According to a recent estimate by Carbon Tracker, wasted wind power will increase the average UK household’s electricity bill by £40 in 2023. The number could rise up to £150 in 2026. When there’s too much wind power generated, the national grid struggles to cope with the excess. As a result, wind farms are paid to turn off, and gas-powered stations are paid to increase their output. The costs of these measures are passed onto consumers.
Ofgem, the energy regulator, announced new rules in November 2020 that were designed to speed up grid connections. The UK’s offshore wind farms are mostly based in England, whereas Scotland is home to approximately half of all onshore wind farms. However, most electricity is consumed in southeast England and there’s a bottleneck in transmission between Scotland and England.
The solution would be to build more grid infrastructure, but historically, it has taken around 10 to 15 years to approve new transmission cables. Industry group RenewableUK has argued that grid constraints reflect chronic underinvestment in the system. The government has announced proposals to reduce the amount of time it takes to build new infrastructure from 14 to seven years. However, it remains unclear how much of a difference these changes will actually make.
If you are struggling to keep up with payments on your energy bills, there are several options available to you. You could check your direct debit, pay what you can afford, or make sure you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to. Moneyhelper is an independent website that provides advice on this subject
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