Climate Change Committee urges government to reduce electricity costs. Image: Oil price.
(The Post News)– The UK’s climate advisers are urging the government to lower electricity prices to boost the adoption of low-carbon technologies like electric vehicles and heat pumps.
This move is crucial for the country to meet its climate targets, including reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Currently, electricity costs in the UK are around 50% higher than they were in the summer of 2021, making it challenging for households and businesses to transition to cleaner energy sources.
Piers Forster, interim chair of the Climate Change Committee, emphasized that reducing electricity costs is their top recommendation for the government. He noted that the benefits of electrification must be reflected in utility bills to encourage widespread adoption.
To achieve its goal of a 68% reduction in emissions by 2030, the UK needs to implement more aggressive climate policies. The committee made 43 priority recommendations, including lowering energy costs, speeding up grid connections for new clean power projects, introducing regulations mandating only low-carbon heating systems for new homes, and publishing a net zero skills action plan.
The UK’s energy regulator Ofgem recently reduced the domestic energy price cap by 7% starting in July, but more needs to be done to make electricity affordable and drive the transition to a low-carbon economy. By making electricity cheaper, the UK can accelerate the uptake of clean electric technologies, support industrial electrification, and reduce its reliance on volatile wholesale gas prices.
About the Author
