Securing UK’s energy supply

Insulation must be included

HARD-PRESSED HOUSEHOLDS in Yorkshire hardly need to be told that Britain is in urgent need of a new strategy to guarantee secure and affordable energy supplies. Soaring gas and electricity bills are the most painful reminder of that.

So yesterday’s announcement by the Government of its plans for sustainable, low-carbon energy in the years ahead will be broadly welcomed. New nuclear plants, more offshore wind farms, renewed emphasis on installing solar panels on buildings and a drive for increased hydrogen production are all workable and eco-friendly measures.

Inevitably, though, there is little prospect of any of them easing the severe difficulties of families struggling to pay bills in the short term. For those faced with the terrible choice between heating or putting food on the table, the Government’s target of 2030 for generating 95 per cent of the country’s energy from low-carbon sources feels a very long way off. Given this, there is justification in the criticism that the Government has placed too little emphasis on helping the poor insulate their homes, which is a measure that would potentially ease some of the difficulties in meeting bills relatively quickly. Ministers should rethink this aspect of the strategy. Nevertheless, overall the proposals address the failure of successive Governments to set out long-term plans for keeping Britain’s lights on.

Expansion of nuclear is bound to be controversial, and there is likely to be opposition to the siting of new plants, but they must be part of the mix for their ability to deliver cheap, clean energy. France provides proof of that, where customers’ bills are rising by a mere four per cent, compared to the 54 per cent hike here.

The Government must now secure cross-party consensus for its plans, look again at placing greater priority on insulation, and deliver for Britain.