Now that a lifeline has been provided to the British public, energy expert Mike Foster, CEO of not for profit trade association the Energy and Utilities Alliance, has said it is time for the Government to make some long-term policy decisions to further protect consumers from rising energy costs and give the UK energy independence.
He welcomed the announcement from the Chancellor on the grants for households that finally provide a lifeline to those struggling with the elevated cost of energy bills. This type of short-term measure is a vital step in protecting the most vulnerable in society from falling into fuel poverty as the energy market remains turbulent in the approach to another Price Cap rise in October.
“Now, the Government needs to look at the long-term protection of the British people and their financial situation in the face of rising energy costs by urgently shifting away from fossil fuel gas to hydrogen, using the world-class gas networks already underground to supply our homes and businesses,” he continued. “This will create more secure energy supply to homes breaking free from the blood-stained hands of President Putin, and positioning the UK as the world’s leading hydrogen economy.
“Now is not the time to consider re-wiring Britain; ripping out boilers to be replaced with £10 grand a time heat pumps would be a folly when clean gas is just around the corner. Hydrogen heating will mean people can keep their gas boilers, cookers and fires; it is just the gas that is being changed. We did the same thing in the 1960s, moving from Town Gas to natural gas, now we will move from natural gas to hydrogen. The UK will lead the way, as it did before, giving the nation energy independence and protecting our people in the process.
“Consumers will avoid major disruption to their lives, minimise the costs associated with achieving net zero, at the same time help save the planet from climate change, and keep Putin’s gas in the ground. Avoiding a cost burden on the British public and removing reliance on foreign fossil fuel supplies seems like a no brainer to the heating industry, so we call on the government to think ahead and start the wheels in motion for developing the hydrogen economy now.”
UKGBC’s Chief Executive Officer, Julie Hirigoyen, said the payments will help households in fuel poverty, which at this moment of crisis is welcome. “But,” she added. “it will do nothing to stop the annual loss of £500 from heat leaking out of every window, wall and roof of their poorly insulated homes.
“The longer the Government puts off the real solution, implementing a large-scale home upgrade drive to make homes more energy efficient, the longer desperate households will suffer in the cost of living crisis. As things stand there is no end in sight to rising energy bills, and no prospect of meeting the UK’s climate commitments.”
Gillian Charlesworth, CEO at BRE, also said households also need solutions which protect them in the long term.
“Accelerating the roll out of insulation to poorly insulated homes is a simple solution that could significantly improve the energy efficiency of our housing stock,” she explained. “The UK has one of the oldest and most poorly insulated housing stocks in Europe, and over a third of our gas supply is currently used to heat our homes. This unnecessarily inflates demand for natural gas, leading to higher bills for households.
“In the long term, investing in retrofit measures will translate into savings year on year, better shield households and businesses from any future energy price shock, and reduce the need for the taxpayer to intervene in the future.”
