Caroline Flint MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, responding to the Government’s announcement on renewable energy, said:

“This announcement creates further uncertainty right across the renewable sector. Renewables should move towards being free of subsidy, but retrospective changes that cost jobs and cut investment will make that harder to achieve.

“Since taking office the Government have undermined two of the cheapest forms of clean energy, onshore wind and solar. Hampering the development of cheap forms of clean energy will see bills rise, not fall.

“Environmental costs make up far less of household bills than wholesale energy costs and while those wholesale costs are at a five year low, that still isn’t being reflected in consumer bills. The Government have done nothing to tackle that despite households being overcharged by the Big Six by more than a billion pounds a year.”