Britain’s low carbon energy revolution is actually saving money for households, a report says.
Blades Being Installed on a Wind Turbine at Yelvertoft Wind Farm (Image: T. Larkum)
Households make a net saving of £11 a month, according to analysis from the Committee on Climate Change.
It calculates that subsidies to wind and solar are adding £9 a month to the average bill, but that rules promoting energy efficiency save £20 a month.
Savings
The trend is being driven by government and EU standards for gas boilers and household appliances like fridges and light bulbs. These bring down carbon emissions and bills at the same time.
It means households don’t need to try specially hard to reduce energy usage – it just happens when they replace their old freezer.
The report says bills are about £115 lower in real terms since the Climate Change Act in 2008, having risen around £370 from 2004 to 2008 as international gas prices rose.
Gas and electricity use have been cut by 23% and 17% respectively, saving the average household £290 a year.
Many of the easy savings on highly inefficient devices have already been made, but the committee says it has been assured by manufacturers that more can be done.
The authors predict an annual bill reduction of £150 by 2030, driven by a mass switch to LED lights, and full take-up of more efficient condensing gas boilers.
This, they say, would more than compensate for another £100 a year rise from increased renewables deployment.
“What’s interesting, is that people aren’t having to strive to make these savings. They could save much more energy if they consciously set about it.”
said the committee chair Lord Deben
Read more: BBC News