Consumers’ choices must be limited to achieve net zero

Published 17 May 2022

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Consumers’ choices must be limited to achieve net zero

Consumers’ choices must be limited to a degree if the UK is to achieve its net zero ambitions, a senior industry figure has argued.

Responding to a question about hydrogen boilers during a panel session on the decarbonisation of heat at Utility Week Live, SGN regional development manager Paul Rose stated that consumers should have a “choice in their chosen energy to decarbonise”.

However, Noah Nkonge, head of partnerships at Vattenfall, said decarbonising heating will inevitably mean limiting peoples’ choices: “We talk a lot about choice in the UK, everyone’s right to choose. We also have to be honest. We’ve got the climate emergency and we need to get to net zero. Can people choose solutions that are not going to help the UK get to net zero?

“So, how much choice do you give? Do you give a limited choice which fits in with whole systems? Because you can’t have it both ways. If everybody gets to choose every little thing then things like heat networks are really difficult to deliver.”

Nkonge further added that the government should take the lead on the methods of decarbonisation available to consumers: “There are ways of introducing choice, but I think also that’s the government’s role, to say what choices are appropriate for each different customer.”

Save the date! Utility Week Live 2023 will take place on 16 and 17 May 2023 at the NEC in Birmingham.