Wind and solar energy are cheap - so why aren't my bills?

Cheap renewable energy doesn’t always mean cheap energy bills - that’s because of how electricity prices are set and, even more importantly, the crazy high price of gas.

So, what can be done to change that? We look at how renewable energy could be used to drive down energy bills during this cost of living crisis. Climate reporter Simon Roach explains all.

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[johnyurgil]

Highly misleading, and not going to solve the underlying problem. The simple way to explain this is by asking: which is more expensive, a single electric system or a redundant one? Any time you build renewable energy systems, you must either build backup generators that run on fossil fuels, or backup energy storage based on some kind of (presently as of 2023) expensive batteries or pumped storage civil engineering project, like a dam. If you use electricity at night, on cloudy days, or when there isn't enough wind, you still expect the lights to come on. At those moments you are paying for the other energy supply to work, and you are always paying a sort of flat fee for that reliable energy to be there when you need it. This is a general trend in developed nations where higher shares of weather-dependent energy correlate with higher prices.

[Robbins]

I’ve been wondering this very question for a while now. Thanks for the handy explainer

[JiminhoMrC]

Fair play to C4 for explaining it without the politics

[paulb]

If renewables performed as promised, the most expensive gas plants would not operate. Leaving just the most efficient gas plants which are cheaper. Pointing at fossil fuels is the renewable sector talking.

[JamesSmith-qshx]

What if you want to use electricity at night?

[acolli]

If producers didn't have to sell gas to the domestic market at international market rates we wouldn't be paying through the nose to heat/light our homes this winter

[InterdimensionalWiz]

energy? get a 340 litre wheely bin, put a gas tap in the lid, fill with kitchen waste, weeds, water and a cow pat, silicone the lid down, a methane bio digester! it will provide 50-100kw hours per month of methane natural gas for cooking, heating, it will run any engine with a spark plug, generator, car etc. after digestion what is left is called 'blackjack' the best bio fertiliser for 10x veg growing. gas storage, use a tractor inner tube, lilo, dingy, air bed, more pressure, put a brick on it. get everyone off grid!

[kostas]

Does that mean renewable energy companies have been collecting obscene profits?

[stephenwalker]

Presenter uses the word 'cut' whilst showing a pair of scissors 'cutting' a bit of paper. 🤣

[yeanswers]

Very interesting an engaging what a great summary

[paulhoskin]

I've just had my new gas and electric bill gas up 40% electric up 19% .crafty putting the gas up more now that's its winter

[ThisisnotTwitter]

So all energy has ridiculously been charged at the price of the highest product on offer... so where did all the excess profit go?...

[geetarwanabe]

I was on 100% renewable prior to 2022. I cant afford it now.

[YoSmoked]

I pray for everyone who reads this that whatever they are going through gets better, whatever they are suffering with or worrying about will be okay, and that everyone has a wonderful day. Amen ❤

[pstanyer]

Don't you know the wind is charging the companies more to blow and due to climate change the sun is charging more to shine

[corwinroberts]

Our energy s expensive because of greed, government or otherwise, , all those could have been far far cheap if they'd listen to telsa, and for this humanity will pay this terrible cost by fighting wars.

[ithinkthat]

"That won't address the underlying causes of why they shot so high in the first place." Why didn't you explain that the sanctions placed on Russia's gas has caused skyrocketing gas prices, not to mention that mysterious terrorist attack on Nordstream 1 and 2. At least be honest about it.

[christopher]

John 3:16-21

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Mark 1.15

15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

[shytot]

Renewables (or to give them their correct term Unreliables) will never be cheap because they need reliable back up.
So when the wind doesn't blow we have to ramp up the reliable sources to bail out the unreliable sources - and mess up the grid to accommodate the Unrelaibles.
On top of that, the 26GW (or so) of so called installed wind capacity in the UK generates (at best on a good day) 15GW and contributes (again at best) 15% of our demand. If you double or quadruple that installed (so called) capacity you will still be 30-40% short. so you still need cheap reliable alternatives.

So in very simple terms, it doesn't matter how much the reliable energy source costs or how much renewables we install, we have to pay for 2 energy sources in order to make Unreliables look like they are contributing. So we should get back to cheap reliable sources and let the Wind Turbine investors (with their subsidies and unhonoured strike prices) go it alone and supply their cheap (and apparently it was once free) energy without us all paying for it twice.

[lexneuron]

Just install solar panel to your own rooftop, and install a few lithium batteries in your garage or the storage room. Hook up the wire to your bedroom, living room and kitchen, and also your heating units. That's it.
Your video sounds very indicative of, if not sufficient to be implicating, your attempt to justify the unreasonable and unjust high energy bills set up by the bureaucrats. One wouldn't venture to call it smelling fishy, lest MI7 or something like that might call upon the ones having so ventured, but it does smell a lot like what one would experience when walking by a fish market.