Now, net zero spending is so popular in government that it is impossible to track it all. [emphasis, links added]
Of course, waste is rampant in government, but when it comes to climate change, nothing seems to happen, without obvious budget controls.
Only one relatively small example gives us a clue that the bill is much larger than anyone thinks.
Last year, the Warrington Borough Council announced it would replace its 105-bus fleet with a shiny new electric fleet, provided by a £20 million government grant.
Little beer, you might say.
But around the country, 40,000 buses are used for public transportation services. Multiply by this matter, if the government chooses to subsidize all, it will cost more than £7 billion.
Of course, they probably won't do that. In this case, it will be the local council that will eventually introduce the bill. Either way, the public will eventually pay.
The electric bus costs about £200,000 more than diesel.
Although they run cheaply, most of the savings are offset by reduced availability due to longer charging times and the cost of building charging infrastructure.
Warrington, for example, had to build a new bus warehouse, costing £10m because the old warehouse had no charging facilities. In addition, the charger itself and associated electrical infrastructure will add millions of dollars.
In short, if buying electric buses makes sense, local councils will buy them anyway without a large subsidy.
Top photo via Warrington Borough Council website.
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