Call after call comes into our advicelines, and many of these callers have similar questions and concerns. How can I get my energy bills down? I’m worried about the winter, and I won’t have enough money to keep the house warm. I’m going to have to choose between feeding our family or heating our house. These desperate stories are becoming more and more common, and as we head towards the winter things are only going to get worse.
The Government needs to develop a complete action plan in the short, medium and long term, something it does not have. Winter payments or a price cap change could solve the immediate crisis, but leaves us vulnerable to more problems in the future. I have argued that a sustained, large-scale programme of home insulation and investment in renewable energy are two of the key pillars of an energy strategy that will reduce prices, tackle the climate emergency and create jobs in the long term.
But there is a third ‘pillar’ of a good energy strategy, one that will have an immediate impact on bills and carbon emissions. Energy Conservation. This is where I believe the Government should be stepping in, to increase the level of public awareness around using less energy.
Many of us don’t do the easy things to reduce our bills and often this is because we don’t know how to use less or how simple it can be. There isn’t enough public awareness about what energy conservation is and how small changes at home can make a difference. This is where the Government needs to step in. During the pandemic, public health messages were plastered across our streets and on our screens. People responded and it made a real impact on the spread of the virus. The Government should do the same again during the energy crisis, creating a public service campaign about energy conservation, which could make a real difference to people’s lives.
This is already happening in Germany and across Europe, where the crisis is even more acute than the UK. Governments are stepping up and providing simple messages and essential information that can save people money, up to 20% in some cases. We should be doing the same, providing the public with the knowledge they need to make as many energy changes as they can, even if right now those changes seem small.
We can all save energy somewhere in our homes and businesses. Our advicelines can help homeowners to save on their bills by making simple changes like adjusting their boiler settings, fitting draft excluders under doors and using timers to use energy when it is cheaper. Regular checks like adjusting and bleeding radiators can make a big difference and taking your electrical goods off standby all helps. These are simple things that could be at the heart of an energy saving campaign.
Let’s be clear, we should have a secure and reliable energy system in the UK that can weather the storm of international change, and encouraging energy conservation is not an excuse to do nothing at a Governmental level. Homeowners and businesses should be able to afford their energy bills and not be forced into making these choices. However, energy conservation is an immediate way we can tackle the energy crisis and the Government should be gearing up now to equip people with the knowledge they need to save energy this winter.
If you want to find about more about ways you can conserve energy, check out our Top 10 Tips and Energy 101 guides to get started.
