While firms charge ahead in decarbonising their commercial fleets by installing on-site EV power points, – with some offering facilities to the wider public – , a new survey from Believ quantifies both take-up & its obstacles across some key sectors of business.

Six million commercial vehicles travel Britain’s roads each year. As of spring 2024 though, only 1% of vans, 8% of company cars, and fewer than 1% of HGVs are electric.  Increasing this proportion is a vital part of achieving the government’s Net Zero ambition by 2050.

The trading name of Liberty Charge, Believ feeds pure renewable electricity into its devices.

Its new poll of more than 200 brands & organisations finds that 88% are already installing EV charging points. Over half – 57% – plan to double their existing points and/or charging capacity by 2028, driven by a desire reduce CO2 emissions and fulfil wider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

Nearly 70% of the survey’s respondents say they understand the advantage of having their own charging facilities to attract new customers. A fraction more – 72% –  are mindful of charging revenues to recoup the costs of upfront installation. Stores, hospitality hubs such as restaurants and bars and other leisure attractions head these early-adopters.

But this strong motivation is snagged, say Believ’s respondents, by major hurdles.

Seven out of ten of them say projects are delayed by the slow pace, high cost and complexity of working with electricity companies to upgrade the local power supply feeding intended EV points. 11% categorise DNOs as a “significant barrier”.

The same share of firms, particularly chains operating dispersed outlets, complain that navigating inconsistent planning laws across the country is complex and confusing. Over a quarter, 27%, struggle to received sufficient support from councils, themselves often over-stretched. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of businesses say they need specialist help, such as paying planning consultants.

If businesses can speed up installation of their own on-site charge points, then they would reduce their partial (58%) or total (14%) reliance on grid-enabled national networks, the survey finds.

Some respondents told Believ’s pollsters that sales or delivery vehicles now spend more time charging or travelling to charge points than being used productively. Almost one-fifth, 17%, were concerned about missing deliveries or meeting deadlines.

The additional fuel consumption, vehicle wear and tear and planning to optimise travel routes are also increasing operational costs, at a time when they should – and need – to be falling.

Greater collaboration is needed between the public & private sectors, according to Believ CEO Guy Bartlett

“Businesses are being thwarted by factors where greater collaboration with charge point operators (CPOs) would help accelerate the rollout of EV charging infrastructure”, said Bartlett.

“The best CPOs have the knowledge and expertise which many businesses seek about installing charge points and navigating the complexities of planning laws across the country”, Bartlett reasoned.

National & local government can also help solve many issues that businesses face, such as easing access to the national grid and better targeted funding for national public charging infrastructure to areas that are not commercially viable.

The Believ boss went on: “The national government’s promises, such as the £70m investment at COP28, however, and the national rapid charging network are yet to be delivered and are needed urgently. We must act now to facilitate sustainable transport and deliver cleaner air for all.”

Believ’s researchers polled 255 decision makers in sectors including car park operators & higher education.  Read the research here.

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Only one person in eight, or 13%, says their local communities are investing enough in becoming more sustainable.

The study quantifies growing public demand for more sustainable energy – allied to cleaner air in cities and greater investment in greener lifestyles.

23% of people flatly say they’d consider moving away if their city or town does not become greener.  That figure has risen by almost half from a similar nationwide E.ON survey from 2022, when 16% of people made the same claim.

In workplaces, 26% of people said they would be prepared to quit their job if the company didn’t become greener in the next five years, rising from 18% in 2022.

E.ON’s study of 10,000 people across Britain highlights widespread discontent at the speed investment programmes are being rolled out. 51% of respondents don’t think the country is working fast enough to reduce carbon emissions. Fewer than one in ten – 8% –  feel listened to on decisions around local green investments.

A meagre 8% –  up from 7% in 2022-  feel listened to when decisions are made about local green investments, including energy generation. That number falls to just 6% in the North, Wales, and across the Midlands.

Energy co-ops give local agency as well as power 

Only 10% of respondents expressed pride in their local communities’ efforts to invest in green initiatives. The lowest levels of pride are in the East Midlands, East of England, North East and North West.

Across the UK, 60% of adults want more say in how taxpayers’ money is invested in green initiatives for businesses and communities, peaking in the South of England & London, both on 63% and Scotland, 59%.

E.ON UK chief executive Chris Norbury observed: “This survey shows public attitudes & ambitions towards building more sustainable communities are growing year on year. It’s on all of us across business, public life and within our communities to respond to that clamour for change.

