Grant more renewables

The UK is caught in a vicious cycle, shooting from the hip with short-sighted relief measures in response to the sharp increase in wholesale gas prices.

Unsurprisingly, the additional burden on household costs is having a calamitous impact on our transition to net zero, with more than a third of Britons now putting cost-cutting before environmental concerns.

In the immediate term, targeted relief should absolutely be a priority, but ultimately, it doesn’t matter how many billions the Government pours into grants, tax cuts, and levies if it fails to address the biggest issue: the UK’s over-reliance on volatile international energy markets, which will always result in consumers paying over the odds.

The UK needs to double its total energy capacity by 2035, but our data on the Renewable Energy Planning Database shows that only 40% of renewable energy planning applications were granted between 2019-2021.

To break the cycle, more renewable energy projects must be granted planning permission nationwide, and quickly.

While this may mean seeing a solar farm, wind turbine or other energy project from time to time, this is the reality of the situation – the impact on consumers and the planet of the ongoing crisis is now so pressing, we no longer have a choice.

If we change our attitude to renewable energy we will reduce our reliance on volatile fossil fuels and ensure consumers have access to cost effective green energy.

If we get this wrong, we’ll see the current situation playing out on repeat for years to come.

Phil Thompson, CEO and Managing Director at Balance Power.