E.On boss: Remove green levies to cut energy bills
The UK government should cut rising energy bills by getting rid of levies that subsidise renewable energy, the boss of E.On UK has said.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Michael Lewis said green subsidies should be funded through tax instead.
Regulators have warned that consumer energy bills will be hit by soaring prices of fossil fuels globally.
Wholesale energy prices rose on Thursday after a key electricity cable between Britain and France shut down.
Mr Lewis said: "This is going to be a very challenging winter for customers and for suppliers and there is a real short-term imperative to do what we can to help consumers."
Green levies account for around a quarter of energy bills, he said.
Mr Lewis recommended removing green levies and paying for subsidies through general taxation, "so these costs are funded more progressively and we level the playing field on the cost of cleaner heating."
"Then we can also start to apply something like a carbon tax on gas on a 'polluter pays' principle," he added.
and so on...
Progressive taxation? Not in today's UK - where NI is increased to "pay for" health care (not social care) and income tax (paid by all with income) is left untouched.
A
2.0 kW/4.62 MWhr pa in Ripples, 4.5 kWp W-facing pv, 9.5 kWhr batt
30 solar thermal tubes, 2MWhr pa in Stockport, plus Congleton and Kinlochbervie Hydros,
Most travel by bike, walking or bus/train. Veg, fruit - and Bees!
Surprised he hasn't had the gall to ask for the lottery to cover future EON works as his investors are expecting a big lunch this year.
1906 ripplewatts @wind Turb-ine-erry
It's the wifes Tesla 3 (she lets me wash it)
Leaf 24
Celotex type insulation stuffed most places
Skip diver to the gentry
Austroflamm WBS
A finger of solar + shed full more
E.On boss: Remove green levies to cut energy bills
The UK government should cut rising energy bills by getting rid of levies that subsidise renewable energy, the boss of E.On UK has said.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Michael Lewis said green subsidies should be funded through tax instead.
Regulators have warned that consumer energy bills will be hit by soaring prices of fossil fuels globally.
Wholesale energy prices rose on Thursday after a key electricity cable between Britain and France shut down.
Mr Lewis said: "This is going to be a very challenging winter for customers and for suppliers and there is a real short-term imperative to do what we can to help consumers."
Green levies account for around a quarter of energy bills, he said.
Mr Lewis recommended removing green levies and paying for subsidies through general taxation, "so these costs are funded more progressively and we level the playing field on the cost of cleaner heating."
"Then we can also start to apply something like a carbon tax on gas on a 'polluter pays' principle," he added.
and so on...
Progressive taxation? Not in today's UK - where NI is increased to "pay for" health care (not social care) and income tax (paid by all with income) is left untouched.
A
I agree with most of his views there too, except the bit about general taxation funding the levies, we should know by now that tax doesn't fund GOVT spending, it's the other way round, GOVT spending funds taxpaying. It is a shame that they blew 37bn on a virtually useless track and trace system rather than green projects, imagine how much tax they could be generating.