David Chadwick MP and Lib Dems set out plans to halve energy bills in a decade

David Chadwick, the Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, has backed their party’s new plan to halve the cost of energy bills for a typical household, criticising Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch for peddling “ludicrous” myths about renewable energy. 

The plan, launched by Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey in a major speech this week, includes breaking the link between gas prices and electricity prices, so that people can enjoy clean, cheap power. Right now, the cost of electricity is set by the price of gas 97% of the time, even though half of our electricity comes from renewables, which are much cheaper than gas. 

The proposals from the Liberal Democrats would slash a typical household’s energy bills by £870 by 2035, down from £1,720 currently.

David Chadwick and the party are also calling for investment into cheap renewable power and home insulation to be accelerated, so households and businesses see the benefits of cheap renewables in lower energy bills.

A key part of the proposal is moving older, expensive renewable projects to cheaper Contracts for Difference – which were pioneered by Ed Davey when he was Energy Secretary. It is estimated by experts that this move alone could cut bills by about £200 a year for a typical household.

The Lib Dems have also condemned Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage for their “ludicrous” myths about renewable energy and wanting to tie the UK to fossil fuels, a move which Ed Davey said will “only benefit Vladimir Putin”. 

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick said: 

“Families across Wales are being clobbered with bills that are still more than £50 a month higher than they were five years ago. After years of negligent energy policies by the previous Conservative government, the Liberal Democrats have a plan that could halve the cost of energy bills for a regular household.

“The ludicrous myths peddled by Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch cannot be allowed to gain traction. They want to tie the UK to expensive fossil fuels and claim that bills would magically come down for everyone. Recent record-high gas prices prove that isn’t true. We know that tying ourselves ever more to fossil fuels only benefits foreign dictators like Vladimir Putin. 

“By breaking the link between gas prices and energy costs, people can enjoy the true benefits of cheap, clean, renewable power. The Welsh Liberal Democrats are standing up for our community and have a plan to cut bills — now the Government needs to act.”

ENDS