Electricity prices in Britain have surged in recent years, but let’s be clear: it has nothing to do with Brexit. Prices have climbed steadily since 2016 due to UK and EU net zero policies.
In fact, Theresa May made reaching net zero a legal requirement while Britain was still an EU member, aligning UK policy with the EU’s ambitious climate goals. It’s these policies—not Brexit—that have led to higher energy costs.
The EU’s new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a prime example of Brussels’ punitive policies. As it stands, the EU’s CBAM includes electricity imports, meaning any non-wind power Britain exports to the EU would face a hefty carbon tax. So while Lisa O’Carroll writing in the Guardian fixates on Brexit, the EU itself is ready to penalise British exports, driving costs even higher for consumers.
In yet another predictable display of anti-Brexit bias, O’Carroll claims Brexit is costing British consumers up to £370 million a year in higher energy bills. Yet, when you read her article, it’s clear this headline is little more than a fear-mongering ploy. The Energy UK representative she quotes hedges with “upwards of somewhere between £100 million and £370 million”—a vague estimate that O’Carroll inflates for dramatic effect.
This is the same O’Carroll who lists “Disinformation” in her Twitter bio, ironically misleading the public with inflated, cherry-picked figures that rest on shaky ground. Is disinformation only a problem when it doesn’t align with the Guardian’s EU-loving narrative?
Britain’s rising electricity costs can’t be pinned on Brexit. The UK’s energy market, intertwined with six European countries, is subject to a complex web of global supply constraints and EU-led decarbonisation policies that began long before Brexit. Britain’s departure from the EU did not cut off our interconnectors with Europe, nor did it impose the EU’s new CBAM, which now includes an additional tax on non-renewable electricity exported to the EU. So, rejoining some “EU algorithm” would hardly be a panacea to rising energy costs, as O’Carroll suggests.
Energy UK’s complaints about inefficiencies in post-Brexit trading arrangements ring hollow. Yes, Brexit changed aspects of electricity trading, but the UK has since led the way in its own carbon pricing and emission reduction, cementing itself as a leader in the push toward net zero. Rather than dragging Britain down, Brexit has allowed the UK to innovate independently, positioning itself to become a net energy exporter by 2030—something O’Carroll conveniently ignores.
O’Carroll’s article is yet another attempt to paint Brexit as a disaster. But the truth is that Britain’s freedom from Brussels has enabled us to forge partnerships, invest in alternative energy sources, and strengthen our own energy security. The Guardian may claim “Brexit costs,” but it’s clear that the real price would be surrendering the independence that the British public voted for.
This article is an update on a previous article published here.
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