Britain’s shift to a net-zero power grid will not bring down electricity prices for families, the boss of British Gas has said. [emphasis, links added]
Chris O’Shea, the chief executive of British Gas’s parent company Centrica, wrote on LinkedIn that the shift to renewable power “will NOT materially reduce UK electricity prices from current levels”.
He added, “They may give price stability, and avoid future price spikes based on the international gas market, but they will definitely not reduce the price.”
Mr O’Shea based his conclusion on an analysis comparing the cost of renewable energy with gas, showing that the cheapest renewables cost roughly the same as gas and the most exotic are up to three times as expensive.
It suggests that the move to an energy system based around wind farms, solar parks, or emerging technologies like tidal power will not lead to lower bills.
The verdict from the boss of one of Britain’s biggest energy providers represents a damning rebuttal of Labour’s pledges to consumers.
During last year’s election campaign, Ed Miliband, now Energy Secretary, promised that the shift to clean energy would save households £300 per year by 2030.
Mr O’Shea said: “We need to stop having a polarised debate populated with unsubstantiated, but convenient, sound bites.
“I fully support the move to a cleaner energy system. I am simply very frustrated that people peddle misinformation at best, and disinformation at worst.”
The British Gas boss made no mention of any particular politicians or parties, but his judgment contradicts claims made in last year’s Labour Party manifesto, which said, “Families and businesses will have lower bills for good, from a zero-carbon electricity system.”
Mr Miliband said soon after he was appointed Energy Secretary: “The only way to guarantee our energy security and cut bills permanently is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards home-grown clean energy.”
Andrew Bowie, the shadow energy minister, said: “Ed Miliband’s mad dash to net zero by 2050 has been built on ideological dogma, with a total disregard for the consequences inflicted upon the British public.
“Far from driving bills down by the £300 he promised, his war on North Sea oil and gas and his obsession with solar panels built with Chinese slave labor will drive up the cost of energy.”
Read rest at The Telegraph
Not only will their utility bills go down as the grid goes more and more to “green energy” costs will soar as well as blackouts and brownouts will become more and more common. See, for example, what just happened in Spain and Portugal.