Reform tells energy firms it would scrap their clean power subsidies
The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme sees developers guaranteed a fixed price for electricity – independent of the wholesale price – in the hope of encouraging companies to invest in renewable projects.
In a letter on Wednesday to companies including Octopus Energy and SSE Renewables , Mr Tice claimed 'there is no public mandate for the real-world consequences' of the clean power agenda.
If Reform won an election, he said 'we will seek to strike down all contracts signed under AR7' – the upcoming allocation round for CfDs.
'Let me be clear: if you enter bids in AR7, you do so at your own risk. The political consensus that has sheltered your industry for nearly two decades is fracturing.'
He added that participation in the upcoming CfD auction 'carries significant political, financial and regulatory risk' for company shareholders.
Climate analysts said the move would drive away investment and put British jobs in jeopardy.
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: 'Polling shows the public see clean energy as the number one growth sector for the UK.
'Arguing against British renewables is arguing for more foreign gas, which will increasingly come from abroad as the North Sea continues its inevitable decline – a geological fact.
'Ripping up long-term policies and changing agreed contracts is likely to destroy the UK's credibility as a solid place to invest and with it, leave us more reliant on gas from abroad whose price we have no significant control over.'
Labour said the letter showed Reform was 'actively trying to discourage businesses from investing in clean energy in the UK – leaving bills higher for families, threatening hundreds of thousands of good jobs across the country and putting our energy security at risk.'
'They are disgracefully trying to undermine the UK's national interest,' a party spokesman said.
Mr Tice's letter followed a Government decision to allow offshore wind farms to be able to apply for the energy contracts while they are still waiting for full planning consent in a bid to hasten development.
Officials have said changes to the scheme will include increasing the length of contracts from 15 years to 20 years for offshore wind, onshore wind and solar projects.
The letter also came shortly after Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said greater use of CfDs would cut bills for households by breaking the link between electricity costs and the price of gas.
He said: 'We're all paying that higher gas price in our bills, even though most of the energy we're using comes from much cheaper, renewable sources.'
Sir Ed also accused Reform leader Nigel Farage of peddling 'myths' about net zero and vowing to challenge 'snake oil sales' with 'thought through' policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
2 minutes ago
- Metro
What today's car finance Supreme Court ruling could mean for you
Millions of motorists could soon be due compensation as part of a car finance 'secret' commission scandal. A landmark Supreme Court ruling expected today could see millions of car buyers who bought their vehicle on finance receive compensation. The saga began when it was discovered that some car dealers had been paying hidden commissions as part of finance arrangements without telling their customers about it clearly. In October, the Court of Appeal ruled that these 'secret' payments to car dealers made before 2021 without the motorist's fully informed consent were unlawful, but lenders challenged this. Now the UK's top judges have to decide whether the 'secret' commissions were allowed – and this could have major ramifications for motorists and the sector. Here is a roundup of the case and what it could mean for drivers. There are two major cases running side by side – the Supreme Court ruling and a parallel investigation by the UK financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority. Today's ruling is the final step in the drawn-out case, which started after three drivers came forward last year, saying they had been missold over car finance. The drivers, who bought their cars before 2021, said they had not been told clearly enough or at all that the car dealers, who acted as credit brokers, would get a commission from the lenders as a reward for introducing business to them. Their monthly bills to pay back the car were slapped with a 25% commission without their consent. Possible car finance issues first came to light after the three drivers, Marcus Johnson, Andrew Wrench and Amy Hopcraft, bought a second-hand car. They used car dealers as brokers to negotiate the finance arrangements for the vehicles, all worth less than £10,000. But they were given only one finance option, and the car dealers made a profit from the sale of the car and pocketed a commission from the lender. The amount of the dealer's commission was affected by the interest rate on the loan. The Court of Appeal ruled in the motorists' favour – before British lender Close Brothers and South Africa's FirstRand appealed the ruling. It is now in front of Supreme Court judges, who will decide today whether the commission arrangements behind motorists' backs were unlawful or not. