The UK government this week announced a range of measures to drive adoption of sustainable technologies and energy.
Ambitious plans to scale up affordable, clean, homegrown power and build thriving green industries have been unveiled by the government to boost the country’s energy security and independence, reducing household bills for the long term and maintaining a world-leading position in achieving net zero.
New multi-billion pound measures announced by the government include carbon capture usage and storage; floating offshore wind clusters; green hydrogen production projects; small modular nuclear reactor technologies; reforming the planning process to enable construction of new energy infrastructures; residential insulation schemes; nationwide EV charging points and infrastructure, heat pump investment incentives and green export incentives.
“When global energy supplies are disrupted and weaponised by the likes of Putin, we have seen household bills soar and economic growth slow around the world,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. “We have stepped in to shield people from its worst impacts by helping to pay around half the typical energy bill. But we are also stepping up to power Britain and ensure our energy security in the long term with more affordable, clean energy from Britain, so we can drive down energy prices and grow our economy.
“That’s why we’re driving forward plans to boost renewables, revive nuclear and build new thriving industries like carbon capture, which will in turn create good jobs across the country, provide new opportunities for British businesses at home and abroad, and maintain our world-leading action to reach net zero.
“Since 2010, the UK has seen £198 billion of investment into low carbon energy, through a mixture of Government funding, private investment and levies on consumer bills. Going forward we anticipate around £100bn of private investment will be forthcoming into the UK’s energy revolution. The UK has also broken numerous records in generating renewable electricity, leading the world in offshore wind – the UK is now in prime position to export its world-leading expertise.”
Reacting to the announcement, Ian Rippin, CEO of eco-certifier MCS, said: “MCS welcomes the Government announcements as an opportunity to increase momentum of the home heating revolution as an integral part of the national journey to net zero.
“We are particularly pleased to see a vital extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) until 2028. This extension aligns with what we hear from our contractors who are ready and willing to invest and grow their heat pump businesses but need certainty that comes from the comfort of long term, supportive policies, coupled with demand from consumers who understand how the technology can be used in their homes.
“With heat pump installations and contractor certifications at an all-time high, the BUS remains a critical part of the drive to make home-grown energy more accessible and affordable. There is still more to be done to promote the benefits of the BUS and low-carbon home heating to homeowners in general.
“With the energy crisis, consumers face hard decisions and so when it comes to the electrification of heat, MCS want to see concrete plans to decouple the wholesale price of electricity from gas to reduce electricity costs and empower consumers to make greener choices.
“We hope the announcements are the first step towards bringing renewables to the forefront and fuelling our national conversations about doing our part to go green resulting in homes that are warm, affordable to run and fit for a low carbon future.”
