Kieran Lowe
@kieranran.bsky.social
Work in news and public affairs. Climate change/energy/tech, Pokémon, X-Men & LGBT+ rights. 🏳️🌈 retreating from the bad apps
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
the next couple of days are going to see a hell of a lot of "the rich declare themselves poor"
November 26, 2025 at 10:26 PM
the next couple of days are going to see a hell of a lot of "the rich declare themselves poor"
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
We've got some Nesta reaction to the Budget up, underpinned by some brilliant speedy analysis by my colleague Dan Lewis.
📉 What does the budget mean for energy bills?
www.nesta.org.uk/blog/what-do...
@nestauk.bsky.social
📉 What does the budget mean for energy bills?
www.nesta.org.uk/blog/what-do...
@nestauk.bsky.social
What does the Budget mean for energy bills?
Major changes to energy bills in the Budget will affect households across the country
www.nesta.org.uk
November 26, 2025 at 4:43 PM
We've got some Nesta reaction to the Budget up, underpinned by some brilliant speedy analysis by my colleague Dan Lewis.
📉 What does the budget mean for energy bills?
www.nesta.org.uk/blog/what-do...
@nestauk.bsky.social
📉 What does the budget mean for energy bills?
www.nesta.org.uk/blog/what-do...
@nestauk.bsky.social
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
In today's budget announcement, the Chancellor has announced measures that will bring down the cost of high electricity bills.
It's a welcome step towards a more sustainable future, making it more affordable for households to transition to clean heating alternatives - but there's more to be done. ⤵️
It's a welcome step towards a more sustainable future, making it more affordable for households to transition to clean heating alternatives - but there's more to be done. ⤵️
November 26, 2025 at 3:30 PM
In today's budget announcement, the Chancellor has announced measures that will bring down the cost of high electricity bills.
It's a welcome step towards a more sustainable future, making it more affordable for households to transition to clean heating alternatives - but there's more to be done. ⤵️
It's a welcome step towards a more sustainable future, making it more affordable for households to transition to clean heating alternatives - but there's more to be done. ⤵️
frankly Budget is stressful enough for media teams without a surprise early publication and a release distribution issue - the OBR and a certain media monitoring company are off my Christmas card list 😭
Good to have a Budget that should reduce the 'spark gap' between gas and electricity prices and lower electricity bills -
@nestauk.bsky.social's @madgabes.bsky.social comments on the Budget's changes here www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...
@nestauk.bsky.social's @madgabes.bsky.social comments on the Budget's changes here www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...
November 26, 2025 at 2:52 PM
frankly Budget is stressful enough for media teams without a surprise early publication and a release distribution issue - the OBR and a certain media monitoring company are off my Christmas card list 😭
Good to have a Budget that should reduce the 'spark gap' between gas and electricity prices and lower electricity bills -
@nestauk.bsky.social's @madgabes.bsky.social comments on the Budget's changes here www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...
@nestauk.bsky.social's @madgabes.bsky.social comments on the Budget's changes here www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...
November 26, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Good to have a Budget that should reduce the 'spark gap' between gas and electricity prices and lower electricity bills -
@nestauk.bsky.social's @madgabes.bsky.social comments on the Budget's changes here www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...
@nestauk.bsky.social's @madgabes.bsky.social comments on the Budget's changes here www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
This is confirmed in the Budget documents:
- £134 saving in typical energy bill (on the Ofgem price cap "typical home")
- 75% of Renewables Obligation moved off electricity bills to general taxation, cost of £2.3bn
- Abolishing £1.7bn pa ECO levy, replaced by £1.5bn over 3 years of govt funding
- £134 saving in typical energy bill (on the Ofgem price cap "typical home")
- 75% of Renewables Obligation moved off electricity bills to general taxation, cost of £2.3bn
- Abolishing £1.7bn pa ECO levy, replaced by £1.5bn over 3 years of govt funding
If the OBR document is correct, this seems to be the energy bills package:
Government taking 75% of the Renewables Obligation levy off electricity bills, at a cost of £2.3bn per year. This is good!
The ECO levy (£1.7bn per year to upgrade fuel poor homes) will *end in April 2026*.
Government taking 75% of the Renewables Obligation levy off electricity bills, at a cost of £2.3bn per year. This is good!
The ECO levy (£1.7bn per year to upgrade fuel poor homes) will *end in April 2026*.
