UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband unveiled on March 15 an accelerated package of energy interventions to protect consumers and boost the UK’s energy security, in response to the war in the Middle East.
The UK Energy Secretary noted that the package of measures will go “further and faster” in the pursuit of national energy security, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said in a press release. “Global events demonstrate there’s not a moment to waste in our drive for clean power because there can be no energy security while we are so dependent on fossil fuels,” Miliband said. “So today I’m announcing a series of initiatives to speed up our clean power mission: bringing forward the next renewables auction just months after our most successful ever, announcing that plug in solar will be available for the first time in Britain and speeding up our warm homes plan. Everything we are doing is about one purpose: fighting the corner of the British people by taking back control of our energy,” the UK Energy Secretary added.
The Energy Secretary announced that “plug-in solar,” low-cost solar panels that families can buy at supermarkets and put on their balconies or outdoor space, will be made available in the UK for the first time.
Easy-to-install, plug-in solar could see households make significant savings on their energy bills. Plug-in solar is already widely used in homes across Europe, with Germany seeing around half a million new devices plugged in last year alone. The UK Government said it will work at pace with the relevant bodies, consumer groups and industry to introduce new standards and amend regulations to get these onto the market as soon as possible.
The portable, plug-in solar panels can be placed in gardens or on walls and balconies – providing a new, simple alternative for renters and flat owners who may not have the option of rooftop solar, the UK Government explained. The free solar power can then be safely plugged into a mains socket like any other device, at no extra cost – thereby reducing the amount of electricity taken from the grid and cutting energy bills.
Inviting renewables companies to invest in UK energy, Miliband also announced that the UK Government intends to bring forward its next annual renewables auction to July. “The most recent round was the biggest ever and alongside the previous auction, we have confirmed enough clean power to power the equivalent of 23 million homes,” he said.
Following the implementation of the Fingleton Review into speeding up the building of nuclear power stations, Miliband confirmed that the UK Government will apply the lessons of the review to other infrastructure such as renewables. The UK Government reminded that it “turbocharged the drive for nuclear power: driving forward on Sizewell C, investing in the UK’s first small modular reactors in North Wales and setting out our plan to implement the Fingleton recommendations to speed up the building of new nuclear.”
Protecting consumers
The UK Government has taken immediate action to support consumers, including working with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to ensure that fuel suppliers cannot engage in unfair practices towards consumers such as price gouging.
The CMA has set out plans to step up monitoring of the road fuel sector to rapidly identify any signs that fuel stations are exploiting the situation via price gouging. It has also written to heating oil firms to obtain further evidence and assess whether their practices raise consumer protection concerns.
The CMA has the power to fine companies if it finds consumer or competition law has been broken, and the Government fully supports the CMA’s statement that it will not hesitate to do so, Miliband said.
The UK Government has also stepped up fuel industry compliance with Fuel Finder, its petrol and diesel price comparison scheme. The major retailer Asda has now confirmed its forecourts will be listed on Fuel Finder, taking the scheme’s reach to almost 100 percent of pumps across the country.
Warm Homes Plan
Earlier this year, the UK Government launched its landmark GBP 15 billion Warm Homes Plan, the largest public investment in British history to upgrade homes and cut bills. “To protect families from energy shocks, and to get upgrades like insulation, solar panels and heat pumps into homes as soon as possible, we are today accelerating the next round of devolved funding for local mayors to deliver home upgrades in their areas,” the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said, adding, “The mayors of Liverpool, London and West Yorkshire will receive funding to upgrade low-income homes street by street, joining the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands in having this GBP 130 million of funding fully devolved. The Minister for Energy Consumers will meet with local government and the supply chain in the coming days to make sure this investment quickly reaches the households who need it most.”