“Investing in sustainability brings so many social benefits and it’s something absolutely everyone can see the value of, whether that’s helping people with lower energy bills, cleaning the air in our streets, or creating the jobs and skills we need for the future. What we call the energy transition has benefits right across society and we have to share that message wider.

“While our study highlights frustration among the public around the speed and scale of sustainable investment, it also demonstrates people understand and really want the benefits such investment will bring. Chief among these is the positive impact on jobs and prosperity.”

74% of people agree environmental change starts with communities or businesses, yet two in five (39% – although a reduction from 46% in 2022 – ) do not think that their region is doing enough to reduce carbon emissions and make life greener.

Leading the way among potential home-movers, more than a third (34%) of Londoners threatening to move if their city doesn’t become greener in the next five to ten years.

The top five sustainable improvements people would like to see in their community emerge as :

• Making homes greener & cheaper to run – 55%
• Reducing public buildings’ carbon impact – 47%
• Create more green spaces in built up urban areas – 44%
• Make sure all new building projects are completed to Net Zero targets – 43%
• Electrify all public transport – 36%

Old and young generations agree. More than three quarters of all age groups say communities (76%) and businesses (77%) need to become greener for the benefit of younger generations.

People younger than 24 were twice as likely to cite the sustainability credentials of a business as a reason to work there; 43% versus 18% in the over 55s.  Youngsters were twice as likely to move companies if their employer did not take steps to go greener (42% versus 16%).

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Ninety volunteer-led energy schemes are among the 200 and more projects whose backers have used Ethex as a fund-raising source to promote environmental change. Alongside solar cooperatives in Bristol and Wales, the platform’s energy ventures include:

• Solar for Schools, which raised £6.1 million to work with schools and communities to provide decarbonisation and energy education by means of PV installations across the UK.
• Low Carbon Hub, which raised £9.6 million for a range of pioneering green energy hubs in Oxforshire, from community solar to electric transport
• Energy Garden, which raised over £1 million for community solar and green spaces in London

Having directed £120 million of small backers’ and trust money to projects, now the platform led by Lisa Ashford MBE pictured, aims to raise another £200 million by 2029.

Timed for its birthday, the social investment fund launches a new survey showing that two-thirds (67%) of UK investors and savers want to see their money being used to positively impact the planet and society. But 56% told the platform’s researchers that they’re unsure where it actually goes.

Conducted by OnePoll, the survey reveals that the younger people are, the more likely they are to want money to do good. Almost four-fifths of under 24s, or 79%, stated this goal was important for them.

CEO Lisa Ashford was awarded the MBE in 2023 for services to impact investment

She said: “If you care about creating a better future for all, what you choose to do with your money is just as important as recycling, saving energy or supporting charities. It’s encouraging that our survey shows such a high level of awareness of the importance of investing for a positive impact, especially among younger people. But it also shows that there isn’t nearly enough transparency from the financial sector about how they use the money people trust them with. Savers and investors rightly need to know exactly what their money is being used for.”

Since its launch, the non-profit outfit has built a registered investor base of more than 25,000 people.

The survey is being published in tandem with Ethex’s 10-year Impact Report as the company  celebrates 10 years of making ethical investments accessible to all.

It faces challenges. Awareness of the ethical investment alternatives remains low, at only 39% – although younger people are more savvy, with 63% of 18 – 34 year olds in particular keen to invest in companies or projects tackling climate change.

CEO Ashford explained: “As the cost of living continues to rise and climate change is an even bigger threat, our mission at Ethex is more relevant than ever.

Lisa Ashford added: “We believe that our money is the most powerful transformational force for environmental and social change. Over the last decade, we have seen the power of people’s pounds in action. We have connected thousands of ordinary people with extraordinary projects, making it easy for them to use their money to support organisations taking real steps to accelerate climate action, build stronger communities and reduce poverty.”

“We plan to become bigger and bolder and get many more people involved to create a huge collective impact – reaching an ambitious £200 million deployed to do good in the next 5 years”

More details here.

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A key barrier preventing homeowners from taking action is that they don’t believe they have the knowledge to make energy efficiency improvements to their homes. That snags Brits before we begin, despite 50% of us agreeing it is important homes are made ready by 2035 for Net Zero.

When asked, only 30% of homeowners say we are confident we knew what to do to meet that deadline.  A tad over a quarter, 27% of us, agree we wouldn’t be able to identify the improvements our home need to be greener.

Energy usage & bills unsurprisingly remain a key concern for homeowners.  However, only a third have taken action to improve their property’s energy efficiency in the last five years.

Among people who have undertaken these improvements, satisfaction with the results is logged at 96%, nearly universal. Almost two thirds, 64%, said the running costs of their home are lower after making the changes. 81% said they would recommend this type of work to a friend, family member or work colleague.

