UK public overestimates cost of wind power

The UK public holds "considerable misconceptions" about the cost of wind power, believing subsidies to be 14 times more than they actually are.

According to research commissioned by RenewableUK, the average customer thinks wind subsidies add £259 to a typical £1,300 annual domestic dual-fuel bill. In fact, these subsidies add as little as £18 per household per year.

The polls also showed that 90 per cent of people underestimate public support for wind power in the UK.

Currently, 70 per cent of the British public is pro-wind, although the majority of people surveyed believed the approval ratings were only 40 percent.

RenewableUK chief executive Maria McCaffery said the polls bring to light the “considerable misconceptions” about the cost of supporting wind power.

McCaffery said: “Onshore and offshore wind provided nearly 10 per cent of the UK’s total electricity supply in 2014… The more that people become aware of facts like this, the more they tend to support wind energy as the one of our most important power sources.”

The research shows that 90 per cent of people underestimate the reliability of wind turbines, with two thirds of those thinking turbines generate energy less than half the time. The reality is that they generate between 70 and 85 per cent of the time.

Three quarters of people overestimated how much wind is needed to keep a turbine spinning and generating electricity, believing it to be at least 14 mph. In fact, turbines can generate in wind speeds of seven mph.

McCaffery stressed that wind power, now the largest single source of renewable electricity, is playing an “increasing role” in the UK’s energy mix.

Back in January, the National Grid revealed that wind reached a record high in 2014, with a 15 per cent increase in the amount of energy generated on 2013 levels.