Daily Express, on UK Politics, 28 October 2026

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A new £47bn power station will make energy bills more expensive - 'terrible deal!'

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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, , 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 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 . 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

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What we found (2)

The Express says in its own voice that Sizewell C's costs are "set to" exceed projections, where the Public Accounts Committee warned they could. It adds loaded words of its own, saying £12bn "will be coughed up" and calling the plant a project of "ballooning costs". It does quote the committee chair at length and gives the government's reply.

  1. States one side's claim as fact

    Minor

    “which they are set to”

    Why this matters
    The Express adds "which they are set to" in its own voice, inside a sentence about the committee's concerns.
    The impression it gives
    A reader takes it as settled that Sizewell C's costs will exceed projections.
    The context
    This is a forecast. The Guardian reports the committee's warning as a possibility, saying the cost "could spiral".

    How we know

    Show it in the article

  2. Uses a loaded word

    Minor

    “will be coughed up”

    Why this matters
    The Express says the £12bn "will be coughed up", a slang verb of reluctant payment, in its own voice and as a certainty.
    The impression it gives
    A reader takes the £12bn as a fixed extra charge that bill payers will certainly be forced to pay.
    The context
    The Guardian reports the £12bn as part of what the committee warned of, not as a settled outcome.

    How we know

    Show it in the article

    “high risk mega project in terms of ballooning costs”

    Why this matters
    In its own voice the Express calls Sizewell C a "high risk mega project" with "ballooning costs".
    The impression it gives
    A reader takes it that Sizewell C's costs are already out of control.
    The context
    The article's own figure is an upper estimate, "up to £47.7billion", for a plant still under construction. The government says the project is "making good progress".

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“will cost up to £47.7billion”
    • Elsewhere in the article“the project is already making good progress”

    Show it in the article

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