Single Energy Market Convenient for Scotland, Claims Davey

The UK’s government restated that Scotland would lose in case of independence, with Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Edward Davey making the case for the UK’s single energy market. 

‘Speaking to a conference of energy industry stakeholders in Edinburgh, Edward Davey argued that because the single UK energy market is ten times the size of Scotland’s energy market, Scottish energy bills are lower. He listed a range of reasons, including the way investment in transmission and distribution networks are currently shared across the whole of the UK, to the way the subsidies for energy distribution in remote rural areas like the Scottish Highlands and Islands are currently paid for by all British consumers not just Scottish bill payers,’ reads the note released by the Department of Energy & Climate Change on Wednesday. 

According to the British government’s analysis, energy bills in the independent Scotland would be higher ‘by at least £38 a year and perhaps by up to £189, once the full cost of supporting renewables are included.’

The British government is trying to foster investments in Scottish waters to increase its energy security. Along defence and monetary issues, the energy debate is the most important and sensitive bone of contention between Edinburgh and London.