Household energy bills would be cut by £165 under policies introduced by a Conservative government, Tories have said. Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho pledged to slash prices and scrap the “climate targets” championed by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
She said that net zero has “become a religion” and “is not working for Britain and it’s not working for the climate”. Speaking at the Conservative conference in Manchester, she said her “cheap-power plan” would cut £165 off the average household bill.
Changes include scrapping the carbon tax on electricity generation, which adds to the price of fuel bills, and scrapping the renewable obligation subsidy scheme. Launched by Labour in 2002, and doubled by Mr Miliband in 2008, the subsidies mean renewable energy producers receive significantly above market payments for their electricity – up to three times more than the market price of electricity.
Together, axing the carbon tax and scrapping Mr Miliband’s old wind subsidies will cut the average household electricity bill – currently just over £850 – by £165, Ms Coutinho said.
She told the conference: “Increasing the cost of electricity is the worst possible climate policy, too.
“If you want people to use electric cars, here’s a revolutionary idea – make electricity cheap. If you want people to use electric heating, make electricity cheap.
“If you want to build data centres, to cut bills, and drive growth, make electricity cheap.
“So I can promise you this. When it comes to energy policy, our priority won’t be ideology. It won’t be vested interests. It won’t be fake promises we can’t deliver. It will be cheap, reliable, abundant energy.”
She also said a future Tory government would scrap the ban on new oil and gas licences, reverse the energy profits levy and start drilling in the North Sea again.
She told Conservative Party conference: “Ed Miliband’s plan to ban new drilling would make us the only country in the world shutting down our own energy supplies, with up to 200,000 jobs and £12billion in tax revenue lost.
“Why? So that we can import more gas from Norway, from the same field that we could drill ourselves.
“Our imports of liquefied gas are soaring by over 40% per single year. So, conference, I can tell you this – as long as we need gas, as much as possible should come from Britain.”
And she told the Conservative conference that the party would scrap Great British Energy if it wins the next election.
Ms Coutinho told members it was a “vanity project that won’t cut bills” from Mr Miliband.