A Highland MP has renewed his call for a national market for electricity distribution.
The SNP’s Ian Blackford, who represents Ross, Skye and Lochaber, wants the UK Government to take steps to overhaul the current system. He argues it is unfair consumers in northern Scotland face higher bills based on where they live.
In a written parliamentary question, Mr Blackford asked Energy Secretary Amber Rudd if she would move to replace the 14 regional markets with a national one.
But energy minister Andrea Leadsom, replying for the Government, said it did not plan to change to national distribution charging. She said charges varied to reflect the cost of running the network in an area and the number of customers they are spread over. She added: “National pricing risks an overall increase in network costs by weakening each network company’s local accountability to its customers, as well as making charges less transparent.”
It comes as Amber Rudd confirmed the UK Government will push ahead with plans to scrap subsidies for new onshore wind farms, placing ministers on a potential collision course with the House of Lords.
The government’s original Energy Bill set out provisions to get rid of the subsidies from April – a year earlier than planned.
However, that element of the proposed legislation was successfully scrapped by peers.
But introducing the bill’s second reading in the Commons, the energy secretary said it will be put back in.
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