Deputy Political Editor

Published 2nd Mar 2025, 06:00 GMT

The Scot recruited by Ed Miliband to transform the UK’s electricity system into clean power has set out the strategy he insists will bring down energy bills for Scottish households - but it is likely to take until 2030 for the full benefits to be felt.

The Labour UK government has promised a “mission” for Britain’s electricity to be produced by green energy by 2030. But the party has struggled to explain to voters how the strategy will reduce electricity bills, seized upon by opponents including the SNP as households see energy bills soar further.

Chris Stark, the UK Government’s head of “mission control” for clean power 2030

The SNP has warned that Scots are “being forced to pay sky high prices as a result of Westminster failure”.

During the election campaign, Labour vowed that “we will save families hundreds of pounds on their bills, not just in the short term, but for good”.

UK householders, industries and businesses face one of the most expensive electricity costs in the world.

Chris Stark, the former head of energy and climate change at the Scottish Government and chief executive of the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) is now leading the strategy after being named the head of the UK government’s mission for clean power in July last year.

He has now set out his ambition that ramping up renewables along with controversial reforms to wind contracts and policy levies will pave the way for Scots to enjoy lower electricity bills over the next five years.

This week, Mr Stark’s former organisation, the CCC, said that if the UK manages to reach net zero by 2050, as is legally required, household bills, including electricity, could be cut by around £700 a year.

The CCC’s latest analysis suggested that depending on the level of policy support from government, “a typical household will experience somewhere between £100 in savings to £150 in additional costs per year, on average, from 2025 to 2050”.

Mr Stark was on familiar territory when earlier this week, he delivered a lecture at Strathclyde University to mark the Centre for Energy Policy’s 10-year anniversary.

Chris Stark, alongside UK Labour Energy Secretary Ed Miliband | PA

The crux of the mission is to ramp up renewables such as onshore and offshore wind, as well as new and emerging technologies to “augment” the use of gas for power. The strategy, however, does not suggest reducing the amount of gas produced for power.

There are “two scenarios both with gas at less than 5 per cent”, Mr Stark explained.

“I am happy to call that a clean power system. Gas has an enormously important role. You’ve got to be confident it will be there.

“What we are saying is that we maintain the gas fleet largely as it is today, but use much much less of it. Then you can build on top of that and augment that with all of the lovely clean stuff.”

Under the UK government’s plans, unabated gas for power is set to remain at around 35GW of capacity. For context, offshore wind is expected to soar from 14.8GW to a high limit of 50GW, while onshore wind could rise from 14.2GW to 29GW and solar power is forecast to boom from the current 16.6GW to up to 47GW by 2030.

Offshore renewables will be ramped up in the coming years and decades

None of the new nuclear power being talked about by the Labour government is expected to be up and running by 2030.

“I am confident you could have lower bills”, Mr Stark insisted.

“I’m very sure that you could bring the wholesale price of electricity down by doing what we’re talking about.”

Electricity prices in the UK are set by the most expensive power source that needs to be used at any given time, which is usually gas.

Mr Stark said: “By moving to long-term contracts for renewables in particular, you can have more and more of the power generation in the system under those long-term contracts, which should be cheap.

“The other thing you can do alongside that is basically reduce the number of hours a year where gas is setting price.

“You can also make that even better if you’ve got all of those technologies in the system that are there when gas is not needed.”

Electricity bills are also made up of levies, including for climate policy measures. Mr Stark has suggested that the UK government could shift some of these on to gas bills to make electricity even cheaper - but it would be a controversial “rebalancing” move.

Critics warn that the dozens of transmission and connection changes required as part of the strategy risk making electricity bills even more expensive.

Mr Stark said: “If you can rebalance either to the exchequer or on to the gas bill, then you can make electricity cheaper.

“Making electricity cheaper is the bit of the mission that I’m happy to take up. Can you do it? Of course you could. Can it be done politically? That’s a bigger challenge.”

One more potentially controversial move that would hand Scots the cheapest power bills in the UK is Labour’s review of energy market arrangements (REMA), which could split the country into different pricing zones, with Scotland poised to enjoy the cheapest bills due to the renewables boom north of the Border.

But Mr Stark has warned the UK government is likely to only proceed with the controversial overhaul if all parts of Britain would enjoy cheaper electricity bills.

Jack Norquoy, director of public affairs and communications at Scottish Renewables, said: “Renewable energy is already playing a vital role in keeping energy bills down by protecting consumers from the full impact of volatile and expensive fossil fuel prices.

Scotland’s onshore wind sector will expand even further

“However, the UK will need to significantly increase the deployment of home-grown clean power if we are to deliver permanent energy security and affordability. Making our homes more energy efficient will also be essential in that effort.

“To achieve this, we must create the best possible conditions to attract the unprecedented levels of private investment required in the years ahead. In return, the renewable energy industry can deliver the cost-effective energy system and economic growth our country needs.”

SNP MSP, Jackie Dunbar, said: "During the election, the Labour party promised voters it would cut energy bills by £300 but instead it has increased them three times - and they are now almost £300 higher.

"Scotland is an energy-rich country but under the Labour Party we are being forced to pay sky high prices as a result of Westminster failure."

Conservative MSP Douglas Lumsden | supplied

Scottish Conservative shadow secretary for net zero and energy, Douglas Lumsden, said that “renewables alone will not meet out needs”, adding that “the reality is we will need oil and gas as part of our energy mix for decades to come”.

He added: “ That’s why Labour’s hostility to the sector is not just reckless in terms of North East jobs and the Scottish economy, it is guaranteed to ensure they break yet another election pledge – their promise to reduce energy bills.”

Exclusive:Revealed: How Labour hopes its clean power strategy will bring down Scots' bills by 2030

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