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Dan Grey

@dangrey.bsky.social
1.6K followers 153 following 7K posts

Energy and transitioning from fossil fuels. Complex issues I try to shine a light on. Ex-UKAEA and Met Office, now working in community energy. Occasionally politics Exeter, UK

PostsRepliesMedia
Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 13h
Nope, GBE Grid is not that. In fact I can't figure out what it's meant to do at all. No start-up is going to be able to build new grid infrastructure (very complex technically, very high stakes); only the incumbent owners and engineering companies can, and they are short-staffed as it is 🤷
gov.uk
Great British Grid to speed up connections and cut bills
Families and businesses across the country will benefit from faster grid connections.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 16h
It does track. The vans only had empty plastic barrels in them, one of the vans has fake heating oil branding, and would you really release even proxies on bail if you suspect them of terrorism?
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 17h
I must say that if Great British Energy wants to spend £4 billion on distribution network capacity increases (instead of whoever wants to make money generating electricity or make money using electricity), crack on To be clear, you can always pay for a new power line, new transformer if you want it
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Tom Haddon @tomh-analyst.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Fun little fact: The difference between 2021 and 2026 demand, year to date, is equal to 70% of total European underground gas storage capacity. And people wonder why storage doesn't fill up to levels seen in previous years. You don't tend to store gas no one is going to use.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 21h
Don't @ me, but I'm about to link to the Daily Mail. Why?! Because their review of the new electric ID.Polo, now on sale, is the best I've read (and it sounds *such* a good car)
dailymail.com
VW ID.Polo driven: Its first EV to carry a legacy name we know so well
With half a century of heritage to uphold, can this small EV really capture the essence of one of the best-selling superminis in history? Daily Mail motoring editor Rob Hull finds out.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
From the several-months-old-news department, Devon is finally getting lamp post chargers. I really like lamp post chargers. Apart from the 😭 unit rates (I believe its currently 39p/kWh overnight), they seem to work pretty well on terraced streets.
devon.gov.uk
Thousands of EV chargers to be delivered across Devon and Torbay - News
Almost 3,000 publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging sockets will be installed in communities, car parks and on streets across Devon and Torbay
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
More empty promises from Andy Burnham, the same man who is "fully committed to net zero" while proposing to lower electric car targets in the middle of a fossil fuel crisis. Disappointing, but fully expected.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
My last 30 days on the Octopus Agile tariff have been fairly expensive at 20p/kWh, but today should bring that down as I'll be charging the car from 15% back up to 70%, all on negative-priced electricity
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Energy Stats UK @energystatsuk.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
New Video: Oil boiler vs heat pump, using the same 12,000 kWh of useful heat. At today’s prices: Oil 85%: £1,364 Gas 85%: £1,130 Heat pump SPF 3: £1,053 SPF 4: £790 The real comparison is the cost of useful heat, not the headline fuel price. youtu.be/SKgBTioDoUo
youtu.be
Heat Pump vs Oil Boiler: What 12,000 kWh of Heat Really Costs at £1 a Litre
YouTube video by Mick Wall (Energy Stats UK)
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Lauri Myllyvirta @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The solar panels, electric vehicles, EV batteries and wind turbines exported by China in 2025 will avoid annual emissions equal to those of the UK and Portugal combined, according to my new estimates. Avoided emissions increased 30% compared with 2024 exports.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A bold date given Germany's current high level of fossil fuel dependency and slow progress in decarbonisation. But if you don't aim high you'll hit low
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Andrew Sissons @acjsissons.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I think maybe an underrated reason for why everyone is so mad is that we’re all* driving massive cars at each other in spaces that don’t fit them several times a day
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Let's analyse this properly – it's all down to the weather. The first two charts below show window power for the last seven days for Germany on the left and Great Britain on the right. A nice, healthy level of power production for the most part
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Montel News: Italy's energy minister notices that gas and oil prices were now 2.5 times higher than six months ago, requiring "immediate action and targeted support for affected sectors." So a national roll-out of heat pumps, electric vehicles, wind power, solar power, and grid upgrades?
Italy will act alone on soaring energy costs if EU talks fail

"Enough with endless negotiations with Brussels, after six months of talks with no conclusion, we must also make national choices"

Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Energy Minister, Italy
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Jaap Burger @jaapburger.eu · 22/09/2026
"Rather than offering protection, policy must help carmakers to adjust to a new competitive environment. Because of climate and costs, the future is electric. Discussions on slowing the transition to EVs are an unhelpful distraction. [.] Regulatory unpredictability is itself a competitiveness cost."
bruegel.org
The European Union’s automotive sector needs a plan, not undue protection
European automotive policy should prioritise affordable competitiveness over protectionism, using resilience criteria and temporary safeguards
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Oh crap
Octopus Agile prices reach 97p per kWh tomorrow evening between 6.30 and 7pm
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
FYI over the weekend the Swedish election authority confirmed that the far-right lost the most votes in Sweden's general election, with the Green party and the Left gaining the most.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
There is something about the chief executives of European vehicle manufacturers that makes them look at the path to success and go "nah"
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
lol
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Fiona Harvey @fionaharvey.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Net zero is a description of scientific fact: if we do not meet that target, we are doomed to repeat summers much worse than that just gone, with all of the accompanying damage to food supplies and infrastructure. So why are our politicians so weak on the climate? www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Burning forests, emptying rivers, €180bn in damage: Europe’s politicians face reckoning after ‘summer of truth’
Amid record-shattering heatwaves and popular demand for climate action, why are politicians often timid or in denial?
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
BMW literally can't build its new iX3 electric car fast enough – its factory is now running 24/7 to try to keep up with demand
bmwblog.com
BMW iX3 Production Goes 24/7 As A Third Shift Is Added
BMW is running its Debrecen factory around the clock to boost iX3 production, adding a third shift as demand exceeds 100,000 orders.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Car manufacturers with electric vehicles in their range have an open goal right now. They could: *Only advertise electric cars *Only offer 0% on electrics *Offer free home chargers Instead they're quite happy to lobby a pliant government to water down the zero-emissions vehicle mandate.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The financial case for changing to an electric vehicle has never been more compelling
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Without fanfare (or press release) Great British Energy has finally made available funding for community renewable energy schemes. There are two sets of grants; one for local authorities partnering with community energy groups, and one for CEGs alone. The latter offers up to £3m capital funding!
gbe.gov.uk
Funding Opportunities | Great British Energy
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The energy price "cap" (it's not a cap) currently expected for January is around £2,100 – some 30% higher than the current level. I think it's worth talking about it so it's not such a shock when formally announced on 25 November. The rise will be entirely driven by the rising price of gas
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
So this 👇 was in response to the BBC's Simon Jack confidently proclaiming that the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields would be approved before Parliament rose for conference season. Parliament rose on Tuesday with no decisions announced
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Glen Peters @glenpeters.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
What might global fossil CO2 emissions do in 2026? Based on IEA estimates, fossil CO2 emissions could decline 0.5% in 2026. A big 2.4% drop in oil & small 0.5% drop in gas, is partially offset by a 1.2% increase in coal. All very uncertain! www.energiogklima.no/nyhet/hormuz...
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The statement from Macklemore, the artist who has been blocked from playing in large stadiums in the US, is worth a read www.instagram.com/p/DdRdsy0m2HK/
instagram.com
BEN on Instagram: "🇵🇸✨❤️"
7M likes, 274K comments - macklemore on September 14, 2026: "🇵🇸✨❤️".
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
HeatpumpMonitor .org is such a great resource! Did you know that the average year-round "coefficient of performance" – how many units of heat are delivered per unit of electricity used – is 3.9 for heat pumps north of 55°N (so probably in Scotland)?
heatpumpmonitor.org
HeatpumpMonitor.org - Heat Pump Performance Data
An open-source initiative to share and compare heat pump performance data. Join our community of heat pump owners sharing real-world performance data.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Power sector emissions in China fell in August compared to August last year
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Google Gemini still perfectly capable of making stuff up 🙄
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I hadn't noticed this before – on EDF's price cap predictions page there's a spreadsheet with forecast unit rates EDF reckon electricity ⚡ will be 32p/kWh from 1 January, while gas 🔥 will be 11p/kWh (!) 1. The price of electricity is decoupling from gas 2. Heat pumps much cheaper than gas heating
edfenergy.com
Price cap predictions
Take the mystery out of energy prices! Use EDF's gas and electricity prices forecast to know if you should be on a variable tariff, or switch to a fixed tariff.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Demand on the National Grid transmission network is forecast to be 2 GW (10%) higher this coming Saturday daytime compared to last Saturday, so we may not get negative prices (accessible through the Octopus Agile tariff) again
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Climate Change Committee @thecccuk.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
✈️ The Committee’s advice to the UK Government on proposed Heathrow Airport expansion is now live. 📄Read the full report: www.theccc.org.uk/publication/advice-to-the-uk-government-on-proposed-heathrow-airport-expansion/
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Climate Change Committee @thecccuk.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The only way expansion could be considered consistent with the UK's carbon budgets and Net Zero is if Government legislate policies that require the aviation industry to fully address its emissions by 2050. This must happen before the development consent order is granted.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Electric car sales are surging in Europe – and sales are led by European brands. In July the Skoda Elroq was the biggest seller, followed by the Volkswagen ID4 and the Renault 5 EVs made up 35% of sales in France (go France!) and 29% in Germany July UK EV sales were 28% of all cars sold
thenextweb.com
Europe's EV share hit 25% in July as sales jumped 51%
European EV registrations rose 51% in July to a 25% market share, while Chinese brands took 34% of a plug-in hybrid market tariffs do not yet cover.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Trump's attacks on Iran have increased the price of petrol in the US by over a third! Sadly that has yet to result in significant demand destruction
EIA.gov chart showing US gas price up from under $3 before March 2026 to around $4 now EIA.gov chart showing US gasoline consumption unchanged from a year ago for every month so far this year
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
On the left is @ruthcurtice.bsky.social, the chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, calling pensions rising with average wages "crazy", on the right is the Resolution Foundation calling for benefits to rise in line with averages wages, just like pensions. Not sure I follow...
The policy is "crazy," Ruth Curtice, the chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think tank, told the BBC.

