Engaged customers would pay £38 per month to tackle climate change

People concerned about climate change are willing to pay £38 a month towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, Uswitch.com research has found

The figures, published today (25 September), found that only 31 per cent of households concerned about climate change say they would be happy to pay for the decarbonisation infrastructure.

Those who said they would be willing to make monthly contributions to pay for the infrastructure were asked by Uswitch.com how much they would be willing to do so. The mean amount was around £38 (£37.80).

The mean amount for 18-34 year olds meanwhile was £61.40.

Yet 53 per cent of households said they are unwilling to contribute directly and believe that the responsibility for paying for the technology to reduce emissions should sit with energy companies (31 per cent) or the government (22 per cent).

The research comes in the week members of the Labour Party backed a motion to reduce greenhouse emissions to net zero by 2030, two decades earlier than the government’s current target, with a pledge of “large scale” investment in renewables and low-carbon energy.

The commitment is part of the Green New Deal motion which delegates at the party’s conference in Brighton voted to adopt by an “overwhelming majority” on Tuesday (24 September).

Respondents to the Uswitch survey however do seem prepared to pay for an electric vehicle (EV), with 44 per cent of those who don’t currently own an EV considering buying one in the next five years.

Yet there are still concerns about EVs, with 35 per cent saying the cost of EVs is a barrier to buying one, 33 per cent had concerns over battery life while 31 per cent lacked confidence in the charging infrastructure around the UK.

This is despite the government’s recent pledge to contribute an extra £2.5 million for charging points on residential streets. Uswitch says this suggests that greater consumer awareness is needed before people will ultimately give up petrol and diesel vehicles.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has also promised the introduction of 2.5 million interest free loans for the purchase of EVs, to introduce a vehicle scrappage scheme to take 400,000 of the dirtiest cars off the roads.

More than half (53 per cent) have switched or are considering switching to a green energy supplier, with 42 per cent citing a desire to reduce their impact on the environment and on future generations (35 per cent).

People are also incentivised by the fact that renewable energy tariffs are now as cheap as other plans (31 per cent) and the fact that there are more deals to choose from (29 per cent). Fewer than one in ten however (6 per cent) say they have invested in solar panels to generate their own renewable electricity.

Uswitch says that three of the 10 cheapest tariffs currently available are “eco-friendly”. Yet one in six (16 per cent) who haven’t switched are still deterred from going green due to the belief that renewable energy is too expensive.

Rik Smith, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “With the intense media interest in climate change, people across Britain are starting to look at the changes they can make to their own lives. But there is more hesitation when it comes to paying for the technology which is going to drive down greenhouse gas emissions.

“The big exception to this rule seems to be electric vehicles, where nearly half the households in the country are thinking about buying one. Yet consumers still need reassurance that there are enough public charging points to get them from A to B without being stranded before they go full throttle for battery powered cars.

“One area which is less complicated, however, is making simple changes such as using less energy at home and opting for sustainable electricity. Green tariffs are among the cheapest on the market and could save people over £300 a year on their bill, as well as supporting renewable energy.”

In addition to pledging “large-scale investment” to decarbonise the economy, Labour has pledged to bring Britain’s biggest energy suppliers under public ownership.

Speaking in response to Labour’s announcement, a spokesperson for the Energy Networks Association said: “To meet the challenge of net zero as quickly as possible, it’s imperative that we don’t waste valuable time and resources on redesigning a system that’s been proven to work.

“Private investment has helped make Britain a superpower of renewable energy. Let’s build on that to reach net zero.

“Independent research shows that state ownership of energy infrastructure would be a huge risk for investment, a huge risk for hitting our decarbonisation targets and a huge risk for energy billpayers.”