However, when asked what support might have been useful before starting their retrofit journey, over a fifth (21%) said they’d have welcomed advice and support on how to go about the process.

Along with greater support and guidance on energy efficiency measures, access to skills is also a key factor, the study finds. 24% of us state we expect direction towards skilled tradespeople to help bring properties towards on track for the government’s paramount green goal.

Two industry-level studies in 2023 documented shortages in green skills, including a shortfall of 200,000 retro-fit installers and 100,000 heat-pump technicians.   Such absences will, the Lloyds researchers indicate, soon increasingly impede the UK’s journey to net-zero homes.

Addressing the problem, Lloyds has partnered with Regeneration Brainery, a not-for-profit academy training for young people. Match-made mentoring, work experience placements, career talks, bootcamps and taster sessions are the organisation’s offering, now reaching 6,000 young people.

Andrew Asaam, Homes Director, Lloyds Banking Group said:  “The UK is home to some of the oldest housing stock the world. This means many of our homes are poorly insulated, and people are having to use huge amounts of energy to warm them – resulting in high energy bills and large carbon emissions.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our homes is a crucial step in individually and collectively reducing our energy consumption, but homeowners just don’t know where to begin and the lack of available skills to deliver the upgrades is an increasing concern.

“If UK homeowners are to get retro-fit in 2024, we must see more collective action from industry, government and financial institutions to support them in this vital transition. That’s why we launched our Making Homes Greener initiative, a journey that will see us trial new tools and collaborations, such as our work with Regeneration Brainery, to improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s homes.”

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Fully a quarter of the population believes – wrongly – that heat pumps are less efficient than gas boilers, the supplier’s survey of its customers found.  In fact, modern heat pumps achieve four times the space heating effectiveness of traditional combi-boilers.

A heat pump is louder than a fridge, according to only slightly less – 23% – of respondents. Wrong again: at maximum 45 decibels, noise from heat pumps rarely exceeds that of a fridge.

The pumps work only in newer homes, say a fifth of Brits, and don’t work at all in cold weather, in the minds of 15%, unaware that 1.4 million homes in Norway are warmed even as winter temperatures drop to 15 degrees below Zero.

Heating of homes and other buildings accounts for an estimated quarter of all the country’s carbon emissions.  The government has set 2028 as its deadline to be installing at least 600,000 domestic pumps every year.  Attempting to increase last year’s total of fewer than 50,000 instals, over the summer it stepped up to £7,500 its heat pump grant intended to lure in householders

Good Energy is launching a bespoke ‘Winter Tips’ service for its heat pump customers.  The energy supplier and installer offers remote monitoring of its devices, meaning it can identify problems as they occur.

The new Winter Tips service will provide advice and individualised data on the efficiency of customers’ installations, suggesting changes they might wish to make in their configuration so as to save energy over the colder months.

Chief executive Nigel Pocklington said: “For some unfathomable reason, heat pumps have found themselves in the front line of the culture war. As ever, truth is an early casualty.

“The constant flow of misinformation from media with poor journalistic standards, an absence of reputable data or the fingerprints of lobbyists all over them, means that the overall level of public understanding has fallen.

For more details, see here.

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Britain’s population is dogged by confusion, disagreement and comparative ignorance about renewable energy sources, new analysis finds in answers given by 2,000 UK billpayers to communications strategists Copper Consultancy.

Even agreeing which sources can legitimately be classed as renewable poses problems for the average billpayer, according to Copper’s analysis.

Less than half – or 49% – of the 2,000 billpayers polled by the firm this spring regard onshore turbines as a true source of renewable electricity.  This low share may – in the analysts’ verdict – “possibly point to confusion around schemes that haven’t always had political and public support”.

Though the Cameron government’s 2015 nimby-inspired ban on new onshore wind farms in England was nominally lifted by a successor administration four years later, subsequent continuing failures by governments under Johnson, Truss & now Sunak to arm planning officials with new guidance has in effect continued the Conservatives’ blocking of new turbine parks on English soil.

Nuclear fares worse in Britons’ perception, with only 16% regarding reactors like Hinkley C & Sizewell B as renewables sources.  Less than a quarter of Britons – or 23% – realise that hydrogen can be a renewable source.

The study confirms solar PV and wind turbines, the latter either on land or sea, as the nation’s most immediately recognised sources of clean electricity. All three are named by two-thirds of over 55s but, in the cases of wind’s two possible locations, by less than 40% of respondents in their early 20s.