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has also been running its own investigation into car finance, and it discovered evidence of mis-selling of all types of car finance agreements across the country. Commission was paid on around 99% UK car finance agreements. The since-banned discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) saw brokers and dealers hike up the amount of interest they earned without telling buyers. This is thought to have encouraged sellers to maximise interest rates. The watchdog clamped down on the practice in 2021 and banned it, but by May, around 20,000 complaints had been logged by the Financial Ombudsman Service. The watchdog has estimated that around 40% of car finance deals between 2007 and 2021 may have been mis-sold to customers. The FCA is planning to launch its own redress scheme for consumers regarding the discretionary commission arrangements, which would likely come from the firms involved. The Supreme Court decision, if ruling in favour of the three drivers, could lead to a payout for people who took out a car loan before 2021. But if the decision goes against the drivers, then the scope of payments could be more limited. The decision is expected this afternoon. However, regardless of the court ruling, the FCA is likely to go ahead with its own redress scheme. The most crucial next step for motorists who took out a car finance loan between 2007 and 2021 will be the possible FCA redress scheme. If you were one of the thousands of people who took out a car finance agreement at that time and were not told about the commission arrangement, you might be eligible for the FCA scheme. More Trending However, the watchdog will have to iron out the details of what type of motor finance agreements the redress scheme will include. Mahesh Vara, a legal director for Shoosmiths, said today's decision could be a 'boon to claimants, firms and consumers.' He said: 'I think this is one of the first large-scale consumer mis-selling 'scandals' of the social media digital age. 'It's now leading to a greater expectation of there being almost a guaranteed payment. That is what the FCA will have to consider.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Expert reveals how to get out of a parking ticket MORE: World's narrowest car might finally make it easy to park
Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
In a rebuke to Trump, SNP backs world's largest wind farm
The 'largest' offshore windfarm in the world could be built in Scotland after the SNP Government granted planning permission. Ministers confirmed that the giant Berwick Bank project off the south east coast of Scotland - which will contain up to 307 turbines - has been given the go-ahead. Developers SSE Renewables, claim that, if it is fully delivered, then it 'would become the world's largest offshore wind farm'. Conservation groups raised concerns about the danger that the development will kill tens of thousands of puffins, kittiewakes and gannets, including globally important colonies at Bass Rock. It comes just days after Donald Trump attacked the spread of 'windmills' during his visit to Scotland, saying they were 'ruining' countries in Europe. Berwick Bank - proposed to be built 23 miles off the coast of St Abbs - aims to deliver 4.1 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, which is believed to be enough to power every home in Scotland twice over and around 17 per cent of the homes in the UK. The development will feature up to 307 turbines and have two connection points to the grid - one in Dunbar, East Lothian, and another in Blyth, Northumberland. But the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and partner conservation groups condemned the decision to approve the development. Anne McCall, director of RSPB Scotland, said: 'This is a very dark day for seabirds. It is a terrible decision on a really bad development. Berwick Bank would be catastrophic for Scotland's globally important seabirds which are already facing alarming declines. In addition, its impacts are so damaging they will make the relative impacts of other windfarms significantly higher. This one wind farm is going to make it really challenging to accelerate renewable projects across Scottish seas. We are incredibly concerned that Scottish Government have granted consent for a project which could catapult some of Scotland's most-loved seabird species towards extinction.' The National Trust for Scotland said the news was 'deeply disappointing', fearing there will be 'significant harm' caused to seabird colonies at the nearby St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve. A spokesperson said: 'At the National Trust for Scotland we are supportive of the drive towards renewable energy, but not at the expense of the very nature and habitats this effort is supposed to help save in the face of climate change.' The Scottish Government highlighted that the consent is subject to SSE Renewables producing a detailed sea bird compensation plan outlining how adverse impacts on seabirds will be compensated for. Stephen Wheeler, the managing director of SSE Renewables, said news of the approval is 'hugely welcome'. He added: 'At over 4GW of potential capacity, Berwick Bank can play a pivotal role in meeting the mission of Clean Power 2030 for the UK and achieving Scotland's decarbonisation and climate action goals. Berwick Bank has the potential to rapidly scale up Scotland's operational renewable energy capacity and can accelerate the delivery of homegrown, affordable and secure clean energy to UK consumers from Scottish offshore wind, helping meet the UK's clean