BriefTea
Every story in sixty words
Get the free app no ads · no paywallExplained in plain English
Why are we paying twice?
The grid operator, Neso, balances supply and demand. When wind power is high, it can exceed local demand, so Neso pays windfarms to stop. But power might be short elsewhere, so Neso pays gas plants to start up, often at higher prices. This balancing act costs households through their energy bills.
Stories that explain this
Why Britain paid £47.9m to turn off windfarmsRelated explainers
How much is £3.2bn, really? Is the UK still going green? Why are Mastercard paying out? Is my boss paying enough? Are other allies paying up? Paying for luxury cars Are you paying for work tools?The full catalogue
Browse every card filed under W →We would like to count visits and see which links bring readers here. That means storing a random ID in your browser. No cookies, no ads, no profile. How it works.