Controversial green taxes are to rise sharply over the next few years, slapping nearly £300 on electricity bills, according to official figures. Dr Benny Peiser, the director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation warned that the DECC figures are “very conservative and are likely to be much higher”.
In cash terms the cost of the taxes will rise from about £138 to £286.
The taxes include the Renewables Obligation which subsidises green energy such as wind farms, a tax on carbon emissions to encourage firms to use cleaner energy more efficiently and cash for the vulnerable to help pay for bills.
Other levies include the Energy Company Obligation making energy firms spend £1.1billion over the next two years to make homes energy efficient.
The Coalition faces a battle over energy policies. Prime Minister David Cameron has hinted at cuts to green subsidies while Chancellor George Osborne has made it clear that he does not want them to make Britain uncompetitive. But Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable says that axing green policies would be “short-sighted and foolish”.
TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive Matthew Sinclair, said: “Many families are going to struggle to pay their energy bills this winter, but instead of helping, politicians are adding to the problem with expensive green taxes.
“Rather than meddle in the market even more and risk the lights going out, the Government should scrap useless energy policies that make it much harder for people to make ends meet.”
The DECC says energy efficiency programmes will help cut bills. “It’s the global gas price, not green subsidies, that has primarily been pushing up energy bills,” said a spokesman.