New research commissioned by Drax has revealed 31% of people are willing to pay nearly £10 more on average to support green energy. They are clear this would be on top of the amount already paid through their energy bills to encourage the shift to low-carbon energy sources.
The ComRes survey shows there is very little understanding of the proportion of an energy bill that goes towards green energy, with the majority saying they don’t know and 17% saying it’s more than £100.
When the actual average amount on a bill was revealed to the respondents – £62 – a surprising number said they were prepared to pay more. While the average was nearly an extra £10, one in five said they’d be willing to contribute more than an extra £20.
But this willingness is conditional. In return bill payers want to see renewables investment go into reliable technologies that are affordable and offer value for money. The survey showed that 35% of Britons ranked value for money or affordability for customers highest out of a range of options the government should prioritise, including impact on the landscape, impact on the local economy and ability to safeguard jobs. Reliability of supply had the third highest level of support, with 15% ranking it in first place.
This research is published as the new Conservative government reaffirms its commitment to going green and tackling climate change, but is clearly emphasising this must be done in the most affordable way possible.
Drax Group CEO, Dorothy Thompson said:
“It’s clear a significant number of people are prepared to pay more to boost green energy in the fight to tackle climate change.
“However it’s also clear they are not prepared to write a ‘blank cheque’ and want guarantees that anything extra must be spent on green energy generation that is affordable and reliable.
“At Drax we’re leading Europe’s largest decarbonisation project and already meeting these ‘consumer asks’ as we take coal off the system and replace it with sustainable biomass that continues to provide a 24/7 source of electricity that doesn’t break the bank.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
DECC’s latest Bills & Prices report estimates that consumers pay an average £62 per year on their energy bills to support green energy:
https://www.gov.uk/policy-impacts-on-prices-and-bills
ComRes data are from two surveys, data for both were weighted to be representative of all GB adults aged 18+:
• ComRes interviewed 2,015 GB adults online between 17th and 18th June 2015.
• A further 2,052 GB adults were interviewed online by ComRes between 8th and 9th July 2015.
• ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Data tables are available on the ComRes website, www.comres.co.uk
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Paul Hodgson
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Luther Pendragon
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