Brazil could offer as much as a 30% take to firms for developing its largest oil field, reports claim.

The news follows the nation’s announcement last month to auction the rights to explore and develop blocks in the Libra field, with the first bidding round expected to start in October.

According to reports, Brazil’s national petroleum agency ANP is preparing a road show to the US, Europe and Asia later this month to market the oil field.

Magda Chambriard, the head of the ANP told a news outlet: “In my mind it is impossible to consider less than 70% as a Government take. When the field is larger, when it has more volume, the Government percentage is more.”

The Libra field is estimated to produce around 12 billion barrels of recoverable oil over 35 years.

Last month ELN reported the Brazilian Government could pay as much as 2.8 billion reals (£880m) to energy companies for cuts in electricity tariffs.

French supplier EDF Energy has thrown the gauntlet down to its fellow Big Six suppliers by putting its weight behind proposals for petrol forecourt-style prices for gas and electricity.

Over the weekend it proposed simplifying energy pricing which would see standing charges, regional differences and “tiered” pricing scrapped.

A single unit price for gas and electricity in the UK would make it easier for consumers to compare different tariffs and work out which give the cheapest deal.

The move would not be without complications to get up and running: in a statement EDF said for single unit pricing to work, “Ofgem would need to create a central clearing house to eliminate the regional cost differences, which currently exist due to varying cost of distributing energy to different parts of the country.”

The supplier said all suppliers would need to adopt the same model so consumers could compare prices against the same measurement.

The statement added: “EDF Energy could not sign up to it alone. Suppliers, the regulator and Government would also have to work together to ensure some vulnerable high consumption users were not adversely impacted by single unit pricing.”

Martin Lawrence, EDF Energy’s managing director said: “Customers would be the real winners along with the companies willing to offer the most competitive prices. The question is will other suppliers be brave enough to back this proposal and remove tariff complexity once and for all for consumers?”

The company says it has been making the case for a single unit price to regulator Ofgem since last year and will “continue to do so”.

Consumer group Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: “We recently found eight in ten consumers could identify the cheapest deal when using the petrol forecourt style single unit price and 10,000 people have already joined our campaign in support of this change. Let’s hope other suppliers now follow EDF Energy’s lead and we see an end to confusing energy pricing soon.”

A new survey on the UK’s energy policy has revealed that 64% of the public is concerned about the possibility of blackouts and a staggering 93% are worried about higher energy bills.

The poll of more than 2,000 people also found that more than half believe the Government should support construction of more renewable energy sources like solar, wave and tidal. 33% said they would consider investing in small-scale community renewable projects while 25% in Energy Bonds where money would be used to be larger infrastructure projects like nuclear power stations or large offshore wind farms.

Dr Tim Fox, Head of Energy and Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (ImechE), which conducted the poll said the results show a “severe lack of public confidence in the Government’s confused energy policy”.

He added: “Confidence in Government energy policy has been damaged by its mixed messages on low-carbon energy policy and uncertainty over its support for a new nuclear build programme.

“Government must stop playing politics with our energy system and the environment and make clear exactly how it is going to ensure that the country’s future needs are affordably met. It is only with this clarity that energy companies will have the confidence to invest in the infrastructure needed to keep the nation warm, lit, moving and working.”

When asked what types of technologies they would favour for a secure energy future, 43% of people said there should be more support for offshore wind farms, 31% for onshore wind farms while 8% supported more gas-fired power stations.

ELN reporter Vicky Ellis talks to Energy Secretary Ed Davey MP about community owned energy projects and gauges his reaction to the 2013 Government decarbonisation target vote.

The Government’s plans to simplify energy tariffs for consumers to find the best deal are “still too complex”, according to a new survey.

Consumer body Which? is calling for a single unit price for energy as its new research revealed only three in ten (28%) people got the right answer when asked to identify the cheapest deal from a range of tariffs using Ofgem’s Tariff Comparison Rate (TCR) proposal. When they were arranged using a single unit rate in the style of a petrol display, the figure increased to eight in ten (84%).

Two thirds (65%) of people said they preferred the single unit price model compared to just one in ten for the TCR. It also scored highly in terms of ease of understanding (62%), speed of use (63%) and helpfulness (53%).

