Gideon Amos, the Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton and Wellington - who worked on offshore wind generation projects before being elected an MP - has backed his party’s new plan to halve the cost of energy bills for a typical household.
Mr Amos also criticised Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch for peddling “ludicrous” myths about renewable energy.
The plan, launched by Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey in a major speech this week, includes breaking the link between gas prices and electricity prices, so that people can enjoy clean, cheap power.
The cost of electricity is currently set by the price of gas 97% of the time – even though half of our electricity comes from renewables, which are much cheaper than gas.
The proposals from the Liberal Democrats would slash a typical household’s energy bills by £870 by 2035, down from £1,720 currently.
Mr Amos and the party are also calling for investment into cheap renewable power and home insulation to be accelerated, so households and businesses see the benefits of cheap renewables in lower energy bills.
A key part of the proposal is moving older, expensive renewable projects to cheaper Contracts for Difference – which were pioneered by Ed Davey when he was Energy Secretary.
It is estimated by experts that this move alone could cut bills by about £200 a year for a typical household.
Mr Amos and his fellow Lib Dems have also condemned Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage for their “ludicrous” myths about renewable energy and wanting to tie the UK to fossil fuels, a move which Ed Davey said will “only benefit Vladimir Putin”.
Mr Amos said: “Bills being paid for homes in Taunton and Wellington are still fully £50 per month more than they were five years ago, that’s a rip off the Conservatives failed to put right, their friends in Reform would make it badly worse.
“When Russia invaded Ukraine gas bills went through the roof just showing how expensive gas is. So going back to gas, oil and coal, as Farage proposes would make bills even higher, would only help Putin and give the UK less security.
“It’s time to call out this nonsensical costly and polluting idea from the Conservatives and Reform.
“They seem to have forgotten that energy from the sun and the wind arrives cost free, doesn’t need digging up, doesn’t need burning to make energy and doesn’t pollute our towns, cities and planet.
“Solar and wind generated electricity is way cheaper than from gas, even when you factor in extra system costs for back-up power when the wind isn’t blowing, or the sun isn’t shining”.
“Our plan would break the link between gas prices and energy costs so people can enjoy the true benefits of cheap, clean, renewable power and Britain has security of supply instead of relying on dictators like Putin.
“By using the same price guarantee that has worked for decades to make the UK the biggest offshore wind nation in the world, when Ed Davey was Energy Secretary, we can and will cut people’s bills in half”.
