By Local Democracy Reporter Peter Davison
An attempt by Reform UK councillors to scrap the green tariff the council pays on its electricity has resulted in the matter passed to a Wiltshire Council finance watchdog for consideration.
Back in September it emerged that Wiltshire Council was spending an extra £230,000 a year on top of its £6.35 million energy bill to support renewable energy production.
The tariff means the council can report that its electricity is generated by renewables, which puts it on track to achieve its net zero target by 2030.
Without paying the tariff and supporting renewable energy production the target would be derailed.
At a meeting of the full council on Tuesday 21st October, Reform councillor Mike Sankey tabled a motion to scrap the green energy tariff.
It read, “This council requests that cabinet removes any green tariff with immediate effect to save the additional annual fees that we currently pay for the energy that we use.”
Outlining the motion, Cllr Sankey said, “We must reconsider this tariff.
“There are many areas of deprivation in Wiltshire, with residents concerned not so much by how their energy is generated, but how they’re going to pay for it.
“Those same residents are paying for the energy this council uses in council tax.
“Are we really representing their wishes and their views by paying an extra £230,000 a year that makes no real difference to the actual carbon emissions generated by this county?
“We are spending their money in an attempt to buy our way to net zero by purchasing nothing more than a tick in a box.”
Responding, the council’s deputy leader, Mel Jacob, said the contract was first entered into under the Conservative administration in 2019, and that exiting the existing contract – signed in 2023 – early would be expensive.
The cost was later confirmed to be in the region of £180,000.
Conservative group leader Richard Clewer said, “When we brought this in, it made sense. Now the cost is far outweighing benefit.”
And Cllr Ed Rimmer, leader of the Reform UK group, said, “At a time when resident’s electricity bills are already the highest in the entire world, can we really look them in the eye and tell them that we are charging them an extra quarter of a million pounds so we can change how we report council emissions and pat ourselves on the back?”
The co-sponsor of the motion, Cllr Boaz Barry (Reform UK, Westbury North) said, “This is not a debate about ideology. It is a question of responsibility.
“We are being asked to pay extra for a green tariff which costs far above standard tariff rates at a time when council finances are under immense strain.”
But Cllr Liz Alstrom (Lib Dem, Chippenham Hardens & Central) said, “The council formally recognised the urgency of the climate crisis by declaring a climate emergency.
“In doing so we committed to taking meaningful measurable steps to reduce out carbon footprint. removing our green energy tariff would directly contradict that commitment.”
Gavin Grant, Cabinet Member for Finance, said, “The matter does need to be examined, but that examination needs to be a thorough and rigorous one.”
He suggested that the matter be passed to the council’s cross-party finance and procurement select committee for examination.
Cllr Nick Baker (Lib Dem, Laverstock) proposed an amendment to refer the matter to the committee.
The amendment was supported by 78 votes to four with one abstention.
Pictured: County Hall
