A TEESSIDE MP has launched a scathing attack on the promotion of renewable energy by electricity suppliers, labelling it "the biggest scam since timeshare".

Phil Wilson, the Labour MP for Sedgefield, said customers were being duped by spurious green charges at a time when energy bills were already on the rise.

UK suppliers including British Gas, E.on, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern have already heaped inflation-busting price rises on cash-strapped homeowners.

Now some utility firms are ramping up costs even further by forcing customers to subsidise costly renewable energy projects.

Mr Wilson said: “E.on are ripping off customers and the Government by increasing our bills and taking massive subsidies.

“We pay 6% of our bills per household to the energy companies in renewable charges - yet we have never been informed about them or asked if we want to opt out.”

He said residents would see their energy bills rocket if the 115 megawatt Isles wind farm near Newton Aycliffe got the go-ahead.

Piloted by utilities giant E.on, the £575m scheme could contain 25 to 45 turbines generating enough electricity to power 53,000 homes.

Last week the proposals were put out for consultation, with a formal planning application expected to be filed by spring next year.

But the scheme has already generated stiff opposition from residents who say they do not want towering turbines blighting the landscape.

But the extra costs they face will be even harder to bear, according to the Renewable Energy Foundation.

The trade body predicts the scheme could rake in £23m a year for E.on - with around half of that cost generated by higher energy bills for customers.