UK Wind Power Subsidies Much Lower than People Think

A new survey by OnePoll, commissioned by RenewableUK, reveals that the UK public think that subsidies for wind power are over fourteen times the amount they actually are.

OnePoll questioned 2,000 UK adults and found that the average estimate was £259 from a typical £1,300 annual domestic dual-fuel energy bill. In fact, subsidies for wind power amount to as little as £18 per household a year.

The polling also revealed that over 90% of people underestimate public support for wind power in the UK. The use of wind energy enjoys consistently high popularity ratings of 70%, but those surveyed thought approval ratings were only 40%.

RenewableUK Chief Executive Maria McCaffery commented: “These independent polls show there are considerable misconceptions about the cost of supporting wind energy – it’s much lower than people think, at just 35p a week per household. It’s also revealing to see that wind has almost double the amount of public support than was estimated.

“This suggests that the loud voices of a small minority, too-often perpetuated by negative rhetoric in some parts of the media, are trying to distort the facts. The truth is that the vast majority of the British population – seventy per cent – are pro-wind power.”

The same polling has shown that several other facts about wind power are misunderstood.

The research revealed that 9 in 10 people underestimate the reliability of wind turbines, not realising that they generate electricity between 70% and 85% of the time. Two thirds of those asked mistakenly thought that wind turbines generate energy less than half the time.

Three quarters of people (75%) overestimated how much wind is needed to keep a wind turbine spinning, thinking that it takes at least 14 miles per hour (mph). In fact, a wind speed of just 7 mph is needed for a wind turbine to generate electricity. A wind speed of 7mph is a light breeze – just enough to make leaves start to rustle.

Ms McCaffery said: “Wind power is playing an increasingly central role in our energy mix – it’s the largest single source of renewable electricity and will continue to provide the lion’s share of clean power in the decades ahead, as we increase our capacity to harness one of our best natural resources. Wind power is a clean, efficient and home-grown solution to Britain’s energy needs.

“Onshore and offshore wind provided nearly 10% of the UK’s total electricity supply in 2014 – enough to power the equivalent of 6.7 million homes all year round. 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.”