{
  "id": 12232746,
  "title": "High power costs could unplug UK shore power – Portsmouth port authority",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/high-power-costs-could-unplug-uk-shore-power-portsmouth-port-authority",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-05T21:00:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hellenic Shipping News",
    "slug": "hellenic-shipping-news",
    "url": "https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/high-power-costs-could-unplug-uk-shore-power-portsmouth-port-authority/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Portsmouth Port Authority's director, Mike Sellers, has expressed concerns that high electricity costs are limiting the use of shore power at UK ports. The UK government has temporarily removed the 5% value-added tax (VAT) on qualifying domestic electricity bills from October 2026 to March 2027. Sellers suggests recognizing shore power supply as a marine fuel and removing VAT to aid this issue. Shore power supply from UK ports should receive similar treatment to VAT removal, said Sellers. Electricity supplied for business use typically attracts the standard UK VAT rate of 20%, although some supplies qualify for reduced or zero rates. However, high electricity prices can substantially increase the cost of a ship plugging into the grid when docked at ports. Portsmouth's shore power system is industry-leading and environmentally pioneering, but it is expensive, causing operators to incur financial losses while using it. The UK electricity price for medium-sized non-domestic consumers averaged 25.1 pence per kilowatt-hour (25.1p/kWh) in the second half of 2025, significantly higher than Germany's 16.8p/kWh and France's 10.6p/kWh. This grid-based electricity incurs additional network charges, policy costs, and taxes that don't apply to marine fuels. The white paper calls for government intervention to narrow the cost gap, suggesting reducing the tax burden on electricity supplied at ports, reviewing network charges, and providing targeted support to lower the price operators pay for electricity.",
  "summary": "High electricity costs are “stifling” the use of shore power at UK ports and risk leaving newly built infrastructure underused, Portsmouth International Port’s director Mike Sellers has warned. The UK government has temporarily removed the 5% value-added tax (VAT) previously applied to qualifying domestic electricity bills in England, Scotland and Wales from 1 October 2026 ...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}