The most recent articles from Incisive Media

Brazil’s scientific output and impact has increased: Thomson Reuters

IWR News Desk — 2009-07-14T14:09:00.000Z

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 14:09:00

Thomson Reuters’ study documented Brazil's rise during the last two decades in both the volume and impact of its scientific work

Brazil’s scientific output has increased “dramatically” and the number of published research papers with at least one Brazil-based author increased from just over 3,000 in 1989 to more than 19,000 by 2007, according to a Thomson Reuters study.

To examine output across various scientific fields, Science Watch, the subscription newsletter, compared Brazil's share of Thomson Reuters-indexed papers during two time periods, 1994-1998 and 2004-2008. Thomson Reuters’ study documented Brazil's rise during the last two decades in both the volume and impact of its scientific work.

The study suggests that agricultural sciences led the pack with an increase of 3.2% between the 1994-1998 period and the 2004-2008 period. Plant and animal sciences ranked second with a 3% rise and pharmacology and toxicology rounded out the top three with a 1.7% increase. Science Watch also assessed the overall impact of Brazil's science by charting its combined citations-per-paper in all fields compared to the world average.

According to Science Watch, these findings underscore Brazil's standing among the emergent BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations possessing the resources and economic potential to capture a significant share of the world's future economic growth.

To assess Brazil's research, Science Watch turned to publication and citation statistics compiled in the Thomson Reuters National Science Indicators database.

"Since 1985, Brazil has achieved the highest overall impact average for any of the BRIC nations compared to the world average," said Christopher King, editor, Science Watch. "Although still registering below the overall world average for scientific impact, Brazil has been steadily rising towards parity since the late 1980s. It has moved from a score that was at 44% of the world average during the 1985-1989 time period to 63% of the world mark during 2004-2008."

“In recent years, however, Brazil's trajectory has been relatively flat, while both India and China are sharply rising in terms of impact."

Organisations failing to optimise enterprise apps

Phil Muncaster — 2009-07-14T14:03:00.000Z

Phil Muncaster, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 14:03:00

Analyst report says large projects leave IT systems under-utilised

Many organisations are still failing to maximise the value of large-scale enterprise application implementations, according to a new report by Butler Group released today.

The analyst firm's Evolving Enterprise Applications (PDF) report argues that large projects in areas such as enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and supply chain management are not well utilised because of the software's scope and complexity, the cost and difficulty of changing the systems, and the difficulty of knowing how to extract the most value.

Report author Angela Eager argued that companies need to focus on three key areas to address these challenges, the first being to maximise value.

This can be done by looking at extending the applications with additional functionality such as collaboration tools, or by modernising them by switching to a hosted infrastructure, or better aligning IT applications and business strategy.

"Organisations are still struggling to find a common language between IT and the business. IT is good at understanding functionality but not business processes, and business managers know what they need the app to do in their processes but not its functionality," said Eager.

"There needs to be a change in perception and a willingness to look beyond traditional boundaries and, as we move towards processes and service-oriented architecture [SOA], this will help."

Eager also advised firms to also look at maintenance management, and consolidating applications at an architecture and functionality level, along with investing in architectural change to improve agility, such as moving towards an SOA.

Chrome OS to bolster open source job market

Ian Williams — 2009-07-14T14:02:00.000Z

Ian Williams, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 14:02:00

Linux development will surge, says IT recruitment firm

Google's recently announced Chrome operating system is expected to cause a surge in demand for IT professionals with strong Linux skills, according to IT recruitment agency CV Screen.

Chrome OS is built on the open-source Linux kernel, and Google aims to make the browser the primary interface for the platform. Developers will therefore be needed to create or port current popular applications to work in the new environment.

The news should come as welcome relief to many, as the recession has hit the IT jobs market relatively hard.

CV Screen's job index shows that the number of IT jobs has dropped by over 55 per cent over the past 12 months, but that the number of Linux jobs has dropped by only 30 per cent over the same period.

Google said in a blog post soon after announcing Chrome OS, which is due in the middle of next year, that it is seeking developers to work on the project in locations including the US, Canada, Japan, Russia and Denmark.

