BRITAIN shelled out almost £1.5billion to turn off wind farms and fire up gas plants this year when the electric grid could not cope.
The bill, recovered through levies on household and business energy tariffs, is about a fifth higher than in 2024 as wind capacity increases faster than the cables needed for it.
The National Energy System Operator, which replaced the National Grid in balancing supply and demand, pays wind farms in remote areas to stop generating if transmission lines are full, then buys power closer to where it is needed.
Figures from Octopus Energy‘s Wasted Wind tracker show total “constraint” costs rose from £1.23billion to £1.46billion.
Payments to wind farms dipped from £395million to £380million but the cost of replacing lost renewable output — usually with gas — jumped from £835million to £1.08billion.
Octopus — the UK’s biggest energy supplier — said costs could hit £8billion a year by 2030 without reform and said the system is “broken”.
Industry regulator Ofgem said constraints had added £15 to a typical annual bill.
This month it approved around £70billion to upgrade high-voltage networks over five years, which it says will add about £60 to bills by 2030 — but will avoid even higher constraint charges.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the grid upgrade would cut costs and improve energy security.
CINEMAS EXIT
THE boss of upmarket cinema firm Everyman Media Group has stepped down weeks after warning over sales and profits.
Alex Scrimgeour has been replaced by non-executive director Farah Golant until a permanent chief executive is appointed.
Shares hit record lows following a December alert. The finance director resigned, piling pressure on the group’s leadership.
The chain runs 49 cinemas across the UK.
DEVON CREAM
PLYMOUTH saw the steepest UK rise in house values in 2025, with Stafford next.
The Devon city’s average was £278,808, up 12.6 per cent on 2024, with Stafford 12 per cent up at £321,248.
Wigan, in third, was 10.5 per cent higher at £249,562. Liverpool, Falkirk and Hull also made the top ten.
Top loser, Crawley, West Sussex, fell 8.9 per cent to £372,202. Lloyds said of its study: “Money goes further some places.”
PRICE RISE ‘BUMPY RIDE’
HOLIDAYMAKERS are being told to brace for pricier tickets as regional airports face hikes in business rates next year.
Tax firm Ryan calculates a sector-wide uplift of up to 295 per cent in some cases after a Government revaluation.
Bills at airports are set to soar over the next three years.
Manchester’s will jump £4.2million to £18.1million, Bristol by £1.2million to £5.2million, Birmingham by £1.8million to £7.6million and Newcastle by £244,755 to £1.1million.
Ryan’s Alex Probyn said: “Costs will inevitably flow into ticket prices.”