Anomalies abound in the public’s attitudes.  Just over 10% of the young middle-aged, classified as aged between 35 to 44 years, apparently regard coal and gas as “renewable”.

Public awareness of the true share of how much of Britain’s electricity stems from proven low-carbon roots is consequently fuzzy and wide of the mark.  Only 6% of respondents were close to identifying correctly the confirmed 41% share which green sources achieved in UK power generation last year.

Overall, upwards of 53% of Britons believe wrongly that renewable generation’s share is 40% or less. A further 20% don’t feel confident even to guess green sources’ share.

A picture is painted, says Copper’s analysts, of Britain’s public believing green electricity is still in its infancy.

“It’s surprising just how low UK public awareness and understanding of renewable energy is”, said Caroline Romback, Copper’s director of construction.

Only 24% of billpayers polled described themselves as confident in knowing how much of their power came from renewables.  That’s not to say respondents don’t care; 53% said they were interested in understanding where their energy comes from.

Copper’s findings destroy an abiding myth that younger people care more about renewables the old.  The reverse is true, the report concludes.

For both offshore & onshore wind, for example, only 50% of respondents younger than 34 years old declared support, compared to around 60% support among 35 to 44 year olds, and around 70% of the over-50s voicing their enthusiasm.

Such findings will strengthen a common view among wind developers, that objections to new onshore turbines often are unrepresentative of true local opinion, and are instead merely obstructive & prejudiced.

To the question of which generation technologies would contribute most to Britain’s quest for Net Zero by 2050, solar PV and offshore wind came out top, each commanding around one-third of votes.  Onshore wind followed closely, with nearly a quarter of votes.

“With nuclear, “ Copper reports, ”we saw a clear escalation in support, the older that a respondent was. Only 8% of our youngest respondents see nuclear as a Net Zero contributor, compared to 21% of our 55 and older respondents.  Again, we saw a gender split for nuclear support, with more support for nuclear from male respondents (21%) than from female ones (9%).

Nimbys appear to inspire more fear and more negative influence on politicians & planners than their comparatively meagre numbers appear to justify, the report implies.

On the contrary, older people emerge from the study as predominantly committed to new generation sources, particularly in relation to local generation schemes offering at least some identifiable control by their community.

Read Copper Consultancy’s report for free here.

INTEREST DECLARED:  The present writer invests in four volunteer-run local energy co-operatives.

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Adults who voted Tory in the last 2019 general election are even more enthusiastic to back decarbonising upgrades and grid reinforcements.  71% of recent Conservative voters favour greening improvements, against 6% who oppose them, the same poll finds.

In a survey of 1,039 voters run on 14 July by pollsters Survation for Renewable UK, 55% of self-declaring Conservatives agreed that lack of grid connections is Britain’s biggest obstacle to greener electricity.  That’s higher than the 51% aggregate agreement shown by voters of all parties.

RenewableUK’s figures come amid signs that Conservative leaders, still lagging in the wider polls, plan to use Fleet Street titles to mobilise antipathy against greening measures and Net Zero, in their long campaign before the next general election, which is possibly as distant as January 2025.

Since fewer than 500 voters last month ensured a Conservative remains MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, ministers including premier Rishi Sunak have been inching away from Net Zero commitments. The retreat includes Sunak’s intention announced last week of licencing more than 100 new oil & gas extractions this year alone in the North Sea.

Former National Grid chief Nick Winser urged ministers on Friday to be bold in actions to halve from as much as 14 years the wait times faced by green developers in securing a grid connection.  Britain’s 230 GW pipeline of wind U& solar farms now in development but without connection offers dwarfs 80GW of existing generation capacity, Winser calculates.

Of today’s poll findings, Barnaby Wharton, RenewableUK’s director of future electricity systems, commented:

“Contrary to widespread misconceptions, most people are actually in favour of building vital new grid infrastructure to connect up clean energy projects and enable them to deliver cheap power to British homes and businesses.

“It’s interesting for Government to note that Conservative voters support this even more than the general public.

“Not only is there a strong foundation of support for new grid development, but government can build on that support by taking forward the recommendations in the report just released by Nick Winser, the government’s networks commissioner.

“One of the clear messages from the polling is that people want to feel the benefits of hosting new grid near their homes, with funding for local community projects high on their list of priorities, alongside clear explanations of why it’s needed and how they can influence what’s built in their area”.

61% of all respondents to RenewableUK’s poll agreed that a guaranteed community benefit fund provided by a grid developer would make them more in favour of an electricity powerline within five miles of their home. Again, Tories voiced proportionally stronger support, with 65% approving a benefit offering.

