EDF and Octopus Energy have launched a campaign aimed at increasing the electrification of the UK’s economy.
The Electrify Britain campaign wants the UK to remove policy bottlenecks and seize the opportunities of being at the forefront of the clean energy transition: attracting investment, reducing carbon emissions, driving growth and creating jobs locally.
According to Octopus Energy, dependence on gas has cost the UK £75bn-80bn over the past two and a half years. Transitioning to green electricity, the group said, will reduce Britain’s vulnerability to fossil fuel price spikes and inflation.
Among Electrify Britain’s priorities are reducing the burden of policy costs from domestic electricity bills. The campaign called for creating the right market signals for investment in electrification through reallocation of policy cost – this could include general taxation, moving some onto gas and ensuring targeted support for vulnerable customers unable to electrify.
In addition, the campaign wants to promote heat pumps and other clean heating technologies, which are more efficient and cost-effective than traditional gas boilers.
It also aims to end the installation of gas boilers immediately in new home builds and rapidly increase the roll-out of cheaper heat pumps to replace gas boilers
It also wants to implement community energy projects to foster energy independence and resilience, including increasing the uptake of solar rooftop installations.
CEO of EDF in the UK Simone Rossi said: “We are launching a joint campaign because there is no time to wait. Britain’s energy market is still fragile to external shocks and at the same time, we are seeing the impacts of climate change. We need more electricity but less CO2, we need to Electrify Britain.
“The first priority is to make electricity pricing fair by rebalancing policy costs, and the second is to ensure new homes are green and electric from day one. The future is electric, and we need to act now.”
CEO of Octopus Energy Greg Jackson added: “Our businesses deal with millions of customers, and we know that when households go electric, they never look back because it’s cheaper and better.
“There’s been so much focus on electrifying generation, but not enough on electrifying end use, where customers can make significant savings. Electric cars on a smart tariff cost 7 times less per mile than a petrol car. People with heat pumps usually pay less than those with gas boilers and they rate their heat pump higher. It’s time for us to seize the benefits of electrification for British customers.”
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