"In what has been a tough marketplace, we have seen demand for open-source technologies such as PHP, Linux and MySQL hold up fairly well, and it is one area where we have been regularly placing candidates," said Matthew Iveson, director of CV Screen.

"We anticipate that the long-term impact will be an increased demand for IT professionals to support Linux-based systems. This is likely to mean that Linux professionals with qualifications such as LCP, LCE or RHCE will be much sought after by employers."

Lexus launches first "dedicated luxury hybrid"

Andrew Donoghue — 2009-07-14T13:41:00.000Z

Andrew Donoghue, BusinessGreen, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 13:41:00

New Lexus features hybrid technology, eco-plastics and "green" driving sat nav system

The words "green" and "luxury" have not always been comfortable bedfellows, but now Toyota is seeking to challenge the perception that high end products will always struggle to be environmentally friendly with the launch of what it claims is the world's first dedicated luxury hybrid.

Following up the success of its Prius hybrid model - which found favour with Hollywood A-listers who are never overly fond of roughing it - Toyota has decided to sprinkle some green fairy dust on its high-end Lexus brand.

Launched today in Japan, the HS 250H - with HS standing for "harmonious sedan " - features not only an energy efficient hybrid engine, but also liberal use of so-called eco-plastics made from organic material in its interior and a satellite navigation system designed to help drivers engage in greener motoring practices.

Other automakers have launched high-end hybrids - Mercedes recently launched a hybrid version of its popular S-Class - but Toyota claims it is the only company to create a hybrid-only luxury car range with the HS.

Although the HS has only been launched in Japan thus far, and will not be available in the US until September, Toyota has already begun the marketing drive in the states.

At a recent event to introduce the vehicle, US Lexus Group general manager Mark Templin was keen to spell out the progress that the car maker has made around hybrid technology. "Over the years Lexus has gone from question mark to benchmark-leading to a landmark series of hybrid vehicles like the one that we are debuting here today - the first ever dedicated luxury hybrid," he said.

According to Templin, more than 60 per cent of luxury car-buyers would have bought a hybrid model if one had been available on the market. He added that the HS 250H will be the most fuel efficient Lexus. "While EPA numbers haven't been finalised we expect it will offer the best MPG for any luxury car in the US - in fact its in-city MPG should be higher than the two passenger micro-car," said Templin.

Lexus also claims that up to 85 per cent of the HS model can be recycled, including the hybrid engine's batteries. "We have... made sure that the HS gives back," he said. "We have used plant-based eco-plastics in upholstery, luxury trim and trunk panels as well as foam and injected parts - in total 30 per cent of the interior and cargo area uses eco-plastics."

The HS also features a navigation system known as Harmonious Driving Navigator, which tracks how efficiently the vehicle is driven and even awards points to the greenest drivers that can be converted into charitable donations. "This system creates a fun way to encourage drivers to drive in an environmentally considerate way," Toyota said.

The launch came as Toyota's arch rival Honda this week revealed further details about plans to expand its own burgeoning hybrid line.

The company's newly appointed chief executive, Takanobu Ito, said that hybrid technology remains central to the company's long term plans, adding that it was preparing to launch a hybrid sports car, the CR-Z early next year. "I think everyone is going to go the way of hybrids," he said at a event in Japan.

KPMG scoops 30% more fees from BBC

Kevin Reed — 2009-07-14T13:17:00.000Z

Kevin Reed, Accountancy Age, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 13:17:00

KPMG brings in £2.6m in fees for work with the BBC in 2008/2009

BBC's auditors KPMG scooped an extra 30% in fees from the broadcaster in 2009, compared to a year earlier.

The firm charged the BBC a total of £2.6m in 2009 for its audit and other services, from £2m in 2008.

The audit fee for 2009 was £500,000, down from £600,000 a year earlier.

KPMG's fees for BBC subsidiaries audit, tax and corporate finance stayed roughly the same. However fees for 'all other services' increased to £1.1m from £500,000.

The valuation of the BBC's pension scheme shows a deficit of £139m compared to a surplus of £528m a year earlier.

'We remain committed to the defined benefit scheme and constantly review our approach to pension provision to effectively manage both cost and risk; however we also recognise that it must remain affordable to the license fee in the long-term,' said BBC CFO Zarin Patel in the broadcaster's financial overview.

