The UK has made considerable progress on transitioning to renewable energy, with 64 percent of electricity from clean power last year. However, most British homes still depend on fossil fuels for energy and transport, leaving them highly exposed to the current fluctuations on the global oil and gas markets.
Electro-fortification – plugging in modern electrotech so that homes can access clean, secure and low-cost power – is part of the solution for UK energy bills. Modern electrified homes are up to ten times better protected from energy price shocks, emit far less carbon, and can have far lower, more stable energy costs.
“British households pay for fossil fuel dependence every day at the pump, every summer through heat waves and every year through economy-wide inflation” said Ember analyst and report co-author Frankie Mayo. “Modern household electrotech such as electric vehicles, rooftop solar, heat pumps and battery storage are protective armour for homes: stabilising bills at the same time as cutting carbon.”
In response to the energy crisis, and without much subsidy incentive, rooftop solar and home battery uptake is accelerating across the UK. Every month in the UK 6,000 homes install a battery, 15,000 homes install rooftop solar, and 48,000 electric cars are bought. Domestic battery uptake has doubled every year for over three years in the UK, and almost half of solar installations now come with a battery.
Alongside the price protection benefits, modern electrotech offers additional benefits: new electric vehicles, heating and cooling technologies are lower carbon, more efficient and more economic. For instance, having a rooftop solar installation reduces charging costs for an electric car by over £500 per year.
Progress on electrification varies across the UK, due to economic, demographic and policy factors. Wales has the highest domestic rooftop solar, battery and heat pump uptake, and also has seven of the ten fastest growing constituencies for rooftop solar. Rural areas of Scotland also lead on heat pump uptake, as over 10 percent of homes in the Orkney and Shetland islands have a heat pump.
“Over the next decade, the UK has a massive opportunity to electrify households” added Ember analyst and report co-author Josie Murdoch. “To get benefits to households quicker, we should tailor our approach to the specific needs and characteristics of communities and regions, tackling the easy wins first.”
For additional information:
Report: The electro-fortification of Britain: the next national technology transition
