COUNTRIES that heavily rely on hydropower are paying far less to heat their homes than the UK, according to a new report.
Analysis conducted by the Australian Energy Council found that countries like Canada and Norway – who are dominated by hydroelectrical plants - have the lowest household electricity prices in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
To date, Canada obtains most of its electricity from hydro (60%), while Norway generates almost all (93%) of its needs from hydroelectricity plants.
Meanwhile, hydropower accounts for the lowest proportion of energy generated in the UK at 1.8%, lower than coal (2%), oil (2.8%), nuclear (15.3%) and gas with the largest share (40.1%).
And British household energy costs per kilowatt hour outstrips European neighbours like Switzerland, Sweden and Austria, who all heavily rely on hydropower for their energy supply.
According to Luke Murphy, associate director for energy and climate at the IPPR think tank, the higher the dependency on gas, the higher costs are likely to be.
"Had we had a higher proportion of renewables in our energy mix, there's no doubt that consumers would have lower bills," Murphy told Sky News.
The UK ranks sixth out of the 31 countries in the OECD for its dependency on gas.
The report comes as the UK’s Energy Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, conceded that the Government’s nuclear plan to introduce eight new nuclear reactors by 2030, could increase household energy bills in the near future.
This plan was described as a “con” by political opponents.
Meanwhile, the SNP has called on the UK Government to use the inflated oil and gas prices to invest in a carbon capture site in the North East of Scotland, and to match the Scottish Government’s £500 million Just Transition investment.
Commenting, the SNP’s Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change Alan Brown MP said: “The SNP has long held the view that the future of Scotland’s energy must come from clean, renewable sources.
“Sadly though, the outdated Westminster system that Scotland is currently chained too continues to take a different stance on the issue – investing in nuclear energy rather than things like wind which is the cheapest form of power."
Brown also called on the UK Government to invest in the ditched Scottish Cluster carbon capture project in a bid to meet emission reduction targets - pointing to the £13.6 billion of Scottish additional income from inflated oil prices as means to do it.
He added: "The UK Government must also progress pumped hydro which can be built at a fraction of the cost. SSE have all the permissions in place and are ready to build a new pumped storage hydro scheme at Corie Glas in the Highlands. All that is required is an agreement on a minimum price of electricity.
“It is high time the UK Government finally got their act together and resolved all of these issues. There can be no more delays.”
