The Green Building Press provides the results of a poll to better understand what consumers know about energy efficiency. Of concern is that, according to recent research, 40% of UK residents don’t understand energy efficiency measures, 90% are concerned about increasing energy prices, and two thirds admit they will struggle to pay bills this winter. This certainly proves that we have more work ahead of us.
Poll shows poor understanding of energy efficiency
According to recent research, 40% of UK residents don’t understand energy efficiency measures, 90% are concerned about increasing energy prices, and two thirds admit they will struggle to pay bills this winter.
The study has highlighted the extent of British energy consumers’ woes, with 90% admitting that they are concerned about increasing energy prices this winter.
The poll was carried out by Bristol-based Sustain, a UK sustainability company which helps both private sector businesses and public sector organisations to improve resource efficiencies. It alarmingly revealed that 16% of those who responded will need to cut back on household essentials such as food in order to pay their bills this winter, with only 1 in 10 – 10% of Brits claiming that they have no concerns over paying them.
Furthermore, it seems that government attempts to incentivise energy efficiencies in the home are falling short, as 40% claim that they do not understand the energy efficiency measures that could be implemented in their home in order to bring down energy bills, with almost a fifth (18%) stating that there is not enough information on such matters made available to them.
Tobias Parker, CEO of Sustain, said, “If, as our research shows, two thirds of the country (65%) is going to struggle to pay energy bills this winter then there is clearly a fundamental problem that needs fixing immediately.
“The longer the energy debate goes on breeding uncertainty, the higher the price will be that consumers pay. The current political point scoring, which is being put above the interests of jobs, household bills and the security of the future is a disgrace and needs to end.
“Calls to shift the collection of funds used for investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy away from energy bills and onto general taxation are merely another attempt to win over the support of the UK public. Rather than attempting to deflect attention from the true costs of energy by looking at a relatively small component of peoples’ bill, action needs to be taken to encourage householders to save energy in order to bring down bills through energy efficiency.”
Research was carried out by amongst 1,008 consumers across the UK, in November 2013.
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 
I agree with the comments attributed to Tobias Parker, this deeply serious issue has become a mere political football.
Listening to all the recent bluster from politicians old and new, I’m more than ever convinced that energy supply in the UK should be re-nationalised. Whenever energy prices go up (as they should do, since they are too low to incentivise conservation and don’t reflect the externalities of pollution etc), the overwhelming response from advisors is to suggest people switch tariff or supplier. DECC has even blessed this idea.
Mass switching actually increases supply costs, because it loads further unnecessary administration and marketing costs onto the energy companies who will only recover them from customers, and possibly trim dividends by a whisker. Whilst there is not a monopoly or a cartel, the cost of entry for new suppliers is so so high that effectively the Big 6 can dictate terms (as they do).
And when consumers switch, they might save a few pounds for a few months, but in doing so they defer making the really necessary changes to get at the underlying problem – they consume too much, either through indulgence or because their houses / heating systems are inefficient. And of course any savings they do make on their bills are passed onto other customers who are on a less favourable tariff.
If it weren’t possible to switch to another supplier or to another tariff, (ie if there were just one nationalised supplier), the only way to reduce cost would to tackle overconsumption and inefficiency.
The lightly regulated free market model can never work properly for the energy supply business nowadays, when carbon and social responsibility have such significance.