UKUK abandons zonal pricingEd Miliband has dropped zonal pricing plans amid fears of investor backlash and higher bills for southern households. The Guardian reports that the Energy Secretary is under pressure from Number 10 to show when his reforms will lower bills. Net Zero Watch welcomed the news on zonal pricing, calling the proposal a “sticking plaster” that avoids fixing the core issue. Net Zero to cost UK £800bn, warns fiscal watchdogThe OBR has warned that Net Zero could cost the UK government £803 billion by 2050, with £30bn a year in spending and lost tax revenues—mainly from scrapped fuel duties. Responding, Net Zero Watch’s Andrew Montford said the real cost to the whole economy could be ten times higher. NHS’ Net Zero ambitions divert funds from careThe NHS’s ambitious goal to hit net zero by 2040 is under fire as waiting lists top 7 million and financial pressures intensify. Reform UK and other critics argue that strict decarbonisation rules—extending to 80,000 suppliers—are driving up procurement costs and diverting resources from patient care. Delays to vital cables blow hole in Miliband’s 2030 grid plansThe Times reports that delays to two major grid upgrades — Norwich to Tilbury and Sea Link — mean new offshore wind can’t be used, forcing billpayers to cover £4.2bn in wasted power by 2030. Top government adviser: heat pump savings not clearThe government’s top scientific adviser has admitted it’s unclear whether heat pumps save money. Despite being central to Miliband’s Net Zero plan, they remain costly, unpopular, and may not cut bills — prompting warnings of a “mis-selling scandal” and growing public resistance. Reform UK axes Kent Net Zero plans to save £40mKent Council will ditch electric cars and green building upgrades under Reform UK plans to cut £40m in spending. Party leaders say this is just the start of slashing waste across local government.
|
