Tory government decisions to cut “green crap” and block “unsightly” new onshore wind farms are now costing households an extra £140 a year on their energy bills amid soaring gas prices, according to a new estimate. Customers face paying £3.9bn more this year than they would if ministers had not axed environmental policies including financial support for new onshore wind turbines between 2015 and 2020, Tim Lord, an analyst at the Tony Blair Institute calculated. The figure is around twice the amount that would be saved if VAT is removed from energy bills – one of the main options being considered to tackle a looming cost of living crunch. If installations had continued at their previous trend, the UK would have around 5 gigawatts of additional wind energy supply, saving households £1.8bn a year, or £60 each. Britain has some of the leakiest and most energy inefficient homes in Europe so insulating homes is seen as one of the most effective ways of cutting emissions and reducing bills. Labour estimates that its insulation plan would save households £400 a year, on average.
Independent 19th Jan 2022 read more »