The report was launched on Tuesday (27th January) and provides clear, evidence-based, analysis on how to build durable public and political consensus in support of clean energy. The report has appeared at a critical moment in the UK energy transition, as important decisions are made with regard to power system reform, affordability, and security.
The report, supported by new polling commissioned with King’s College London and Ipsos, counters the notion that climate policy is not supported by the wider public. Indeed, concerns around energy costs, affordability, and security of supply are shown by the report to be consistently discussed across the country, including among people often believed to be hostile to net zero.
Rachel Brisley, Head of Planning and Place at Ipsos, was present at the report launch event, where she explained how electrification is being held back not by ideological opposition so much as practical barriers and public confidence. The report mentions uncertainty around costs, disruption, and delivery alongside the perception that the burdens incurred by the energy transition are falling mostly on residential households rather than being addressed by government policy, market design and system-level intervention.
Digitisation, data integration, and system optimisation can help to reduce costs and improve efficiency, thereby addressing the various constraints on the energy transition. Also important is co-ordinated national infrastructure planning and place-based and community-led delivery models, helping to lower energy bills, build trust and accelerate uptake.
The report sets out:
The urgent case for rebalancing gas and electricity pricing and closing the “spark gap” to unlock electrification
How misinformation around the costs of net zero can be countered with credible evidence and lived experience
The role of flexibility, digitalisation, and smart system design in optimising future energy costs
Why trusted community institutions from schools and hospitals to faith buildings, sports venues, pubs, and community halls are effective anchors for local clean energy deployment and narrative change
Critically, the polling shows that concern about reliance on foreign-owned fossil fuels and exposure to volatile international energy markets is widely shared. This creates a clear opportunity to align clean power with objectives of lower bills, greater energy independence, and long-term economic resilience.
For additional information:
The Electric Economy: Creating Consensus, Communicating Change
