Consumers face £200 rise in energy bill

Published on Saturday 11 July 2009 20:00

HOUSEHOLD energy bills could rise by more than £200 a year under the government's low-carbon strategy which will be unveiled this week.

The Renewable Energy Strategy, which will be published on Wednesday, will state that more than 100 billion will have to be invested in renewable energy infrastructure, including 7,000 wind turbines, by 2020.

It is claimed that Britain's targets for cutting emissions could push another 1.7 million households into fuel poverty, meaning that seven million homes would be spending more than 10 per cent of their income on fuel.

The UK government has bound itself legally to cutting CO2 emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. To achieve this, it must increase the amount of energy generated from renewable sources from 2 per cent now to 15 per cent by 2020.

Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, admitted that bills would rise, but said that the targets were not the only factor. He said: "There is upward pressure on energy prices whether you go for a high-carbon or a low-carbon alternative."