New coal-fired power stations would have to be built should the government continue to press ahead with its plans for wind power in order to compensate for the unreliability of the green energy source, it has been claimed.

Under recently-established EU-wide targets, the government is required to ensure that at least 20% of all UK energy comes from renewable sources by 2020.

As such, plans are being rolled out to construct thousands of new wind turbines across the country, with an estimated cost of £100 billion having already been mooted.

However, according to a new report from E.On, as much as 92% of future installed wind capacity would have to be backed up by traditional power stations due to the fact that on the coldest days of winter, wind force can be minimal in most parts of the country.

Indeed, even if 13,000 new turbines are constructed, wind energy can only be relied upon to provide seven percent of the UK's peak energy demand.

While E.On has insisted that the focus now needs to be placed on encouraging consumers to become more energy efficient, environmental groups have dismissed these latest figures, claiming that the energy provider has an "agenda" for playing down wind energy potential.