The Climate Change Committee issued an initial response on 7 April 2022 to the UK Government's British Energy Security Strategy, published the same day1. The committee, which advises government on carbon budgets and net zero targets, said the strategy's proposals focus on energy supply and that it would review the document in full as part of its annual Progress Report to Parliament in June1.
The CCC said the government had made commitments in key low-carbon technologies that go beyond its own proposals: offshore wind, nuclear and hydrogen1. It stated the offshore wind commitments would see the UK produce more electricity from offshore wind in 2030 than it has produced from gas in any year in history1. The committee also said delivery would need to happen at a scale and pace as yet unseen1.
The committee's criticism centred on what the strategy did not contain. It said it was still disappointing not to see more on energy efficiency and on supporting households to make changes that can cut their energy bills now, adding that government had reiterated its commitment to do more and that details were expected in the coming months1. The CCC also said adaptation would need more focus in the execution of the strategy than appeared in its publication1.
"Recognising the difficulties in implementing effective policy quickly, it is still disappointing not to see more on energy efficiency and on supporting households to make changes that can cut their energy bills now."
The response did not set out specific energy efficiency measures, funding figures or household eligibility criteria, and none have been reported in it1. The strategy itself was published by the UK Government, whose energy department is covered in our guide to DESNZ and home energy policy; energy and buildings policy in Wales and energy efficiency standards for privately rented homes in Scotland are devolved matters and were not addressed in the CCC's response1.
Why it matters for households
The CCC's response draws a line between the supply side of the strategy, where it found commitments going beyond its own advice, and the demand side in the home, where it found little1. For a household, the practical distinction is between electricity generated in future years by offshore wind, nuclear and hydrogen plant, and the fabric and heating of the building itself. The committee's position is that the strategy as published does not contain new support for the second category, which is the part that affects bills in the near term1. The CCC's own view is that energy security must be delivered alongside the Net Zero Strategy's plans for how energy is used in vehicles, buildings and industry, and that it must account for a changing climate1. What that means for any individual home's energy independence is not set out in the response, and no measures, rates or dates for household efficiency work are given in it1.
What happens next
The CCC will review the Energy Security Strategy as part of its annual Progress Report to Parliament in June 20221. The committee said government had committed to do more on efficiency and that it looked forward to seeing details in the coming months, but no date for those details is given1.