Ex Abbey National FD, Hester, given tougher targets at RBS

Rachael Singh — 2009-07-14T13:15:00.000Z

Rachael Singh, Accountancy Age, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 13:15:00

Chief exec at Royal Bank of Scotland given tougher targets and may not be paid bonus for five years

Stephen Hester, the chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland has been given tougher performance targets in order to make his bonus as the incentive debate continues to come under scrutiny.

Next year, Hester will have to hit goals on profitability as well as other measures and not just RBS share price targets to achieve his bonus, the Financial Times reported.

Hester, a former Abbey National group finance director, will receive his £9.6m pay-out if he can double the share price of the bank to 70p in the next three years. The CEO has also opted to defer payment by a further two years resulting in a total of five years before receiving the bonus.

The news came as UK Financial Investments, the government body which manages the state owned 70% share in the bank, published its annual report this week.

UKFI wants the share price target that underlines incentive schemes to evolve into a less crude structure.

RBS has said it is reviewing its remuneration policies and would consult all parties including UKFI before the end of the year.

Hester joined Abbey National as group finance director in 2002 and has previously taken up capital market and corporate finance roles at Credit Suisse First Boston in 1982.

iPhone cases put to the test

2009-07-14T12:50:00.000Z

Computeractive, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 12:50:00

Anthony Dhanendran takes a look at two cases for the Apple smartphone

Today we’re looking at the a couple of cases for the iPhone 3G, made by a company called Qdos.

The Jet Shell is a rigid case that snaps into place over the phone and covers only the back and sides. It also covers the bottom and the top of the phone, but there are gaps in the appropriate places to allow you to speak into the microphone. There’s also a gap on the back to allow the camera’s lens to see out.

Although it’s finished in a nice rubber-like material which feels good and gives good grip, we were disappointed to find that after a couple of weeks’ use the rubber covering started to peel off at the sides, revealing the still-useful but uglier plastic shell beneath.

It’s an impressive case, though – it doesn’t add much to the bulk of the phone, and it’s sturdy enough to help the phone withstand a couple of knocks. Our main gripe with it was the screen protector it’s supplied with, which sticks on to the front of the phone. It’s described as mirrored, which is no joke – when the screen’s not lit, you can literally see your face in the screen protector.

In dark rooms it wasn’t a problem as we were able to turn the phone’s brightness up so we could see the screen, but that then affected the battery life. Under lights, or out in the street, even when it was cloudy, the mirrored screen made the phone almost impossible to use, and under direct sunlight it was impossible. We ended up peeling the screen protector off, leaving just the plastic shell case, which is perfectly adequate.

Then there’s the Jet Shell, which is a silicone skin – it doesn’t offer as much in the way of shock protection, but instead it fits around the iPhone like a glove. That’s the theory, anyway – in fact, the fit isn’t quite tight enough, with too much give meaning the case comes away from the phone too easily. It also attracted dust and fingerprints while we were using it, which made it a worse choice than the harder Shell case.

Both cases are £20 and bear in mind that they will only fit the iPhone 3G, not the slimmer iPod Touch or the fatter original iPhone.

GlassHouse offers boost for greener datacentres

Phil Muncaster — 2009-07-14T12:45:00.000Z

Phil Muncaster, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 12:45:00

New service could help firms save save money and energy

IT infrastructure and consulting firm GlassHouse Technologies has launched a new service designed to show companies how to make datacentres more energy efficient and cost effective.

The Energy Proficiency Impact Analysis (EPIA) is an extension of GlassHouse's total cost of ownership model, offering insights into inefficiencies and providing solutions which may help customers to meet green targets.

EPIA comprises two reports. The Green Proficiency Analysis recommends changes to the datacentre environment based on metrics established by The Green Grid, and allows managers to test changes before implementation, said GlassHouse.

The Cost Proficiency Analysis then shows a breakdown of the savings that can be made through these changes, and where the return on investment lies.

"We want to show people that they can save money and advance a social imperative," said GlassHouse chief executive Mark Shirman. "It's amazing how few people know about this stuff, and how few large organisations even know what they've got on the [datacentre] floor."

