The Daily Mail’s latest bombshell – heralding that wind powered energy is to blame for a 2 % rise in the energy price cap, is more than just anodyne news. It’s yet another Orwellian twist in its relentless, fossil‑fuel-protecting crusade. Beneath the veneer of breaking headlines lies the same old climate‑denial machinery, bent on casting renewable energy as public enemy number one – even as economics, science, facts, and common sense suffer collateral damage.
Wholesale natural gas prices are by far the largest contributor to our energy price rises. However, the Daily Mail’s doubling down on fossil fuel propaganda comes within a month of the oil-industry-backed US President Donald Trump attacking Scottish Offshore wind power over visible turbines (not so) close to his Turnberry and Aberdeenshire golf courses. This aligns with Trump’s campaign to completely squash clean power in favour of his ‘drill baby, drill’ agenda, which is having major ramifications for the climate, energy transformation, and America’s place in the world.
The reality, in fact, is that, renewable energy in the UK has been a big success story, with low-carbon sources like wind and solar now generating a majority of the nation’s electricity, surpassing fossil fuels for the first time in 2024.
However, the UK’s growth in renewables faces challenges due to grid capacity and structural limitations, as well as energy market constraints, which actually tie us into expensive fossil fuel produced power. That reliance on fossil fuels has been the main driver of eye-watering price rises in the UK during the past five years.
In other words, our renewable energy is having to be shut off because the national grid is not currently up to the job of delivering that low cost energy to our homes. As a result, we end up drawing power from fossil fuel power stations instead, at great cost, whilst free energy is unable to be utilised, going to waste.
Despite this, in an unfathomable mental leap, the Daily Mail has made the baffling conclusion that this is the fault of producing low-cost renewable energy from wind turbines, as opposed to falling short in our ability to utilise that energy instead of burning gas.
The “2% rise” story – fact, yes, but framed to inflame
On its face, the Mail’s report about household energy bills climbing from around £1,720 to £1,755 reflects the facts: Ofgem has confirmed a 2 % hike from October 2025, upping the average annual bill by roughly £35.(MoneyWeek) But that’s just the raw data. The credibly-motivated neutral describes the rise as driven by network, wholesale gas, and policy costs – including increased support measures like the expanded Warm Home Discount.(The Times)
In contrast, other media outlets (even those playing the Trump tune) emphasise why this rise is happening: the expensive burden of “curtailment” – paying wind farms to shut off due to grid constraints – sucks around £15 from each household’s bill.(The Times) This isn’t proof that renewables are failing – it’s proof our outdated energy infrastructure is failing the UK public.
Surely any sensible policy maker, or newspaper for that matter, would conclude that Ed Milliband is correct on this one point; the UK energy system must be updated to allow us to utilise our free natural resources, and wean ourselves off our reliance on volatile global fossil fuel markets.
Rewriting reality: the Mail’s propaganda playbook
This isn’t the first time the daily rag has twisted truth to weaponise wind farms. In fact, the volume of anti-wind power articles borders on obsessive. One would almost conclude that there is a wider agenda at play here.
Back in summer 2024, Bob Ward and Pallavi Sethi from the Grantham Institute laid bare Daily Mail columnists’ misleading attacks on renewable policy and net zero strategies—particularly those by Andrew Neil and Stephen Glover. They demonstrated how entire articles were built on false premises, misrepresented manifesto commitments, and used outrageous rhetoric without any evidence whatsoever.(LSE)
Let’s get this straight: claiming that “renewables will skyrocket your bills,” or calling net-zero intentions “fantasy”,
is not critique – it’s propaganda. When the Daily Mail calls Labour’s commitment to decarbonise the power grid by 2030 a “lie,” they weren’t arguing – they were slandering, with no factual merit whatsoever.(LSE)
Why wind remains the favorite target of misinformation
A recent study reveals that misinformation about wind energy is surprisingly prevalent – held by not just a fringe, but a significant portion of people across the UK, US, and Australia. Around 20% wrongly believe wind turbines pose health risks, while 40% suspect secret, manipulated agendas behind renewables.(Tech Xplore) This isn’t due to lack of facts—it’s fuelled by worldview-driven biases and misinformation.
The Mail’s relentless campaign – attacking wind farms as costly, unattractive, or dangerous – feeds directly into these pre-existing distortions. It doesn’t just misinform; it cements fears.
Enough is enough: clarity vs. chaos
Let’s recap:
- Yes, the energy cap is rising—Ofgem has confirmed it.(MoneyWeek)
- No, this isn’t proof that wind energy is the problem. It’s evidence that our electricity grids need an update.
- No, the Daily Mail isn’t informing – you’re not reading news. You’re reading fossil-fuel propaganda in a tabloid suit.
- Yes, wind power remains vital for a livable planet. Surveys show broad public support: 80% of Scots approve offshore wind, and over 60% support large-scale projects overall.(en.wikipedia.org)
- Yes, misinformation about wind is rampant, and tabloids like the Mail are doing more to amplify it than to clarify it.
Call to action: Resist the propaganda
It’s time to stop letting this fossil-fuel cheerleader masquerade as a newspaper. When you see headlines that blame wind power for energy pain, remember who’s really making money by keeping us hooked on gas and oil – and who’s trying to protect their grip with falsehoods.
Before the National Grid was rolled out in the 1930s and 40s, the UK was once filled to the brim with windmills and water wheels.
Wind farms aren’t the problem. A fossil-fuel-friendly propaganda machine is.