Households continue to pay the price as clean energy is switched off

So far in 2025, more than £500 million has been spent not on generating clean power, but on switching off wind farms.

This practice, known as curtailment or constraint payments, occurs when wind farms are ordered to shut down because the national power grid can't handle the electricity they're producing. It’s a costly consequence of a grid that hasn’t kept pace with the country’s rapidly growing renewable energy sector.

On Tuesday this week, curtailment payments hit £6 million, while an additional £10 million was paid to gas-fired plants to step in and provide replacement power elsewhere in the system. The information has been

This marks a staggering 45% increase from the same time last year, when the figure stood at £347 million. Ultimately, these costs are passed on to households and businesses through their electricity bills, amounting to roughly £3.3 million a day or £136,000 per hour.

Sam Richards, CEO of the campaign group Britain Remade, called the situation “completely indefensible.” He said: “The system is spinning out of control. With households still facing sky-high energy bills and energy-intensive industries hanging on by their fingertips, we cannot keep switching off cheap energy when it’s too windy, only to fill the gap with gas.”

In response to the mounting costs, the Government is considering a major overhaul of the UK’s electricity market. One proposal would divide the national grid into regional zones, each with pricing based on local supply and demand. This would reduce payments to wind farms in power-heavy areas like the Borders and other areas in Scotland, but could mean higher energy bills for homes in London, the Midlands, and southern England—regions with lower renewable output.

However, this proposal has stirred unease among major wind developers like Scottish Power and SSE, who argue that such reforms could make revenue streams unpredictable.

For communities in the Scottish Borders, the current system is particularly frustrating. Despite living among some of the UK's most productive wind farms, and bearing the visual and environmental impact of large-scale turbines, residents see little direct benefit. Instead of powering local homes and reducing local bills, much of the energy is wasted or rerouted due to grid limitations, all while households in the region continue to face high energy costs. The lack of infrastructure investment leaves these communities shouldering the downsides of renewable generation without the promised advantages.

Britain has the renewable energy, now it needs the infrastructure to use it efficiently, particularly before more wind farms are consented or built. The Government’s Clean Power Action Plan aims to “rewire Britain” which would see the national grid being upgraded to handle more renewable energy and reduce curtailment. Without a modernised grid, households will keep paying the price for turning off clean, cheap energy.