets for?
a)    30
b)   3
c)    10

11. What percentage of households in the UK are in fuel poverty
a)    24%
b)   17%
c)    4%

12. How many working class households in the UK are in fuel poverty?
a) 23%
b) 36%
c) 14%

13. How many middle class households in the UK are in fuel poverty?
a) 5%
b) 10 %
c) 15%

14. How many houses in England are considered to be in fuel poverty?
a) 2 million households
b) Over 5 million households
c) Under 1 million households

15. Where does the gas burned in UK households come from?
a) Qatar, Norway, Netherlands, Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Yemen, Trinidad and Tobago and others
b) UK, France, Russia, Venezuela and Australia
c) Germany, Iraq and Russia

Answers:

1. c)

2. b) Source: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/funding-support/fuel-poverty/3226-fuel-poverty-review-interim-report.pdf

3. c) All of them.

4. b)

5. c)

6. All answers are correct.

7. b)

8. b), sorry! a)

9. All answers are correct.

10. a)

11. a)

12. b) Source: http://www.uswitch.com/news/utilities/decc-fuel-poverty-figures-out-of-date-says-uswitch-900000373/

13. c) Source: http://www.uswitch.com/news/utilities/decc-fuel-poverty-figures-out-of-date-says-uswitch-900000373/

14. b) Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/01/fuel-poverty-affects-quarter-households
http://www.uswitch.com/news/utilities/63-million-households-are-in-fuel-poverty-900000269/

15. a) Source: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/source/gas/gas.aspx