1. ‘Net zero is killing the economy’

Reform UK has suggested that, if elected, it will scrap net zero and cut all renewable subsidies, claiming in an interview with Bloomberg in May that it is killing the UK economy. This is one of the easiest myths to debunk with analysis from Carbon Brief showing that, while the UK has reduced its emissions by 54% on 1990 levels, the economy has doubled in size over the same period.

A separate 2026 report by the Confederation for British Industry concluded that the net zero economy generated £105 billion in gross value added in 2025, supporting 1.1 million jobs across the country, with considerably higher wages than the UK average. And what would be the cost if we were to roll back on our net zero commitments? The New Economics Foundation (NEF) warns that anti-renewable policies could wipe £92 billion from GDP and destroy over 60,000 wind and solar jobs.

2. ‘Greater use of gas will save you money’

Bills have risen because our electricity system still relies heavily on gas – and it’s this that sets the price the majority of the time. In fact, according to the UK Energy Research Centre, high gas prices have caused two-thirds of the rise in electricity bills in recent years.

There’s clear evidence to show that systems that have a higher share of renewable energy tend to experience lower wholesale power prices, for example in countries like Spain. The good news is, despite claims to the contrary, we’re starting to see this at home too. In fact, wind and solar have saved the UK from gas imports worth £1.7 bn in the first few months of the year and while gas set the price of UK electricity around 90% of the time in the early 2020s, it’s only around 60% today. In May, it was announced that the Government would be looking at ways to break the link between gas and wholesale electricity prices, which we have long called for. So far, it has increased the “electricity generator levy”, a windfall tax on older renewable energy and nuclear plants, using part of the revenue to limit energy bills. It’s also proposing that older renewable projects could sign fixed-price contracts, which it says will “help protect families and businesses from higher bills when gas prices spike”. We broadly welcome this move, subject to further details in the Energy Independence Bill when it is published.

It’s been suggested that the solution to expensive imported gas is to instead construct new gas power plants here in the UK. As well as setting us back on climate targets, the truth is, given the relatively small volumes remaining in the North Sea (enough to meet just 3% of total demand according to data), the UK will remain reliant on foreign imports – meaning prices will continue to be set globally and are subject to geopolitical volatility. The long-term goal should be accelerating the transition to a clean energy system, where cheaper sources like wind and solar would then set the prices.

3. ‘Nuclear generation will ramp up significantly’

Various political parties are championing a substantial increase in nuclear but fail to acknowledge how material the time or costs associated with this technology are. We only need to look at projects like Hinkley Point C to recognise the significant challenges of delivering projects of this scale. Hinkley is now expected to start generating by 2030, five years later than its original target, and despite an original budget planned at £18 billion, current cost estimates put it at £35 billion. While the Onward report hints that tripling nuclear power capacity could be possible by 2050, RenewableUK suggests its financial modelling reflects an investment shortfall of between £16–20 billion.

While some claim nuclear brings reliability, technologies like solar and wind are cheap to build and can be generating power in as little as a year. Coupled with sufficient energy storage and more dynamic demand as part of a diverse system, renewables can deliver a continuous supply and offer a faster (and significantly cheaper) journey to net zero.

In the face of misinformation, we must ask ourselves who loses out when it comes to slowing down on climate and net zero. Whether its dealing with the consequences of extreme weather events like this summer’s heatwaves, or the reality of rising energy bills, it’s ordinary people that will bear the brunt We need to factor in the vast cost of inaction and be realistic that the status quo is not an option.  Every day we delay increases the cost of both adaptation and mitigation. It’s our job to keep challenging false narratives, while remaining focused on what matters – reducing our reliance on dirty fossil fuels and accelerating the transition to cleaner, cheaper energy.