Avenir eyes comms channel growth

Doug Woodburn — 2009-07-14T12:43:00.000Z

Doug Woodburn, CRN, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 12:43:00

Orange and O2 distributor wants to be as big a player in fixed-line space as it is mobile

Mobile distributor Avenir Telecoms has hired a former Nortel head to spearhead its push into the fixed-line communications channel.

The Orange, O2 and Three partner has recently branched out into the IT/mobile convergence and mobile accessories markets.

It is now gunning for a slice of the comms market and has hired Ben Price from Nortel to head up the initiative as channel manager. He will oversee work across voice, data and IP/convergence projects while supporting and growing Avenir's dealer base.

Avenir's managing director, Andy Tow, said: “Ben brings with him a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm, which is perfectly matched against our ambitions to become as significant a player in the comms channel as we are in mobile.”

Price has worked in the networking and telecoms industry for over ten years, having also spent time at Telstra Europe and Weston Digital Technologies.

“In this time I've gained a variety of knowledge and skills through employment with market leaders, most recently working with Nortel,” he said.

“I assisted Nortel in successfully launching its SMB product range into British Telecom through its Local Business division.”

Yahoo sites stickier than Google's

Rosalie Marshall — 2009-07-14T12:26:00.000Z

Rosalie Marshall, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 12:26:00

Surfers spend more time on Yahoo, despite Google's huge lead in unique visits

Web users spend more time visiting Yahoo sites than they do Google sites, according to a new report from Nielson Online.

Although Google has over 21 million more unique visits than Yahoo, people spend 45 minutes more per month on Yahoo sites than Google sites.

The statistics, covering US internet usage, will come as good news to Yahoo chief executive Carol Bartz, who has been constantly quizzed on why Yahoo has not been performing as well as its biggest competitor.

Bartz was also asked at the company's recent annual shareholder meeting why the average Yahoo employee generates half as much revenue as the average Google employee.

The Nielson research showed that web users spend the most time with Facebook, at an average of four and a half hours a month. Yahoo is in second place, followed by AOL, Google and Microsoft.

Firms seek protection of outsourcing heavyweights

Gareth Morgan — 2009-07-14T12:14:00.000Z

Gareth Morgan, Computing, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 12:14:00

Downturn sees companies turn to the big players - which spells trouble for smaller and niche IT services firms, says research

UK firms are turning to the heavyweights of the outsourcing industry during the current recession and spurning smaller niche suppliers, according to research.

In a new report, analyst Ovum says the 10 largest outsourcing suppliers in the UK boosted their total contract value by 31 per cent in the first six months of 2009.

"Demand is holding up well as outsourcing becomes a top priority for many users grappling with the impact of recession," said John O'Brien, senior analyst at Ovum.

O'Brien highlighted big deals from companies such as Virgin Atlantic, Carphone Warehouse and Northern Rock as proof of the robust demand for outsourcing services.

Ovum's report suggests providers that can offer new technologies such as virtualisation and cloud computing, along with other innovations geared at reducing operational costs, will win most business. And to do that requires deep pockets.

"Without a clear understanding of, and a strategic response to, the challenges faced, this has the potential to spell the end for the second and third tier UK IT outsourcing market," the report says.

Weekly CDM and VER market summary - 6-12 July 2009

MF Global Staff — 2009-07-14T12:09:00.000Z

MF Global Staff, BusinessGreen, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 12:09:00

Delay to Waxman-Markey fails to quell bullish carbon market

VER trading activity for pre-CDM credits slowed last week while the market for US-originated credits continued to build. The proposed delays to the legislative passage of the Waxman-Markey bill did nothing to abate interest for Climate Action Reserve "carrots" with a lack of projects pushing-up demand for future vintages in anticipation of being eligible for future compliance purposes.

Prices of OTC CRTs remains at $7-8 for projects in early development and closer to $9 for those nearing registration; there is a $1 premium increment along the curve, with pricing in contango. US VCS offsets are holding at around $5. Trading of CAR CRTs on CCFE remained stagnant with no volumes recorded during the week, maintaining the Dec 2009/18 year strip at $5.64.

Despite a quieter week, demand continues to focus on recent vintage, issued RE VCUs from SE Asia, South America and Africa at $4.50 levels. Standard non RE pre-CDM projects from China, India and Turkey are trading lower, at around $3/3.50. Gold Standard bid interest is preferring non-typical locations like Africa. Small clips of such projects early in the life cycle are being priced at €7–10 compared with €8-9 for issued credits from China and India.

