The founder and CEO of Octopus, Greg Jackson, has called for people living near wind farms to pay less for their electricity. Mr Jackson claims it is nuts that the cost of electricity is the same throughout the UK, adding that discounts have already been offered to customers living near wind turbines. His firm has lowered bills by 20% when it is windy and up to 50% when it is “very windy”. There has also been substantial local interest in constructing more turbines nearby.
Octopus reports that around 30,000 individuals and communities in the UK have contacted the company since 2021, asking for a wind turbine to be constructed near them. Mr Jackson argued that “real reform of markets,” is necessary and called for greater local electricity generation to prolong the building of new transmission lines.
According to Carbon Tracker, wasted wind power increased household energy costs in 2023 by around £40 – both directly and indirectly. Wind farms are paid to switch off when it is very windy due to a grid that can’t handle the extra electricity generated. Gas-powered stations are then paid to fire up or electricity is imported, and the costs are passed onto consumers.
As a solution, Mr Jackson proposed giving Scottish people cheap or free electricity when it is windy instead of paying wind farms to turn off. At other times, batteries could be built in the South East, offering investment signals and cheaper energy for every region. Mr Jackson called for policy makers, energy sectors, and large energy users to devise mechanisms to drive down energy costs.
New Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s recent announcement of plans to boost onshore wind farms could be a significant boost to renewable energy. The Chancellor plans to change planning restrictions and remove the effective ban on onshore wind farms in England. This should pave the way for hundreds of new turbines to be constructed. While Reeves acknowledged there would be opposition to her infrastructure plans, the move is seen as a positive in fighting the UK’s carbon emissions
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