If wind energy is six times cheaper than gas, then 'show me the money'

According to Energy UK, an industry body whose members include fossil fuel giants such as BP and Shell as well as the likes of Ecotricity and British Solar Renewables, electricity produced by onshore wind turbines is six times cheaper than gas.

So why has the growth in the number of turbines not been accompanied by a noticeable reduction in people’s bills? The answer is partly because of the way the electricity market in the UK is structured, with prices set by the most expensive power source that needs to be used at any given time. And that is usually gas.

While this system – in place for important, practical reasons such as keeping the lights on – remains and gas-fired power stations continue to be a major source of electricity, bills are likely to remain high.

Increasing the amount of wind energy should result in lower bills (Picture: William Edwards) | AFP via Getty Images

£700 a year off bills?

However, according to the Climate Change Committee, independent advisers to the Scottish and UK governments, if the UK reaches net zero by 2050, household bills, including electricity, could be reduced by about £700 a year.

Under the UK Government’s plans, renewable sources of energy, chiefly wind and solar, are expected to soar over the next few years as it works to make the UK’s electricity supply ‘clean’ by 2030.

And Chris Stark, head of the UK Government’s ‘Mission for Clean Power’, has now said he was “confident you could have lower bills”, adding that “I’m very sure that you could bring the wholesale price of electricity down by doing what we’re talking about”. Despite his odd turn of phrase – being “confident” that something “could” happen – the logical consequence of increasing renewables would appear to be lower bills.

A real problem for Labour

However, recently bills have been going up, not down, a fact that opposition politicians have been rightly pointing out. And that is a real problem for Labour.

Ultimately, lots of talk and promises about lower bills are not going to cut it. People struggling with the cost of living want to see signs of progress, and soon.

For any politicians who don’t quite get this, here’s a helpful phrase that may make it more simple to understand from the film comedy Jerry Maguire: “Show me the money!”