Daily Express, on Climate, 28 October 2026

6.0out of 10Serious

A new £47bn power station - 'terrible deal!'

Tap a highlight to see why it matters.1 finding

A new £47bn power station will make energy bills more expensive - 'terrible deal!' MPs have raised the alarm about a energy deal for taxpayers. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Steph Spyro , Deputy political editor and environment editor 06:00, Wed, Oct 28, 2026 Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station Site (Image: Getty) MPs have raised the alarm about the “terrible deal" struck for the taxpayer when it comes to the Sizewell C nuclear project.

Senior parliamentarians on the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee said the scheme’s investors are set to cash in and leave taxpayers to foot the costs, including through higher energy bills . The PAC is “deeply concerned” that if costs exceed projections, which they are set to, private investors will only have to provide an additional £30 million compared to an additional £9.8 billion paid by consumers during construction. A further £12billion will be coughed up over the 60-year operating contract through higher energy bills.

The MPs’ report brands the project’s funding arrangements as a “terrible deal” for taxpayers. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Britain rejoins major EU scheme as Andy Burnham plots Brexit betrayal The one video Andy Burnham doesn't want you to see has revealed his true Brexit views Get the latest politics news - straight from our team in Westminster and more I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family .

Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Sizewell C, a 3.2GW nuclear power station under construction on the Suffolk coast, will cost up to £47.7billion and is expected to finish construction by 2043.

But Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: "The high level of risk borne by taxpayers and consumers for the construction of Sizewell C is extraordinary. Private investors look set for significant returns on their investments, while customers are likely to be saddled with higher energy bills. “The government must focus on the successful delivery of this project, not just of a new nuclear power station, but of a commercially derisked nuclear sector for a taxpayer that should never be put in this position again.”

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Sizewell C’s design has previously been used in France, Finland and China and is currently being used in the UK for the construction at Hinkley Point C, a nuclear power station currently under construction in Somerset. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT But no comparable nuclear power station anywhere in the world has been built on time and to budget. Sir Geoffrey said: “The history of the Sizewell C deal risks being one of missed opportunities for the taxpayer; for example, the mapping of the Hinkley designs onto the current project the point is they did it rather than going out into the world to see if there was a better cheaper design.”

This is the latest high risk mega project in terms of ballooning costs. HS2, The Elizabeth Line, the Lower Thames Crossing have all been plagued by budget overruns. A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "This report completely ignores that investors are incentivised to complete construction as cheaply and quickly as possible. “We need to build new nuclear to move the country off expensive fossil fuels and onto clean, homegrown energy we control.

"Once operational, Sizewell C could save £2 billion a year across the energy system, cutting costs for families up and down the country, and the project is already making good progress with over 2,000 workers on site." Energy Energy bills Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments

Read the original article on express.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
What we found (1)

The Express reports the Public Accounts Committee's criticism of the Sizewell C funding deal, quoting the committee chair and including the energy department's reply. Its headline, though, states as plain fact that the power station will make energy bills more expensive. The body gives that only as the committee's view that bills are likely to rise, and the department says the plant could cut costs.

  1. Headline goes beyond the article

    Serious

    “will make energy bills more expensive”

    Why this matters
    The words "will make energy bills more expensive" state as certain fact, in the Express's own voice and with no attribution, that Sizewell C will raise bills.
    The impression it gives
    A reader takes it as established that the new power station will push energy bills up.
    The context
    The body attributes the bill rise to the Public Accounts Committee and frames it as a likelihood, not a certainty. The energy department disputes it and says the plant could save £2 billion a year across the energy system. The headline drops both the attribution and the hedge.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“customers are likely to be saddled with higher energy bills”
    • Elsewhere in the article“Sizewell C could save £2 billion a year across the energy system, cutting costs for families”

    Show it in the article

    Written straight

    MPs warn £47bn Sizewell C deal is 'terrible' for taxpayers and likely to mean higher bills; government says plant could save £2bn a year.

Spot something we missed? Report this article

More from Daily Express

  1. 28 OctUK households handed £258 energy bill support in 3 Budget changes6.0
  2. 28 OctJohn Healey hands households £100 energy bill support payments3.0
  3. 28 OctMan, 20, killed in fatal crash as Storm Boelo battered Britain pictured for first time0.0
  4. 28 OctUK households face £465 energy bills increase in January but Budget set to help6.0
  5. 28 OctUK drivers warned of 'dangerous' conditions on Thursday - 'avoid travel if possible'3.0

Everything we scored from Daily Express