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England and Wales have many flood prone areas, and more than five million residents live in these locations. Knowledge of how to prepare for and respond during a flood is a necessity for these residents. Undue alarm and confusion can be avoided if a flood plan is in place before the announcement of a developing flood.

People are, of course, the main concern before, during, and after a flood. Make sure you have a well-thought out flood plan in place before an actual flood watch or warning. When other family members, including children, are involved in organising the plan, there is a greater possibility that everyone will remember what they need to do in a flood situation, and family members can remain calm in the midst of the emergency. The Environment Agencys Floodline (0845 988 1188) is a valuable resource for organising your flood plan, but do not wait until an actual emergency to give them a ring.

Floodboards, plastic airbrick covers, and sandbags are some protective equipment you should have on hand to protect your home or business from floods. These items sell rather quickly when a flood is developing, so keep a good supply of these at all times. There are other precautions you can take that require a bit more time and money, including raising electrical sockets to 1.5 metres or more above the ground floor, using rugs instead of fitted carpet on the ground floor, making sure drains and inlet pipes have non-return valves, and placing heating and ventilation parts above ground level.

You must make sure your insurance policy will cover your needs in the event of a flood. Read your policy carefully to determine if your home, building and grounds have adequate coverage, and note the monetary limits for repairs, item replacement policies, and value estimates for your possessions. Talk to your insurance provider if you have questions. If possible, permanently move items of great personal value, such as photographs, heirlooms, and family videos from the ground floor. Although these can be included in your insurance coverage, they can never be replaced.

Learn the locations of the electricity, gas and water supplies that run into your home, as they need to be turned off in the event of a flood. Your supplier can give you instructions on how to do this, and then you can demonstrate the procedure to everyone in your home or business. Taps and switches should be marked for quick identification.

Essentials such as bottled water, non-perishable foods, a torch with extra batteries, first aid kit, battery radio, and waterproof clothing and blankets should be kept in a central location. This flood kit should also contain a list of contact numbers for family members, neighbours, your insurance company, physicians, and your suppliers of water, electricity, and gas.

Recent years have seen noteworthy improvements in the UKs energy efficiency. Although the low carbon economy progress is significant, increased efforts and more solutions will be required for many years. Sustainable development in this area is expected from the gas and electricity markets, and this must be accomplished with a consideration towards the impact on consumers.

The UK Government is calling for the development of gas and electricity energy programs that are sustainable well into the future. Power stations contribute about 33% of the total carbon dioxide emissions, and residential and industrial emissions comprise another 33%. Innovations in these three sectors resulted in a 4% decline in emissions from 2006 to 2007, with the bulk of this improvement attributed to conversions from coal to gas and renewable energy solutions.

Total energy consumption has declined steadily since 2005, with reports in 2007 indicating a 3% decrease. Electricity markets disclosed a 3% reduction in consumer usage, and gas markets reported a 4% reduction. The Governments target for the energy sectors is to continue in the direction of greater energy efficiency, with evidence of improvement every year.

The gas and electricity sectors must perform a delicate balancing act between the goals of energy efficiency and minimal financial impact on consumers. Consumers are finding it difficult to keep up with some of the highest fuel costs in history. Coupled with an unstable economy, this is a very difficult time for many. Fuel poverty is a persistent problem in the UK, with 3.5 million households in fuel poverty, with a staggering 2.75 million of these being vulnerable households. Households fall into the fuel poverty category if more than 10% of their income is used for fuel. Although 2007 and 2008 findings are not compiled yet, estimates are that an additional .7 million households fell into the fuel poverty level in 2007, with another .5 million in 2008.

Ofgem, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, works with the Government and the gas and electricity markets to achieve the sustainable development targets established by the Government. Ofgem regulates the gas and electricity sectors to ensure that consumers are protected from unfair practices. This agency is particularly interested in helping fuel poverty households and has a goal of eliminating fuel poverty by 2018. Ofgem drives low carbon initiatives and facilitates projects aimed at meeting carbon dioxide reduction.

The energy sectors can be applauded for their impressive efforts directed at reducing energy usage and costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The gas and energy markets have performed an incredible amount of work, and some of their positive results can be attributed to their guidance from Ofgem. Maintained and increased efforts are necessary to reach the required sustainable development.

From February 2008 to September 2008, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) conducted an investigation into how well the gas and electricity markets are operating with respect to the competitiveness of the markets and perceived customer satisfaction following the elimination of the energy supply monopoly ten years ago. The recent spike in fuel prices is cause for increased attention to the operations of energy suppliers.

The switch to a competitive market from an energy monopoly has been quite productive, with customers receiving quality service, decreased fuel prices, and more variety as far as energy package plans. The gas and electricity markets have done a remarkable job thus far, but several aspects of their operations still need concentrated effort if the competitive market is to continue on a positive path.

Great Britains gas and electricity markets currently have six prominent energy companies that serve domestic customers. While no evidence of a cartel has been detected, the presence of these businesses inhibits the emergence of new energy companies. Over the past ten years, new businesses have entered into the energy market competition, but the majority of them have exited the market, and those remaining serve only 0.3 percent of the customer base. Difficulties encountered by emerging energy businesses limit the choices available to gas and electricity customers.

The competitive energy market allows small business and residential customers to change their gas and electricity suppliers. Almost 100% of gas and electricity customers reported that they knew there was an opportunity to switch energy suppliers, and 77% of customers that decided to exercise this option rated their experience as being satisfactory. Even though the vast majority of customers are aware of their option to switch energy suppliers, a mere 17% of these customers actually decide to switch.

Reasons for not electing to exercise this right include being uncertain of the outcome and not feeling confident in selecting the best plan. Since some customers do not have Internet access, they are not equipped to analyze the offered energy plans and make a decision to switch. These points indicate that a better system of conveying information to customers and an easier process for switching energy suppliers are needed.

Gas and electricity suppliers use competitive prices to interest potential customers in their services. There are many energy plan deals available to domestic and small business customers, including dual fuel packages, stable or capped price tariffs, packages for green energy, and energy service deals. One of the problems with the dual fuel packages is that they are not available to customers who are not on the gas grid, and these customers typically pay more for their energy than other customers do. Another area of concern is that customers that choose a low price introductory plan do not understand that the low price is in effective for a limited time.