Exclusive: Energy efficiency measures sorely missed from security bill, says Good Energy boss
The Government has failed to include key measures which could provide significant help for households in its Energy Security Bill such as ramping up onshore wind development and energy efficiency, argued Good Energy chief exectuive Nigel Pocklington.
Pocklington accused them of “ducking reforms” that were politically difficult, but would help alleviate the energy crisis.
He told City A.M.: “The areas where we are short are in the potential onshore wind in the short-term and significant reform to heating efficiency as a way to save consumers money.”
The Government’s bill was introduced to Parliament today and includes 26 measures to reform the energy system and reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, alongside its exposure to volatile gas prices.
It will help drive £100bn of private sector investment by the end of the decade into new British industries which are built to last and help diversify the country’s domestic energy supply.
Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “We’re going to slash red tape, get investment into the UK, and grab as much global market share as possible in new technologies to make this plan a reality,”
This follows significant pledges to ramp up domestic energy production including nuclear power, renewables and oil and gas exploration as part of the supply security unveiled earlier this year.
However, it has not included any targets to boost onshore wind, amid fears of local opposition, with generation ambitions and planning reforms.
Downing Street has also not included significant investment plans into bolstering the efficiency of British homes, which the energy boss noted were among the least efficient in Europe.
This would drive down demand and help ease energy bills while also lessening the pressure on UK energy supplies.
Household energy bills rose to nearly £2,000 per year in April, with Ofgem predicting a further 40 per cent spike in October.
Meanwhile, Pocklington feared necessary plans and measures to ease the cost of living crisis could be side-tracked, following extreme political uncertainty in Downing Street.
Multiple cabinet members have announced their departure from Johnson’s government over the past two days, raising doubts over the Prime Minister’s future.
He said: “I would hate to see some very important structural reforms, including all sorts of changes to the way the market works, thrown out in some huge Cabinet reshuffle and a desire to have more eye catching policies.”