Letter: Surcharge costs
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Today's four new reports on the economics of the coal industry again reinforce the view that relying upon market forces will save few miners' jobs.
So it seems that the present front-runner among the options available to the Government to keep open extra coal pits is to place a surcharge upon all electricity bills, probably around 10 per cent. It is argued that in this way it would be the electricity consumer, rather than the taxpayer at large, who would be underwriting the costs.
Not entirely so. At present, expenditure on energy by the various parts of the public sector (national and local government, the health service and so on) is around pounds 2bn per year. It is reckoned that around 45 per cent of this is spent on electricity. Consequently, a 10 per cent surcharge would end up adding some pounds 90m to public expenditure. Does the Treasury appreciate this?
Yours faithfully,
ANDREW WARREN
Director
Association for the
Conservation of Energy
London, W1
22 January
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments