UK Energy policy – a green recovery with technology
3rd September 2020 | Commercial Energy
The energy industry is well on its way towards a more sustainable future. Over the past decade, emissions from fossil fuels have dropped by nearly 30%. The UK’s energy system has run without coal for two months during lockdown, causing some to question whether the last remaining coal-fired power stations should now be mothballed for good. While this all sounds like good news, the UK still relies heavily on oil and gas for power generation, especially at peak times. So it’s clear some significant changes still need to happen for the government to ensure our target to become a zero-carbon nation by 2050 is realised.
In our recent research & white paper which looked into what people want from future IT innovations, 57% of respondents agreed that technology would be key to ensuring we meet this net-zero goal. And given what it’s helped us to achieve in recent years – from curing illnesses, to controlling home appliances with our voices – it’s not surprising that people are starting to think about what technology could do for the planet.
UK Energy Policy
The energy sector is consequently under huge pressure to implement new innovations to help digitise its infrastructure. The government is moving in the right direction and provided the right incentives in July when it offered grants to homeowners to better insulate their homes. But installing thicker windows or a new boiler is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to controlling our carbon footprints at home. Technology solutions that give people control of their personal energy usage at home can make truly impactful environmental change happen.
Current progress has already been very well received – in our study, 80% of consumers praised smart meters, for instance, by helping them to understand, monitor and reduce their own energy consumption. But while house-by-house reductions in energy usage will have a major national impact, this digital metering technology will also be a key enabler for more complex domestic electricity ecosystems.
More information available on the website below
https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/uk-energy-policy-a-green-recovery-with-technology/93747/