power ambition by 2030.' The approval comes after the SNP Government unveiled a new target of having up to 40GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040, which is a significant ramping up from the existing target of 8-11GW by 2030. Based on current average operating capacities it would mean an increase from around 1,000 turbines in five years' time to 5,000 within 15 years. Scottish Conservative net zero and energy spokesman Douglas Lumsden said: 'Wind power is an important part of our energy mix, but it is not on its own enough to provide affordable power and energy security. Scotland will only prosper with a realistic energy policy that draws on nuclear, oil and gas and renewables - and only the Scottish Conservatives are committed to that. The hostility of both the SNP and Labour governments to North Sea oil and gas is costing an estimated 400 jobs a fortnight and increasing our reliance on imported fossil fuels. If they care about Scotland's interests, these two left-wing parties should ditch their opposition to our existing energy sector, embrace a mix of solutions and heed Kemi Badenoch's call to ditch the energy price levy.' Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: 'Ministers have given the Berwick Bank wind farm application extremely careful consideration. The decision to grant consent to Berwick Bank is a major step in Scotland's progress towards achieving net zero and tackling the climate crisis, as well as supporting national energy security and growing our green economy. It is also an important decision for Scotland's renewables sector, and this investment will be further built upon through the delivery of Scotland's significant future pipeline of offshore wind projects under the ScotWind and the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds.'
Western Telegraph
10 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
PM urged to review oil policy after Trump labels North Sea ‘a treasure chest'
Andrew Bowie called for a review of policies affecting the oil and gas industry. The US president was in Scotland earlier this week and during his visit he described the North Sea as 'a treasure chest for the United Kingdom', and warned fossil fuel taxes make 'no sense'. He also took aim at 'some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen', referring to wind turbines off the coast near Aberdeen. Mr Bowie has written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling for a meeting in London to explore the effects of oil and gas policies. Following his flying visit to Aberdeenshire with President Trump earlier this week, I've written to the Prime Minister urging him to heed the calls of all those he met on the EPL, overturn ban on licenses, ensure a future for our region & secure Britain's energy 👇 — Andrew Bowie (@AndrewBowie_MP) August 1, 2025 He referred to the windfall tax on the profits made from extracting UK oil and gas, introduced by the previous Conservative government in 2022 and retained until 2030 by Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves. In his letter to Sir Keir, Mr Bowie wrote: 'As president Trump has said, the UK's 'very high' tax on oil and gas companies is a deterrent to investment. 'The extension of the energy profits levy (EPL), coupled with uncertainty around future licensing and investment signals, has created a climate of instability that threatens jobs, innovation and the region's economic resilience. 'President Donald Trump's remarks during your visit – calling Aberdeen the 'oil capital of Europe' and urging the UK to 'bring it back' – reflect a sentiment shared by many in the region. 'May I urge you to consider the president's call to 'incentivise' domestic production of hydrocarbons? 'Oil and gas still have a vital role to play in our energy mix and economic future; British people would rather see the UK benefit from domestic exploration and drilling than import more from Norway and Qatar.' US President Donald Trump was in Scotland this week to open a new course at his Aberdeenshire golf resort (Jane Barlow/PA) Mr Bowie, who is the Conservative MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, added: 'Will you urgently call a meeting in Downing Street to conduct the review in partnership with industry leaders, our world-leading supply chain business, and the local workforce to ensure a coherent and sustainable path forward?' During his visit with Sir Keir, Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social website: 'North Sea Oil is a treasure chest for the United Kingdom. 'The taxes are so high, however, that it makes no sense. 'They have essentially told drillers and oil companies that, 'we don't want you'. 'Incentivise the drillers, fast. A vast fortune to be made for the UK, and far lower energy costs for the people.' Speaking at his Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire, Mr Trump said: 'When we go to Aberdeen, you'll see some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen, the height of a 50-storey building.' Gesturing with his hands, he added: 'You can take 1,000 times more energy out of a hole in the ground this big.' Sir Keir at the time said oil and gas are 'going to be with us for a very long time, and that'll be part of the mix, but also wind, solar, increasingly nuclear'. Aberdeen has been chosen by the Government to host the headquarters of GB Energy, a state-owned company set up to accelerate the rollout of renewables.
