Wasted wind power is expected to increase UK household electricity bills by £40 in 2023, with the potential to reach £150 by 2026.
That’s according to a report by Carbon Tracker, which attributes the rise to transmission bottlenecks between Scotland and England, causing inefficiencies in electricity distribution.
The practice of wind curtailment, shutting down wind farms while boosting power stations, passes on costs to consumers.
Currently, most offshore wind farms are in England, notably Dogger Bank off Yorkshire’s coast, while Scotland hosts about half of onshore wind farms.
Carbon Tracker warns of a growing trend, with curtailment payments costing £590 million since 2023, set to escalate to an estimated £180 annual increase in consumer bills by 2030.