The CCX CFI Dec 2009 contract closed down $0.30 returning to record lows of $0.60 from $0.90 the previous week. A considerable 2,231,900 tonnes traded over the week, mainly in the newer 2006-09 vintages and with 1.4 million tonnes exchanged alone on Thursday.

The Dec 09 secondary CER contract closed the week up around €0.13 at €12.08 corresponding to strong German power prices. Market optimism following government carbon reduction commitments led to oversubscription in the UK EUA auction contributing to a widening of the EUA–CER spread.

US climate bill faces delays

US climate bill amendments have been delayed until September by the Senate committee. Environment committee chairwoman, Barbara Boxer had hoped to speed passage of the Climate Act after the House of Representatives approved the bill last month.

However drafting, debate and voting on the legislation will be delayed after Senate majority leader Harry Reid extended deadlines to 28 September for various committees to complete sections of the bill. President Obama had called for legislation to be passed in time for UN negotiations in Copenhagen in December but timescales will now be difficult to achieve.

Aviation carbon reporting deadlines pushed back

EU aviation reporting deadlines scheduled to begin 31 August have been delayed due to disputes over the allocation of airlines to member states.

In excess of 2,700 carriers are due to be regulated once aviation joins cap and trade in 2012 with airlines required to meet the August 2009 deadline to report plans for calculating emissions based on passenger numbers, flights and operations.

However, confusion over which member states are to regulate which airlines has caused delays.

The financial repercussions for aviation are wide ranging with failure to comply resulting in the removal of free allowances amounting to 97 per cent of the 2012 cap and 95 per cent from 2013 onwards. Only airlines with fewer than 243 flights every four months or those that emit less than 10,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum are ineligible for inclusion in the scheme.

All qualifying airlines flying in and out of Europe must begin monitoring emissions from 2010. The economic downturn has crippled the airline industry with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) citing global losses of $10.4 billion in 2008.

US Climate Action Reserve heads to Mexico

The California-based US Climate Action Reserve has expanded into the international offset market by adopting two new protocols for Mexican landfill and agricultural methane projects.

The measure early last week clears the path for the introduction of international credits into the US market, providing that non-domestic credits pass the "big 5 test: real, permanent, additional, verifiable and enforceable". Mexico is a preferred host country for carbon in North America. Future Mexican reforestation protocols are being explored as well as frameworks for Canadian projects.

Oz bans bottled water

A small town in rural New South Wales, Australia has become the first to ban bottled water in order to reduce landfill waste and energy used to extract, bottle and transport the water.

VER Statistics

APX GS Registry: 108 (+2) Projects Listed

APX VCS: 36 (+0) Projects with Issued VCUs

CCX CFI weekly volume: 2,231,900Mt (+1,915,300Mt)

Climate Action Reserve: 45 Projects Listed (9 Issued)

TZ1 VER Registry: 41 VCS (+0) Public View Projects

Source: APX; CCX; CAR; TZ1

CDM Statistics

Total Issued CERs: 310.9Mt Issuances: 1,161

Total CERs Requested: 2.76Mt Host countries: 55

Registered Projects: 1,718 Requests: 47

Source: UNFCCC

This report was provided by MF Global, a leading broker in exchange-traded futures and options

For more details on the company's carbon market activities contact Gareth Turner at gturner@mfglobal.com

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O2 users to get free Twitter text updates

Ian Williams — 2009-07-14T11:59:00.000Z

Ian Williams, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 11:59:00

Companies expected to use the new service to keep track of their brand

Mobile operator O2 has inked a deal with Twitter to give subscribers free text updates from the micro-blogging site.

The agreement allows O2 users to receive an SMS notification from Twitter when they are mentioned, or when they receive direct messages or when tweets are published by chosen friends.

"We believe that mobile will soon become the most popular way of accessing social networking sites, giving real-time access to tweets and status updates wherever you are," said Antony Douglas, head of content at O2.

"The agreements we now have in place with Twitter and the other key sites brings this a step closer, making it quick and easy for O2 customers to access their favourite social networks straight from their mobile."

