Delivering the UK’s contribution to the European Union’s renewables target is expected to cost £2.25bn-£6bn a year, a government study has found.

The European Commission will unveil on Wednesday the details of its plan to generate 20 per cent of energy from renewable sources by 2020. As the UK lags behind most other EU member states, getting less than 2 per cent of its energy from renewable sources, it is expected to be set a lower-than-average target of about 15 per cent.