Ulster Unionists call on Chancellor to pay for Kilroot Clean-Up
Roy Beggs, Ulster Unionist Candidate in East Antrim has claimed that electricity consumers have been badly served by Labour and Conservative direct rule Ministers and called for the Chancellor to pick up the tab for the escalating £35 million + Kilroot Flue Gas Desulphurisation project.
Roy Beggs said: “NI electricity consumers should not be paying for this major capital project when the generation contract is due to expire within the next few years. We have already paid over the odds for this expensive generation contract through higher electricity prices. This was a result of the Conservative Governments generous privatisation contracts - for which the Treasury received inflated prices.”
“As a result of new EU environmental rules and the terms of the original privatisation contract, AES Kilroot will be passing the cost of this flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) project to NIE and then on to consumers.
“Over three years ago, Ian Pearson MP, the then New Labour DETI minister, promised £30m a year from the NI block grant to compensate NI Electricity users. This never materialised. Ministers advised that EU rules prevented this support and the unspent budget would have been part of the unspent budget that was returned to the treasury.”
He added: “NI electricity consumers have been badly serviced by direct rule ministers whether Conservative or Labour. We have already paid dearly and it would be a further injustice if consumers were to be asked to foot an additional 5% or 6% in our electricity bills just to pay for this project alone.
“Clearly this is a case where the Chancellor should be stepping in and paying for the past failings. Electricity consumers have already suffered inflation busting increases in regional rates and will receive new Water bill commencing in April. We should not having to pay a second time for NIO mistakes.”