Leader: Tesla has energised people’s imagination

Something amazing happened last weekend. For the first time in many years, people were talking about energy – and they were excited. They weren’t bemoaning their bills, or their service, or wondering what the new government would do to fix the market. People from outside the industry, people at parties and in cafes, were talking about Tesla’s new 4ft domestic battery, which according to founder Elon Musk, heralds a “fundamental transformation in how the world works”.

He may just be right. Energy storage is the missing piece of the renewables jigsaw, and if Tesla has truly found a way to make it efficient and cost-effective at a domestic level, then the way that people buy and consume energy could be about to change forever. As it did with its electric vehicle designs, Tesla is offering to open source its battery designs, allowing rivals to access them for free in order to build a sustainable market and supply chain. It is also reportedly developing a larger scale version of the battery specifically for utilities, although details have not been forthcoming.

There are, inevitably, critics. Naysayers have suggested that the technology could be quickly superseded by more advanced fuel cells, and that the cost will be prohibitive for ordinary householders. But this misses the point: the front-page headline in this Saturday’s Times was “Power to the people in energy revolution”. When was the last time the industry had publicity like that? People are genuinely excited about this technology, and its potential to give them control of their energy consumption and generation. They are also inspired by Musk, the first man to bring celebrity glamour and a touch of razzle-dazzle to domestic energy.

Power companies – retailers and networks alike – should grab this opportunity with both hands. It’s a chance to change the relationship with consumers, and finally move away from the endless negativity about energy. A call-round of UK utilities this week asking for their views on the technology elicited a lacklustre response. Let’s hope companies wake up quickly – or the conversation might just move on without them.