The energy watchdog is investigating claims that wind farm operators have overestimated the amount of energy they are set to generate, saddling customers with millions of pounds in extra costs. Wind farm operators are often paid to switch off their turbines when generation outstrips demand to prevent the electricity grid from being overloaded. So-called curtailment…
A change in the way that renewable energy companies are paid for the power they produce has been put forward by the government in an effort to reduce the millions of pounds handed to generators to switch off. The contracts for difference (CfD) scheme pays sustainable energy operators based on the amount of power they…
One of the world’s biggest wind farm developers has agreed to invest £100 million to build a 70-acre plant on Teesside to assemble the wind turbines for a vast new offshore project. Danish developer Ørsted is building the factory on land at Teesworks, Europe’s biggest brownfield site and the location of the former Redcar steelworks…
Energy bills for most households in Britain will fall by £122 to an average of £1,568 a year from July 1, offering some relief to millions of households. Ofgem lowered the price cap after a sustained fall in wholesale gas prices from the highs reached in the immediate aftermath of the war in Ukraine. The…
Flutter Entertainment is set to take an estimated £1 billion bet on the Brazilian market after entering talks to buy one of the country’s biggest gambling operators. The company, which declined to comment, is believed to have made a formal offer for Betnacional, Brazil’s fifth biggest gambling operator. It is owned by the British-based NSX…
Scotland’s renewable energy industry has been dealt a “major blow” after no offshore wind projects received support in the UK government’s pricing auction. Scottish Renewables, the trade body, said that “urgent reform” was needed, while others suggested that the result should be a “wake-up call” for Westminster. Companies had already warned that the cost inflation…
A ban on energy firms force-fitting prepayment meters has been extended to protect millions more people including the over-75s and families with children under two, in a significant victory for a campaign by The Times. Ofgem, the energy regulator, announced its new legally enforceable rules for energy companies on Wednesday following a public consultation. The…
On the day The Times visits Port Talbot, a 40mph gale is blowing, whipping up white horses in the bay. If this were the North Sea, offshore wind turbines would be spinning furiously. Here, however, because the nearby waters of the Celtic Sea are too deep to attach turbines to the seabed, the energy is…
British Gas is being investigated for sending “marketing” emails to customers warning that their old meters urgently need replacing because they may catch fire. When one panicked customer asked for details, he was told it was just a new advertising strategy to persuade customers to switch to smart energy meters and he need not worry….