The Resolution Foundation has called on UK politicians to set out how households can lower their bills by using less energy, arguing that demand reduction has been left out of the political response to rising prices. In a comment piece published on 24 August 2022, its principal economist Jonathan Marshall said proposed policies currently sit in two camps, payments to households and making energy cheaper, while "one half of the energy bills puzzle remains overlooked"1.
The foundation points to mainland Europe, where EU nations are aiming to cut gas use by 15 per cent this winter. France and the Netherlands have produced guidance to cut domestic energy use under programmes it names as "energy sobriety" and "dial it down", covering shorter showers, cooler heating and less wasteful lifestyles. Spain is looking to limit cooling and heating temperatures in public spaces, Germany is offering discount public transport, and Italian ministers have asked families to cook with less gas and electricity1.
On the UK's own options, the foundation states that an insulation programme is now too late to make a big difference this winter, although it says the penalty for living in an energy inefficient home could top £230 in January alone. It suggests fitting smart heating controls, with free upgrades prioritised for those on lower incomes, and reports that devices allowing individual radiators to be switched off could cut heating bills by a third. It also cites reported savings from reducing condensing boiler flow temperatures without affecting room temperatures, and says ministers should test whether these are proven in the real world1.
On lighting, the foundation says millions of free lightbulbs could be posted to those on means tested benefits and lower incomes, each saving £10 per year. It states there are more than five million homes in England and Wales alone with poor or very poor lighting efficiency, which it calls the lowest hanging fruit in using less energy at home1.
"But instead one half of the energy bills puzzle remains overlooked."
The piece also notes that unaffordable energy will hit those on lower incomes hardest, with the poorest fifth of households having to cut back on spending at three times the rate of the richest fifth this winter, and that it could soon cost £10 per day to put the heating on1.
Why it matters for households
The intervention shifts attention from the price of energy to the volume a home uses, which is the part of a bill a household can influence directly. The measures discussed, smart heating controls, lower boiler flow temperatures and efficient lighting, are described as quick demand saving measures rather than a substitute for insulation, which the foundation says cannot deliver in time for this winter1. For a household, the practical effect of demand reduction is a smaller number of units billed at whatever rate applies, which matters most where a home is energy inefficient and where spending on essentials already takes a larger share of the budget1. The foundation frames awareness as part of the point, arguing that households would better understand where the greatest savings lie if ministers acknowledged the case for consuming less1. No UK government demand reduction programme, and no scheme to distribute lightbulbs or fund smart heating controls on the terms described, has been reported1.
What happens next
No dated next steps are set out. The foundation calls for a change of tune from ministers, for boiler flow temperature savings to be tested and, if proven, mandated into boiler services and gas safety certificates for rental properties, and for efficient lighting to be rolled out to lower income households1. Whether any of these are adopted has not been reported1.