Britain has already blown past £1.5bn paid to switch off wind farms — with three months still to go

From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026.

September alone cost households £404 million in so-called 'constraint payments' — a record single month — after the total surpassed last year's entire £1.47 billion figure. 30 September stood as the costliest single day, with wind and gas generators collecting £30 million in just 24 hours. Energy bills have simultaneously risen to a three-year high, with a further rise expected in January.

On windy days, turbines generate more power than local grids can handle, so operators are paid to switch off while gas plants near cities are fired up to compensate.

The Middle East war is pushing up gas prices, making the replacement power even costlier, while temporary grid upgrades in Scotland have made the problem WORSE.

Critics say the spiralling bill exposes the folly of Labour's net-zero obsession, while manufacturers already face some of the highest energy costs in the developed world.