Businesses lack confidence in UK energy policy

When it comes to energy policy, governments face a difficult balancing act. Just last month EU leaders struck a new climate change goal, pledging to cut greenhouse gases by 40% by 2030. It's clear that the imperative to move the UK towards a cleaner energy future has never been stronger. On the other side of the coin, the government's policies also need to ensure that major UK energy users remain competitive compared with their global counterparts. According to the results of our research, carried out by YouGov, we've found that the balance has not been struck. Almost 60% of those surveyed were 'not very confident' or 'not at all confident' that current energy policies reflect the needs of business in Britain, while 62% expressed a similar lack of confidence in planned energy policies; including the electricity market reform (EMR). This scepticism was particularly strong when it came to green taxes. 81% ranked affordability as the most important energy-related issue for their businesses, well ahead of the move to a low carbon economy (41%). But there is another way of looking at this issue. The green agenda is not going away and the policy element of bills is only going to increase. We're urging businesses to accept this reality and work with their energy provider to bring down the cost of energy in other ways; particularly through energy efficiency measures. Indeed, we have calculated that UK businesses can save up to £4 billion in energy costs if they reduce energy consumption by 20%. Such a reduction in consumption can be achieved through simple measures, including investing in on-site energy generation, educating employees about energy efficiency and recycling energy waste. Each business will have its own energy profile and its own ways of driving efficiency, but we strongly believe that most businesses will be able to achieve the 20% target. We're keen to ensure that businesses stay on the front foot not only of policy, but also energy efficiency. If you would like further information on energy solutions for your business, our dedicated team would be happy to hear from you on: business@npower.com