The news could be particularly useful for companies using the micro-blogging service to keep track of their brand. However, O2 has warned that the free notification service is subject to an excessive use policy, and subscribers will be asked to moderate their use of the service if they exceed 600 messages per month.

Users can already send tweets by text, and will now have the option of replying by text. These messages are deducted from the subscriber's allocated SMS bundle or charged at the standard network rate.

O2 has existing agreements with Facebook and Bebo, and is developing a framework for the services to be rolled to other operations around the world via its Telefónica parent company.

Comsec launches code checking service

Phil Muncaster — 2009-07-14T11:56:00.000Z

Phil Muncaster, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 11:56:00

Codefend could save money by catching security problems early on

Security firm Comsec Consulting today launched a new on-demand code review service designed to improve the security of developers' code.

Codefend allows developers to send non-compiled code to Comsec, where it is analysed for security vulnerabilities and threats by automated code analysis tools as well as human experts.

The service could reduce code rewrite costs by as much as half, according to the firm, and, being an outsourced service, is more cost efficient than purchasing in-house tools.

Codefend is able to find common vulnerabilities as detailed by the Open Web Application Security Project Top 10 and the Sans Top 25, as well as more complex vulnerabilities such as filter evasions, injections and race conditions.

The human analysis, meanwhile, can remove false positives and detect business logic flaws, according to the firm.

Stuart Okin, UK managing director at Comsec, argued that commercial pressures to release software as soon as possible often mean that security is overlooked in the development process.

"In the security profession we have been saying this for years," he said. " Don't get me wrong: firewalls and anti-virus are important but, if you have a code vulnerability such as a filter evasion, cross site scripting or whatever, malware will get straight through the firewalls as if they don't exist."

Ed Gibson, chief security advisor at Microsoft UK, agreed that firms could save significant sums of money by detecting flaws in code early on. He quoted figures from the American National Institute of Standards and Technology suggesting that eliminating flaws in the design stage can cost 30 times less than fixing them after release.

Gibson added that, because the service is outsourced, it may attract smaller firms that do not have the in-house expertise to undertake such checks.

"These capabilities will take away any reason not to have your code checked because you don't need someone in-house full time," he said.

"[Code review] has become more important given the continuing and more targeted attacks by miscreants, organised crime and state sponsored."

Miliband hints at protection for aviation and low income families in new energy strategy

James Murray — 2009-07-14T11:33:00.000Z

James Murray, BusinessGreen, Tuesday 14 July 2009 at 11:33:00

Speculation mounts ahead of government's renewables and low carbon whitepaper

Further details of the government's imminent renewable energy and low carbon strategy emerged today after energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband hinted that the new white papers would not demand deep emission cuts from the aviation industry and would contain measures to protect poorer families from higher bills.

In an interview with The Guardian ahead of the release tomorrow of the government's new strategy, Miliband suggested that the government would not move to drive up the cost of flying in an attempt to curb emissions from the sector, arguing that other parts of the economy will be able to compensate for aviation's failure to deliver deep cuts in emissions.

"Where I disagree with other people on aviation is if you did 80% cuts across the board, as some people have called for on aviation, you would go back to 1974 levels of flying," he said. "I don't want to have a situation where only rich people can afford to fly."

He refused to be drawn on the details of the new strategy, as it is to be presented to Parliament before it is released tomorrow. However, he hinted that the focus would be on highlighting the benefits that come from developing a low carbon economy.

He also predicted that the formal adoption of carbon budgets, which will form a key part of the new strategy, will have a major impact on the public sector's efforts to cut carbon emissions.

"Every major policy will be scrutinised for its carbon impact," he told the newspaper. "Government will have to operate within a carbon budget in the same way it has to operate in a financial budget. If we go over the carbon budget, there will be financial penalties – that is going to be a big cultural change across government."

The government is also reportedly planning to limit the impact of rising energy bills on low income families by introducing a compulsory "social tariff" that would require energy firms to offer lower prices to the worst off households.

The government has dismissed reports that an increase in renewable energy capacity will result in an average increase of up to £230 a year for domestic energy bills by 2020, but maintains that energy bills are likely to rise over the next decade regardless of whether or not investment in renewables increases.