THE two remaining candidates to become the next prime minister have been urged to fix the “rip-off” charges being foisted on Scotland’s renewables sector.
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have been asked to explain their positions on the “extortionate” fees levied on Scottish energy firms, while some English firms are subsidised.
For a Scots energy company to connect to the grid it will cost £7.36 per megawatt-hour (MWh) in the north of Scotland and £4.70 per MWh in the south of Scotland transmission area.
The SNP said this is the highest charge in Europe, adding that “independent countries of a similar size to Scotland [are] charged a fraction of that or nothing at all”.
The party said the charges were “pushing prices up for consumers during the worst cost of living crisis in living memory”.
READ MORE: This is the key to powering an independent Scotland’s future
Connecting to the grid in England and Wales generally costs a fraction of the Scottish charge at just £0.49 per MWh. In southern England, generators are actually paid to connect to the grid.
Energy regulator Ofgem has said it will improve connections to facilitate the transmission of more renewable electricity from Scotland to areas of high demand in England.
SNP MSP for Aberdeenshire East Gillian Martin (below) said Westminster was treating Scotland as a “cash cow”.
She said: “Scotland is being held back as a direct result of Westminster control. There is no better demonstration of that than the extortionate charges energy companies are facing to access the National Grid to export their products.
“Scotland is awash with energy resources and is set to be a powerhouse for renewables, but we are being continually held back by Westminster treating Scotland as its cash cow.
“Independent countries of a similar size to Scotland charge next to nothing for access to their grids, meaning consumers in Scotland are facing the brunt of extra charges when their bills land on their doorstep.
“During the worst cost of living crisis in recent memory the candidates for prime minister should be considering all options to reduce bills for households across the country and fixing the rip-off grid charges is just one measure that can help reduce energy bills.
“This is another demonstration of how Westminster control is holding back Scotland and the only way we can unleash our full potential is with independence.”
The methodology for the transmission charges was devised for England and Wales in 1992 following the privatisation of the National Grid, and extended to Scotland in 2005.
The charges were designed to encourage generators to build close to consumers, meaning renewable projects like Scotland’s offshore windfarms will have to pay more to connect their energy to the grid.
Figures provided from the House of Commons library in 2021 showed that the electricity network in Scotland accounts for almost 52% of the total network in Great Britain with 9300 kilometres in Scotland and 8700km in England and Wales.
Sunak has publicly ruled out allowing any more onshore windfarms to be built should he win the race to No 10.
Both the Sunak and Truss campaigns were contacted for comment.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel