Di Alexander

Affordable housing-related community development has long been my thing, esp in Highlands & Islands, my home. Remain deeply concerned about fuel poverty too.

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@Fromk__ @wself Yeah, brilliant writing and all very well, but what's your view on the likely scoreline ?

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@BBCSteveR @Invernessbelle Utterly lovely.

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@Stratherrick365 @InvTouristBoard @HighlandHistory @HillbillyHighl1 Indoors in Dores? Indoors in Dores Inn perhaps ?

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@DavidsonMagnus FOUR times higher and 10 years ago it was 'only' 2X - talk about wrong direction of travel! When will OFGEM DO something ? We know how & it's called a Social Tariff for ALL of Ofgem's 'vulnerable' h/holds - including off-gas h/holds reliant on electric heat. Brrrr it's cold !

[Robin Hawkes @robhawkes]

It means the grid is constrained and we can't make use of those wind farms, so they have turned off (curtailed).

The bad news is that we pay to turn them off, and then we pay again (usually a lot more) to turn on gas power plants further south to replace that lost energy.

[Robin Hawkes @robhawkes]

Track today's wind curtailment costs here:

https://t.co/LctQeuMKOn

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@CommunityLandSc Brilliant news ! Well done, Colonsay, and everyone else who has helped her !

[Magnus Davidson @DavidsonMagnus]

Blowy day on the north coast with onshore wind generation being curtailed.

Caithness and north Sutherland produces around 1,300% of its electricity demand from large onshore wind.

Annual curtailed wind generation here would power 200% of the area’s domestic and industry needs.

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@DavidsonMagnus Highland & Island pensioners (I'm one) and OFF-GAS h'holds in particular are already disproportionately hit so if LabGov believe in properly targeted financial support where's the SOCIAL TARIFF for heaven's sake ? We need it now not sometime never.

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@DavidsonMagnus The issue being: EXTREME fuel poverty - ie where it would cost you more than 20% of your income to keep your home warm enough - is 3 times worse in remote rural areas than in the rest of Scotland. Where's the fairness in that ?

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@isleofeigg @MullandIonaCT Nice one, MICT - well done.

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@DavidsonMagnus @robmacgib Locational pricing fine but the pricing iniquity/inequity is fixable NOW and not who knows when and incompletely. A SOCIAL TARIFF for all vulnerable h/holds INCLUDING ALL OFF-GAS H/HOLDS, not least all those in the exploited H&I, is doable and affordable.

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@BBCr4today Hear! Hear!

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@michaelwhite Lego ?

[Martin Lewis @MartinSLewis]

Quite a few people saying to me 'Ofgem are in charge of standing charges, not the govt'. Yes and no. It is under the current regs as it is responsible for setting the price cap, and that sets most firms standing charges. Yet govt, via parliament is omnicompetent, it could eg

- Change Ofgem's remit
- Legislate on how price cap should work (it was govt that set up the fact their was a price cap, and that Ofgem should implement)
- At the extreme, scrap Ofgem and set up new regulator

So ultimately while in current regime Ofgem acts independently under the rules, govt can change the rules or change the regulator if it decided that was in the country's best interest.

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@andrew_thin @CroftingScot Genius name too !

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@sfha_hq This is a very confusing message. Mains gas costs 4 X LESS than electricity so the much-needed Social Tariff should focus on slashing the electricity price for all vulnerable h/holds INCLUDING all off-gas h/holds. The fossil fuel gas price is already low enough.

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@PiperJambo Very sad news. A good, good man who understood and stood up for neglected rural and island communities and long championed their need for the affordable housing they simply must have to be able to survive and prosper.

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@SP_LocalGov @CHTScotland Good work, Ronnie - a very serious message to Government but delivered very diplomatically. One for the new Administration to take to heart.

[Di Alexander @DiddlyayeDion]

@ruth_wishart A gobble