November 26, 2025 at 2:13 PM
This is confirmed in the Budget documents:
- £134 saving in typical energy bill (on the Ofgem price cap "typical home")
- 75% of Renewables Obligation moved off electricity bills to general taxation, cost of £2.3bn
- Abolishing £1.7bn pa ECO levy, replaced by £1.5bn over 3 years of govt funding
- £134 saving in typical energy bill (on the Ofgem price cap "typical home")
- 75% of Renewables Obligation moved off electricity bills to general taxation, cost of £2.3bn
- Abolishing £1.7bn pa ECO levy, replaced by £1.5bn over 3 years of govt funding
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
The lifting of the two-child benefit cap is a huge victory for campaigners
I've been reporting on welfare issues for a longtime now, and the two-child benefit repeatedly comes up as one of the biggest drivers of poverty in the UK
Many children's lives will be transformed by this change
I've been reporting on welfare issues for a longtime now, and the two-child benefit repeatedly comes up as one of the biggest drivers of poverty in the UK
Many children's lives will be transformed by this change
November 26, 2025 at 2:41 PM
The lifting of the two-child benefit cap is a huge victory for campaigners
I've been reporting on welfare issues for a longtime now, and the two-child benefit repeatedly comes up as one of the biggest drivers of poverty in the UK
Many children's lives will be transformed by this change
I've been reporting on welfare issues for a longtime now, and the two-child benefit repeatedly comes up as one of the biggest drivers of poverty in the UK
Many children's lives will be transformed by this change
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
If the OBR document is correct, this seems to be the energy bills package:
Government taking 75% of the Renewables Obligation levy off electricity bills, at a cost of £2.3bn per year. This is good!
The ECO levy (£1.7bn per year to upgrade fuel poor homes) will *end in April 2026*.
Government taking 75% of the Renewables Obligation levy off electricity bills, at a cost of £2.3bn per year. This is good!
The ECO levy (£1.7bn per year to upgrade fuel poor homes) will *end in April 2026*.
November 26, 2025 at 12:23 PM
If the OBR document is correct, this seems to be the energy bills package:
Government taking 75% of the Renewables Obligation levy off electricity bills, at a cost of £2.3bn per year. This is good!
The ECO levy (£1.7bn per year to upgrade fuel poor homes) will *end in April 2026*.
Government taking 75% of the Renewables Obligation levy off electricity bills, at a cost of £2.3bn per year. This is good!
The ECO levy (£1.7bn per year to upgrade fuel poor homes) will *end in April 2026*.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
As bad as your day might be, it could be worse, you could be the person who accidentally published the OBR's budget document a couple of hours early: obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...
obr.uk
November 26, 2025 at 11:59 AM
As bad as your day might be, it could be worse, you could be the person who accidentally published the OBR's budget document a couple of hours early: obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Full OBR doc is up here: Reeves must be FUMING obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...
November 26, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Full OBR doc is up here: Reeves must be FUMING obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Well, the 4D chess version of events here would be someone leaked the OBR forecast as part of an effort to get it abolished.
The cockup version (usually the accurate one) would be this is the mother of all fuckups, and could be existential. This is the most market sensitive budget stuff imaginable.
The cockup version (usually the accurate one) would be this is the mother of all fuckups, and could be existential. This is the most market sensitive budget stuff imaginable.
November 26, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Well, the 4D chess version of events here would be someone leaked the OBR forecast as part of an effort to get it abolished.
The cockup version (usually the accurate one) would be this is the mother of all fuckups, and could be existential. This is the most market sensitive budget stuff imaginable.
The cockup version (usually the accurate one) would be this is the mother of all fuckups, and could be existential. This is the most market sensitive budget stuff imaginable.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
the Budget equivalent of Loreen is the sugar tax - quite effective and so far cropping up twice
November 26, 2025 at 10:48 AM
the Budget equivalent of Loreen is the sugar tax - quite effective and so far cropping up twice
There are better ways to lower the cost of energy for households than a simple VAT cut @madgabes.bsky.social outlined recently - hopefully the Chancellor will tomorrow look to reduce electricity bills along lines of the tax-free measures @nestauk.bsky.social proposed www.nesta.org.uk/report/tax-f...
November 25, 2025 at 4:43 PM
There are better ways to lower the cost of energy for households than a simple VAT cut @madgabes.bsky.social outlined recently - hopefully the Chancellor will tomorrow look to reduce electricity bills along lines of the tax-free measures @nestauk.bsky.social proposed www.nesta.org.uk/report/tax-f...