SolarEnergyUK, for Britain’s PV farm developers, today echoed near-unanimous industry support for Winser’s pleas to energy secretary Grant Shapps.

Gemma Grimes, the trade association’s policy director, singled out among Winser’s eighteen recommendations to ministers his urging that design principles should be disclosed and followed by transmission operators, ensuring a more transparent process for enacting improvements, including how they are assessed by the Planning Inspectorate.

“We greatly support the recommendations, “ the SolarEnergy UK spokesperson added.

“We agree that they are needed to reduce the delivery time for strategic transmission. Any longer than seven years risks jeopardising the attainment of Net Zero. The changes must be taken forward as a package to be most effective.”

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Existing EV drivers are seven times more likely than the general population to have home PV fitted, according to the firms’ research released today.

Zap Map’s latest annual survey of over 4,000 EV households reveals that 29% have solar panels installed, against the national average of 4.1% for all homes.

EV drivers’ love of green tech at home applies too to heat pumps.  Seven per cent of clean motorists heat their homes with an air or ground source device, a figure much higher than the general population’s 1 per cent take-up of pump tech.

More than one in ten EV drivers also has a battery at home to store power, the firms’ research reveals.

The high uptake of panels on a roof linked to a battery under it means – or so the companies claim – that nearly a third of EV drivers can draw on the sun’s power to charge up at home, for no more than the upfront cost of the PV system, a cost spread over the panels’ 20 years-plus of guaranteed, predictable performance.

Good Energy and Zap Map’s measurements come the day after Britain’s solar installers confirmed January 2023 as their busiest month on record for home PV.

Last month’s completion of 16,043 new home-scale systems was three times the total for January 2022, and set a new monthly record for subsidy-free installations.

Coming after recent eye-watering leaps in cost of motor fuels and of home energy, both firms highlight those numbers as a boon of growing value.  For increasing numbers of homeowners, the arithmetic of clean generation at home and clean consumption on the road looks more and more convincing.

Big – through shrinking – upfront costs of kit remain the most serious deterrent stopping households embracing green power, Good Energy’s polling finds.  Installation costs are the most commonly cited barrier for people pondering heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage – 64%, 54% and 42% respectively, for each technology.

Such fears point to a gap, ZapMap co-founder Melanie Shufflebotham observed, between wealthier homeowners with off-street parking and less affluent drivers without a driveway.

More affordable on-street or local charging offered a solution, she said.

“As soon as you change the energy you use to fuel your vehicle, you start thinking about the energy you use elsewhere in your life”, said the Zap-Map chief. “Then you realise you can reduce your running costs with solar panels too”.

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The Crown Estate today announced it is speeding up oceanographic surveys in the Celtic Sea, with a view to the Westminster government’s acceptance of bids in the second half of next year.

In July the commercial body identified outline blocks between Cornwall and southern Ireland, eligible for leases.  The length of the concessions will be specified before next year’s bidding round.

Beyond a starting 4GW of generating capacity to be secured by 2035, a gargantuan 24 GWp is envisaged for ten years later, all secured with floating turbines.

Contracts have now been signed for the first phase of the new studies, set to begin in the spring and yielding greater detail on wind, wave and current patterns.

Further studies soon to follow will encompass studies of affected marine life and sea-bed seismology.  Parameters of the commercial advisor’s research will be kept under review as the programme progresses.

Whitehall anticipates accepting licencing bids for the Celtic Sea next year.

Providing successful bidders with easy access to definitive, new data will, the Crown Estate hopes, speed up the development process, and remove the need for developers to conduct their own surveys.

The Crown Estate is developing its information-sharing approach for floating turbines in the Celtic Sea in talks with key stakeholders, including industry, potential suppliers and governments in Westminster and Cardiff.

Two months ago the body told developers pre-consent surveys such as outlined today would lie at the heart of streamlining floating wind in the Celtic Sea.  Further updates will follow in 2023’s first six months of 2023, ahead of the official launch of the leasing tender.

Nicola Clay heads the Crown Estate’s new ventures unit:  She said: “A successful floating wind market in the Celtic Sea will support the UK’s journey to Net Zero and strengthen our energy security. It can also be the catalyst for new jobs, investment and supply chain opportunities.

“Ensuring these benefits are fully realised is a shared challenge, and The Crown Estate is committed to playing its part in supporting the growth of these important markets”, Clay added.

Tim Pick, co-chair of the Offshore Wind Acceleration Taskforce welcomed the prospect of awarding of survey contracts at an early stage.

He added:  “The prospect of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea is taking shape, with The Crown Estate working with government and industry to progress the leasing process and stimulate a sustainable approach to the supply chain

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