As UK households feel the worst of the energy crisis, there has been renewed pressure to move the UK out of fossil fuels as oil and natural gas costs hit record levels. This crisis will only worsen as Ofgem warned it will raise the price cap on household bills to around £2,800, with some experts estimating that figure at £3,000. However, experts have warned that this crisis could have been prevented, as a new report accuses the government of failing to deliver on its climate promises, which has also impacted household energy bills.
In a 600-page milestone, a new progress report from the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) has criticized the government for its “major failures” in meeting the UK’s climate targets.
In their review last year, the CCC praised the government for setting an ambitious goal with its Net Zero strategy.
However, they now warn that most policies to decarbonise the UK economy have not made much progress.
Commenting on the study, Prof Richard Green of the Sustainable Energy Business at Imperial College Business School said: “The commission’s calculations show that household energy bills could have been a billion pounds lower this year if the government had not cut back. energy efficiency after 2012.
“The energy you don’t have to use is the cheapest and the safest source of all.”
The report’s authors closed the “shocking gap” in home insulation policies, especially given sky-high utility bills.
In the press release, CCC wrote: “The government promised significant government spending in 2019 and promised new policies last year, neither has happened yet.
“The UK still has some of the most leaky houses in Europe and insulation installations remain at an all-time low – the average annual energy bill for UK households is about £40 higher than if pre-2012 insulation rates had continued for the past decade.
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“Much now rests on the promised energy advisory service, which must be a major enterprise reaching millions of households and supporting them through the implementation of options to lower their bills and emissions.”
The report was not all negative, as the authors praised the government for successfully implementing policies around the use of renewable energy and electric cars.
They found that over the past decade, emissions from electricity generation had fallen by nearly 70 percent.
CCC chairman, Lord Deben, said: “The UK is a champion of setting new climate goals, now we need to be the world’s best to achieve them.
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“Amid a cost of living crisis, the country is clamoring to end its reliance on expensive fossil fuels.
“I welcome the government’s restored commitment to Net Zero, but there are gaps in its strategy that urgently need to be closed.
“The period to make real progress is short. We look forward to the promised action.”