For years, critics of renewable energy have repeated the same refrain: wind power is costly, unreliable, and dependent on subsidies. But a new study from University College London [51.5°N, 0.13°W] tells a different story. And policymakers should take note: Far from a financial drain, wind energy has saved British households billions.
Between 2010 and 2023, the researchers found that wind generation delivered a net benefit of £104 billion to UK consumers. That figure takes into account everything — subsidies, lower electricity prices, and, crucially, the knock-on effects of wind power reducing demand for natural gas. Wind turbines didn’t just spin out clean energy; they spun down gas prices across Europe.
Wind energy operates on a simple principle: it costs nothing to capture the breeze. Once turbines are installed, they supply electricity at almost zero marginal cost — meaning they don’t depend on expensive fuel. The researchers used long-term energy market modelling to ask a counterfactual question: what if Britain had continued to invest in gas instead of wind? The result, they found, would have been a significantly tighter European gas market — and far higher prices for everyone.
That’s where the true value of wind comes through. It doesn’t just lower electricity costs; it stabilises energy markets. During the 2022 energy crisis, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent fossil fuel prices soaring, the UK’s growing share of wind generation helped cushion the blow. Without it, gas prices would likely have risen even more sharply. In effect, wind power acted as an insurance policy — one that paid off handsomely.
It’s a lesson that travels well. Countries in Northern Europe and Canada face a similar challenge: balancing the sustainability, security, and affordability. This study shows it’s possible to achieve all three sufficiently.
But there is a catch. The researchers also highlight an imbalance in who pays and who benefits. While electricity users fund wind subsidies through their bills, it’s natural gas consumers — households and industries alike — who reap most of the financial rewards, thanks to lower gas prices. That’s an issue of fairness that policymakers will need to confront if the energy transition is to remain politically and socially sustainable.
Still, the larger point is unmistakable. Wind power has already proven itself as a stable supply of low-cost energy. The myth that renewable energy comes at a cost to consumers is falling away in the data. In fact, as the UCL team puts it, “the energy transition is not a costly environmental subsidy, it is a compelling financial investment.”
For the wealthy nations of the north — those not yet facing unbearable heatwaves but who have both the means and the moral incentive to act — this should resonate deeply. Wind power is no longer just an ethical choice; it’s an economically rational one. In the years ahead, investing in clean energy will mean investing in cheaper bills, greater security, and a liveable planet. Wind turbines are not only a money spinner, but help the world turn sustainably.
Source
Modelling the long-term financial benefits of UK investment in wind energy generation, UCL Open Environment, 2025-10-23
Boˆreal 