Chapter 1: Watt's Wrong with Britain's Energy?

Welcome to Watt's Wrong?

Welcome to Watt's Wrong?, a comprehensive guide to understanding what's wrong with Britain's electricity and energy system. Whether you're new to energy policy or an expert in one area wanting to explore others, this book will give you the full picture of Britain's energy dysfunction.

What This Book Covers

This book systematically covers Britain's energy system problems across 20 chapters:

1. Introduction - Welcome and overview
2. Biomass - The biomass energy problem
3. Feed-in Tariffs and ROCs - Renewable energy subsidies
4. North-South and NIMBYs - Geographic and political opposition to energy infrastructure
5. Nuclear - Nuclear power policy and development
6. Regional Privatisation - Market fragmentation
7. Smart Meters - Digital infrastructure rollout
8. Electricity Levies - Hidden costs and taxes
9. Price Cap - Energy price regulation
10. EPCs - Energy Performance Certificates
11. RHI vs Bus - Renewable Heat Incentive comparison
12. CFD vs Marginal Pricing - Energy market mechanisms
13. Flexibility, Balancing and Storage - The grid's hidden challenges and balancing mechanisms
14. Exercise Duty and Road Pricing - Transport energy policy
15. Brexit Friction - EU exit impacts on energy
16. Interest Rates - Impact of interest rates on energy investment
17. Shale Gas - A Missed Opportunity - Economic benefits, environmental considerations, and political factors
18. Power Versus Other Sectors - Energy sector competition and policy priorities
19. Glossary - Commonly used acronyms

How to Use This Book

For Beginners

Start from the beginning and work through each chapter sequentially. Don't rush - take time to understand each concept before moving forward.

For Intermediate Users

You can skip ahead to chapters that cover topics you're less familiar with, but I recommend at least skimming the earlier chapters to ensure you have the complete foundation.

For Advanced Users

Use this book as a reference and focus on the advanced chapters. The earlier chapters can serve as a quick refresher when needed.

What You'll Need

To get the most out of this book, you'll need:

• Basic understanding of how electricity works (we'll explain the rest)
• Interest in policy and how government decisions affect daily life
• Curiosity about why Britain's energy system seems so dysfunctional
• Patience - we're going deep into some complex topics

Getting Help

If you encounter difficulties or have questions:

1. Check the chapter summary at the end of each chapter
2. Review the previous chapters - the answer might be there
3. Use the online version at [GitHub Pages link] for interactive reading
4. Contribute improvements by submitting pull requests to the repository

Ready to begin? Let's dive in!