The triple lock is creating a "ratchet effect" where "pensioners' living standards grow even faster than just a typical worker," she added.

"Pensioners have seen living standards grow three times more than typical workers over the last 20 years."The authors say that any plausible route to shared prosperity will therefore also need reform of the benefits system, directly connecting the level of working-age benefits to wage growth, just as Britain does for pensioners, and housing support to the actual level of rents.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Buckle up, fossil car drivers
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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Dan, the text if my response to Jonathan Ford on LinkedIn
Text by Richard Erskine
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
BBC Complaints have finally come back with a response to my complaint over the below. It's not nothing, but not satisfactory either, so it's off to "Stage 2", a complaint to the Editorial Complaints Unit. I've asked for a correction to be broadcast on a future edition of "Sunday with Kuenssberg"
Dear Mr Grey

Thanks for contacting us again about Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg which aired on 19 July. Please accept our apologies for the delay in replying.

We have discussed your ongoing concerns with the programme team regarding Laura's interview with Kemi Badenoch and, specifically, her stating that carbon emissions were increasing.

As you will be aware, Ms Badenoch was referring to information she said she had received from companies in Aberdeen that she had spoken to.

In hindsight, it could have been better for Laura to have challenged this assertion, particularly given that the figures in question are disputed. However, presenters cannot reasonably be expected to pick up on every statement made by a guest and we don't consider that audiences were misled, as this was clearly put forward as Ms Badenoch's view having spoken to those companies.

We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns and have ensured your feedback has been shared with senior management in BBC News.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
This will forever be my favourite climate protest
Didcot A's giant chimney with "Blair's legacy" painted on it by Greenpeace protestors
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Danny Fearns @dannyfearns.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Good morning Bluesky ☀️ This is one of the last coal powered sheep. The vast majority of UK sheep are now all electric ⚡️
Sheep grazing in fields, the one in the foreground with white smoke apparently coming out of its bottom
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Still thinking about this. How come the BBC producer, the editor, or the journalist himself did not simply google what Coutinho claimed? How is it too hard to type "beis electricity system costs" into a search bar and read THE FIRST result?
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I'm listening to a programme on Radio 4 called " Currently" about the cost of electricity, and it's getting *everything* wrong. I can't stop listening out of morbid curiosity, but it's so sad that the BBC produces such crap today
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
The solution to the problem of high heating oil prices is to take up the £9,000 government boiler upgrade scheme grant to replace oil boilers with heat pumps (noting that ALL properties can be efficiently by heat pumps). Does the BBC article mention that, even in passing? Of course not
bbc.co.uk
Rising oil prices create 'huge worry' as winter looms
The warning comes after the US-Iran conflict drives up heating oil and fuel costs.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I keep thinking of the opinion poll the other day which found that most Britons think the country is becoming a worse place to live
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Justin Mikulka @justinmikulka.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The fossil fuel industry taught us that when it comes to energy, low cost solutions win. They made that their whole marketing message. And they were right. But now they are the high cost solution.
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Dan Grey @dangrey.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Tbf, China can't do jet engines, but the UK can
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Seabird @seabirdreader.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
From @fionaharvey.bsky.social in @theguardian.com, how induction cooking is winning over professional chefs: quieter, cooler, less polluting, and easier to clean than a gas range. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
The chefs turning down the heat by switching from gas to electric
As well as being quieter, cheaper to run and easier to clean, induction cookers can cut kitchen temperatures by up to 10C
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