‘Out-of-sync’ Sunak accused of floundering on pledge to scrap windfarm ban

In fact, a report from experts at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) found that surging wholesale gas prices have cost UK energy suppliers an additional £50billion to £60billion, on top of the £10billion to £20billion spent in a normal year.

Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, head of analysis at ECIU, said: “As the IMF has pointed out, the energy crisis hit UK households harder than those in other western European countries because, as a nation, we’re incredibly dependent on gas. The price of gas is largely set by international markets, so the only way to protect yourself is to use less.

“The onshore wind ban has been one of the barriers to this. We’re also running behind places like Sweden, Poland and Estonia on installing electric heat pumps.”

Alice Harrison, Fossil Fuels Campaign Leader at Global Witness, said: “It’s outrageous that in the midst of an economic crisis, a climate crisis and Russia‘s war in Ukraine – all crises caused by our dependency on fossil fuels – that it is even being debated whether the UK should boost investment in renewable energy. It shouldn’t take political infighting for this government to be dragged to a blatantly common sense position.”

The Government has been approached for comment.

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1740379/Sunak-onshore-windfarm-ban-energy-bills-commitment-Hugh-Fearnley-Whittingstall