Move over wind farms: why some argue cutting costs is the best way to cut carbon
When Gavin Tait, a 69-year-old from Glasgow, retired a decade ago, he made a bold decision. Investing a lump sum in renewable energy, he installed solar panels, a home battery, and a heat pump. “It felt like an obvious choice,” he recalls. “I could save money and support the environment—why not?” Initially, the plan worked well. His energy bills dropped, and the well-insulated home remained warm. But recent winters revealed a shift. “Electricity costs started to rise sharply,” he notes. This season, he and his wife reverted to their gas boiler, a backup they’d kept. Gavin shared his story with BBC Your Voice, highlighting a growing concern.
Costs of switching to heat pumps
Two-thirds of 1,000 heat pump owners surveyed last summer by Censuswide for Ecotricity reported higher heating expenses. Gavin’s case exemplifies this trend. While gas boilers provide roughly one unit of heat per unit of energy, heat pumps generate up to three or four units. However, the reliance on electricity has raised costs. At 27p per kilowatt-hour, his energy bills now surpass those of gas, which costs less than 6p per unit. “It’s straightforward,” he says. “Economically, it no longer makes sense.”
“It all depends on what you choose to measure,” says Sir Dieter Helm, a professor at Oxford University. “Focusing solely on generation costs overlooks the bigger picture.”
For critics, this points to a systemic issue. Despite accounting for just 10% of emissions, electricity generation has become a central policy focus. This, they argue, is driving up energy prices and complicating efforts to decarbonize heating and transport. These sectors contribute over 40% of the UK’s emissions, yet progress seems to lag. The government claims renewable energy will eventually reduce reliance on imported gas, cut emissions, and lower bills. But is this the right path?
Expanding the energy system
The transition to renewables demands more than just generating power. Sir Dieter Helm points out that the system must handle constant demand. In the past, 60GW of capacity from coal, gas, and nuclear plants met the UK’s peak electricity needs of around 45GW. Now, with renewables, the capacity required has nearly doubled. “We’re moving toward 120GW,” he estimates. Grid expansion is also a key factor—connecting offshore wind farms to urban areas adds significant expenses. These include network charges for new pylons and balancing costs to compensate wind farms when electricity can’t be absorbed.
Meanwhile, the UK’s climate poses a challenge. Offshore wind, though a valuable resource, faces limitations due to often overcast winters. Solar power has seen cost reductions from mass production, but Britain’s weather restricts its effectiveness. Critics suggest that the focus on cleaner electricity is creating a mismatch between cost and impact. While renewables are cheaper to produce, the infrastructure needed to support them increases overall expenses.