Ofgem’s TCR aims to help consumers easily compare the price of different tariffs across the market, however, under new proposals they will only be given an indication of the cheapest deal based on an assumption of medium usage of both gas and electricity. Which? claims consumers would more likely pick the wrong deal for them.

Executive Director Richard Lloyd said: “Energy prices are the biggest worry for consumers but Ofgem’s current proposals will fail to help people find the best deal and could leave millions paying over the odds for their energy. You shouldn’t need a maths degree to work out the cheapest energy deal but the complexity of energy pricing makes it virtually impossible for most people to make sense of the market.

“Our research shows overwhelmingly that people find it easier to spot the cheapest deal for them when prices are presented clearly, simply and consistently – just like on the petrol station forecourt. The Prime Minister should intervene again to make sure that his energy reforms work for hard-pressed households.”

The survey of more than 2,000 people also revealed more than half of people surveyed (55%) had never compared their energy tariff with others on the market. Only a quarter had switched energy suppliers, with seven in ten (70%) saying the main reason is to save money or get a cheaper deal.

Earlier this month the Government aimed to make sure the majority of UK households that don’t switch to get the best energy deal would soon be “savvy switchers”.

The Brazilian Government could pay as much as 2.8 billion reals (£880m) to energy companies for cuts in electricity tariffs, reports claim.

President Dilma Rousseff is set to sign a “presidential decree” today, which will allow Government-controlled utility Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras to pass on the cash to 64 power distributors in the country, according to reports. That is expected to help distributors reduce customers’ energy bills by an average of 20%.

Brazil’s Energy Minister told reporters: “We anticipate the payment of 2.8 billion reals for power distributors. This money is due to be paid until December and compensates distributors so that they do not pass the price to consumers.”

The country is said to have cut power prices last year to reduce production costs and in a bid to help curb inflation.

Earlier this month the UK Government published guidance for energy intensive users in the UK to claim up to £113 million in compensation for the extra power costs caused by the impact of European carbon pricing schemes.

More than a third (43%) of the British public said they would support Government subsidy for the construction of new nuclear power plants in the UK.

That is in comparison to only 28% who said they would not, according to a new poll of more than 2,000 people. It also revealed almost half (46%) of those questioned support the construction of new nuclear power stations in the country while 29% said they do not.

Almost three quarters (70%) said they support new nuclear build because it ensures a secure supply of electricity, 55% because nuclear is low carbon, half (50%) said nuclear is reliable and new plants provide jobs while 43% supported it because they believe it is cheaper than other forms of electricity generation.

Dr Tim Fox, Head of Energy and Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which commissioned the report said: “For years now Government has been reluctant to offer nuclear power developers an overt subsidy, partly out of fear of the public back-lash. These poll results show that these fears could be unwarranted.

“The future of the UK new nuclear build programme is currently on a knife-edge. Without an agreed guaranteed commercially attractive long-term price for the electricity from new nuclear plants (the ‘strike price’) and a suitable source of investment finance, there can be no progress on building new UK reactors.”

Mr Fox added the UK Government needs to provide “more leadership” new nuclear build.

He said: “These poll results suggest that the public want Government to take decisive action to support nuclear power. All low-carbon generating technologies require a high initial capital investment but have low operating costs Therefore if the Government is to encourage carbon reductions, developers need incentives which may appear as a subsidy at the start but, if structured correctly, could prove to be a good investment for the Government in the long run.”

Out of those people who do not support new nuclear build, the vast majority (73%) said it was because nuclear power is dangerous while 70% said it was because of issues related to nuclear waste and less than a quarter said cost was an issue.

Last week Energy Minister Michael Fallon hailed the Horizon nuclear project, claiming it would boost investment and jobs in the country.

The UK’s Green Investment Bank (GIB) is set to start funding construction of new offshore wind farms in the country.

It made the announcement today as it appointed a new Managing Director for offshore wind to support its plans. GIB, which was launched in November last year, said offshore wind is one of its priority investment sectors and is expected to have the largest share of its initial £3 billion capital.

Newly appointed Christine Brockwell said: “Offshore wind will play a significant role in helping the UK meet its binding renewable energy obligations. Through its direct funding capabilities and its desire to stimulate co-investment from other institutions, the Green Investment Bank is vital to the industry’s success in realising its planned installed capacity.”

