Blow to Miliband’s cheaper power pledge as cost of renewables projects set to balloon

Britain’s dash to net zero will fuel a £100 rise in household energy bills from next April, according to leading forecasters. The Telegraph has the story.

Energy analysts Cornwall Insight said the cost of connecting new wind and solar farms, construction of the Sizewell C nuclear power station and upgrades to the gas networks would all be felt in the form of higher bills next spring.

The research suggested that further rises will follow as the construction of pylon lines, underground cables, substations and Sizewell all accelerate.

The warning cast yet more doubt on Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s pre-election pledge to cut household energy bills by £300 by 2030 – a promise he repeated last month.

Craig Lowrey, at Cornwall Insight, said investing in renewables would eventually reduce bills – but “first we need to lay the foundations. There are a lot of costs involved in the transition”.

He added: “Rising energy bills are never welcome, and this latest view of transmission charges – although only indicative – will add yet another cost to the long list of pressures on household finances.”

Read the full story here.