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
🙏This would be very welcome. Fingers crossed for tomorrow
Rachel Reeves decides against cutting VAT on energy bills in Budget on.ft.com/3Xifliv
Rachel Reeves decides against cutting VAT on energy bills in Budget
Chancellor expected to continue with support package for households, including easing of electricity costs
on.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:13 PM
🙏This would be very welcome. Fingers crossed for tomorrow
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
I don’t like subtweeting people I consider online friends, but there is a subset of people who are very worried about the ongoing radicalisation of our political elite but won’t ever acknowledge the echoes with the radicalisation of their colleagues on trans rights
And few who are sympathetic to us, some who are friendly with me on here, will ever stick their head above the parapet
November 25, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I don’t like subtweeting people I consider online friends, but there is a subset of people who are very worried about the ongoing radicalisation of our political elite but won’t ever acknowledge the echoes with the radicalisation of their colleagues on trans rights
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.
The Economic Impact of Brexit
Other
siepr.stanford.edu
November 24, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
As harrowing as this, it felt like a relief to read it. The commentariat's refusal to grapple with what climate change will do to us, if we don't phase out fossil fuels, has been driving me insane.
This should help break the collective amnesia.
This should help break the collective amnesia.
November 23, 2025 at 6:05 PM
As harrowing as this, it felt like a relief to read it. The commentariat's refusal to grapple with what climate change will do to us, if we don't phase out fossil fuels, has been driving me insane.
This should help break the collective amnesia.
This should help break the collective amnesia.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Why has the price ratio jumped? Gas prices have fallen by around 6% driven by lower wholesale costs. At the same time, electricity costs have risen, driven mainly by adding the cost of new nuclear to bills, plus some other increases.
We have some @nestauk.bsky.social analysis here:
We have some @nestauk.bsky.social analysis here:
Price gap between gas and electricity hits highest level since energy crisis of 2022
Sharp increases in electricity costs are set to push the electricity-to-gas price ratio to its highest level since the 2022 energy crisis, according to new analysis from the innovation foundation Nest...
www.nesta.org.uk
November 22, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Why has the price ratio jumped? Gas prices have fallen by around 6% driven by lower wholesale costs. At the same time, electricity costs have risen, driven mainly by adding the cost of new nuclear to bills, plus some other increases.
We have some @nestauk.bsky.social analysis here:
We have some @nestauk.bsky.social analysis here:
The gap between electricity and gas prices in Jan will now be 20% larger than a year before, pushing up bills for a typical household using electric storage heating by £100, compared to typical dual fuel billpayer seeing bills rise by just £2.50 www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...
November 22, 2025 at 9:48 AM
The gap between electricity and gas prices in Jan will now be 20% larger than a year before, pushing up bills for a typical household using electric storage heating by £100, compared to typical dual fuel billpayer seeing bills rise by just £2.50 www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...
this season of #dragraceuk has been riggory after riggory, honestly so boring, Tayris deserved better
November 21, 2025 at 9:05 PM
this season of #dragraceuk has been riggory after riggory, honestly so boring, Tayris deserved better
great to hear Martin Lewis making a very articulate and impassioned case for moving policy costs off electricity bills and onto taxation earlier, to reduce bills and incentivise heat pumps, in light of Ofgem's price cap rising more steeply for electricity users than gas users in January #r4today
November 21, 2025 at 10:04 AM
great to hear Martin Lewis making a very articulate and impassioned case for moving policy costs off electricity bills and onto taxation earlier, to reduce bills and incentivise heat pumps, in light of Ofgem's price cap rising more steeply for electricity users than gas users in January #r4today
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
tomorrow's newsletter is literally called "aren't you tired of feeling insane all the time?" and boy isn't this a darling example, a phrase popularised by full-on racists on Elon Musk's Twitter now being bandied around in the mainstream press and sold as a Labour term
November 20, 2025 at 2:38 PM
tomorrow's newsletter is literally called "aren't you tired of feeling insane all the time?" and boy isn't this a darling example, a phrase popularised by full-on racists on Elon Musk's Twitter now being bandied around in the mainstream press and sold as a Labour term
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
The majority of the UK media, encouraged by the UK's equality body, is waging a campaign to encourage the public, employers and health providers to harass anyone who doesn't fit their definition of what a woman should look like.
This is what JK Rowling is funding.
This is what JK Rowling is funding.
November 20, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The majority of the UK media, encouraged by the UK's equality body, is waging a campaign to encourage the public, employers and health providers to harass anyone who doesn't fit their definition of what a woman should look like.
This is what JK Rowling is funding.
This is what JK Rowling is funding.