The news follows GIB’s first fund for offshore wind last year, worth £224 million and last week also announced it was backing biomass projects in the UK.

The UK Government wants the EU to commit itself to reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 but said it would oppose any renewables target.

Energy Secretary Ed Davey called for the tough new emissions goal in an effort to tackle climate change by decarbonising the EU economy. He wants Brussels to halve emissions on 1990 levels by 2030 within an international deal or do it alone with a 40% goal if an agreement cannot be struck.

Mr Davey said: “The UK is a global leader in tackling climate change and we need to maintain the momentum towards a binding global climate agreement 2015. That is why we will argue for an EU wide binding emissions reductions target of 50% by 2030 in the context of an ambitious global climate deal and even a unilateral EU 40% target without a global deal. This 2030 target is ambitious but it is achievable and necessary if we are to limit climate change to manageable proportions.”

He added “significant levels” of renewable energy and other low carbon technologies would be needed to meet the emissions target but has, however, rejected future EU renewables goal.

The Energy Secretary continued: “The UK is committed to increasing renewables in our own domestic energy mix. The tripling of support available to low carbon electricity through the £7.6 billion Levy Control Framework provides an immediate boost. And the radical reforms to the Electricity Market set out in the Energy Bill will incentivise renewables to 2020 beyond, building the low-carbon economy we need to compete in the green global race.

“But we want to maintain flexibility for Member States in how they meet this ambitious emissions target. There are a variety of options to decarbonise any country’s economy. In the UK, our approach is technology neutral and our reforms will rely on the market and competition to determine the low carbon electricity mix. We will therefore oppose a Renewable Energy target at an EU level as inflexible and unnecessary.”

The Green Alliance, which campaigns for measures to tackle climate change, welcomed the Government’s announcement.

Chief Executive Matthew Spencer said: “This is very good news for anyone who thinks tackling climate security is too important to be a partisan issue. Both Ed Davey and William Hague should be recognised for their efforts in getting this agreed across Government. They can both now play a critical role in securing a bold European climate action plan for 2030, which will make a global climate deal more likely and help accelerate the growth of the UK’s sizeable green business sector.

“The last European (2020) climate package was central to creating breakthroughs in vehicle efficiency and renewable energy cost reduction and it wouldn’t have happened without UK political leadership.”

Environmental groups and trade bodies, however, disagreed with the Government’s plans to reject any target for renewables.

A spokesperson from Renewable UK said: “If the Government does not send the right signals, then major international companies deciding where to build their big wind turbine factories will go elsewhere. We can’t afford to let this opportunity slip through our fingers. It’s absolutely vital to set targets on emissions and renewables for 2030 as soon as possible. The wind industry urgently needs long-term clarity to attract the billions of pounds of investment to build the massive next round of offshore projects that will create tens of thousands of jobs.”

Ruth Davis, Political Adviser at Greenpeace UK added: “The UK has some of the best renewable energy resources in Europe and a renewables industry with huge potential for growth. An EU target would create a new market for that industry, and in doing so attract vital investment into our economy. In opposing a renewables target, not for the first time, the irrational prejudices of the Tory right seem to have trumped the interests of working people in Britain.”

The German Government needs to do more to protect consumers from paying too much for the transition costs to renewables.

That’s according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest review of German energy policies following the nation’s ambitious aim to switch from nuclear power and fossil fuels to renewable energy.

The IEA warned the Government must rein in its retail electricity prices or risk a backlash from consumers.

Maria van der Hoeven, IEA Executive Director said: “The fact that German electricity prices are among the highest in Europe, despite relatively low wholesale prices, must serve as a warning signal.

“The German Government should maintain its policy course based on a predictable and stable regulatory framework while actively seeking means to reduce the costs. Sudden changes can undermine investor confidence and will drive up costs in the long term. Any form of retroactive tariff cuts – even if applied for only a short period – must be avoided.”

Among the recommendations, the IEA has called for the development of suitable mechanisms to manage the cost of renewable energy capacity and more investment in new gas-fired generation and cost-effective electricity storage.

Following a review of Finland’s energy policies, the IEA praised the role of renewables in the country and the Government’s commitment towards a sustainable future.