Reform UK's Deputy Leader Richard Tice has called for a windfall tax on renewable energy providers whilst proposing mandatory underground cable installation for the National Grid.
Speaking to GB News, Tice outlined his party's plan to implement a windfall tax on "all renewable energy generated by wind farms, by solar farms, by Drax power station".
The Reform UK deputy leader emphasised the need to protect the countryside from visual pollution, stating: "No one wants more ugly pylons on our countryside blighting our environments."
He pledged that if Reform UK wins the next general election, they would "force National Grid to put the cables underground".
Richard Tice hit out at Labour's net zero targets, claiming Reform are the 'only party that knows how to bring down the cost of living'
GB News
Tice claimed that renewable energy subsidies are placing a significant financial burden on British households.
According to the Reform UK deputy leader, renewable power requires "huge subsidies over £10billion a year."
He stated this translates to approximately "£300 or £400 per household per year because of renewable energy".
Tice strongly criticised current renewable energy policies, challenging claims about their cost-effectiveness.
"Contrary to what we've been told by the eco zealots, actually renewable energy is costing more," he told GB News.
He argued that the basic economics don't add up: "It's a basic, simple premise renewable plus backup must cost more than back up."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The Deputy leader of Reform UK claimed net zero is 'the greatest act of self harm ever imposed by Westminster' during a press conference on Tuesday
PA
"We've all been ripped off, we've been misinformed, we've got to stop this nonsense," Tice said.
He insisted that scrapping net zero policies and renewable subsidies is "the only way to bring bills down, to lower the cost of living."
Tice pointed to American energy prices as evidence for his alternative approach.
"Just look across America, their electricity is about a quarter of our price," he said, attributing the difference to America's use of domestic gas resources.
He advocated for a similar approach in Britain: "We've got loads of gas, shale gas, oil, we should be using that."
Tice told GB News that the country is in its 'third year of recession'
GB News
The Reform UK deputy leader insisted this was the path to economic improvement: "That's how you bring the bills down. That's how you grow the economy."
He also blamed Conservative policies for rising costs, stating: "That's why electricity bills have soared in recent years. That's why, sadly, they're going to go up again in April."
He pointed to the Conservatives' commitment to net zero as a key factor in their electoral defeat: "That's why the Conservatives got thrown out last year, they imposed the stupid net zero on the nation."
The Reform UK deputy leader painted a grim picture of the current economic situation.
"You may have seen the economic growth figures out this morning, another desperate quarter per person," he said. He claimed the country is now "in the third year of recession."
