Utility Week

16 | 7TH - 13TH JUNE 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Policy & Regulation Combat climate change with energy effi ciency Keynote speaker Michael Lewis calls for spend to be in the billions. T here can be no argument, climate change is the de ning issue of our era, certainly for our industry. It is both a global and a local issue and we all can be a signi cant part of the solution. Yet the energy system in which we oper- ate is still out of date – largely based on fossil fuels and large, distant power stations. It remains incredibly wasteful. We need a transformational, not incremental, response. Most of the UK's greenhouse gas emis- sions are still from the production and consumption of energy – driving cars, vans and lorries, manufacturing goods or simply heating our homes. It can only be lowered if we all become more energy e• cient and switch to low-carbon energy sources. That means a future in which we use less, and what we use comes from lower-carbon sources – a future for the next generation. We should start by increasing the rate of energy e• ciency installations to millions of homes up and down the country. Energy e• ciency is vital to meeting carbon targets but is also a no-brainer for reducing bills, improving people's wellbeing and delivering bene ts to local economies. At Eon we're one of the leaders in innovation in energy e• ciency, with more than 1.3 mil- lion installations in the UK to date. National infrastructure priority To get to that transformational scale we need to make energy e• ciency a national infrastructure priority. We need to see an increase in the Energy Company Obligation funding pot from £640 million to a number in the billions. We believe this can be funded by better targeting the Winter Fuel Payment to those who truly need it, freeing up funds for extra household energy e• ciency pro- grammes for the fuel poor, and ring-fencing part of our health and social care budgets to invest in making homes warmer, better insu- lated and with e• cient heating systems. People need to be given the power to improve their homes, whether this is through tax incentives such as stamp duty rebates or stronger regulation includ- ing minimum performance standards to reŒ ect the value in energy investments. Government-supported energy investments are essential, such as Green Mortgages, a "help to improve" scheme to sit alongside the "help to buy" or a government-backed investment ISA. To help deliver these we're already involved in a number of projects ranging from a pilot with Mauer to create cheaper and quicker-to-install solid wall insulation to a project with the European Space Agency to use satellite imaging data to help local authorities target fuel poverty support to those in most need. Embracing electri cation The best option for decarbonising heat is electri cation. We need action to support hybrid heat pumps. We need to build on the success of the smart meter rollout, instead of focusing on the problems, and make smart meters the new normal for everyone post-2020. The government should target the end of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, not 2040. And we must create a "Œ exibility rst" market-based approach to solving network—issues. The next opportunity is helping our customers to have greater control over the energy they need, generating and even stor- ing renewable energy at home or in business through solar and battery options, heat pumps and electric vehicle tari˜ s, greater e• ciency in business management and community-scale district heating schemes, helping to create smart sustainable homes, businesses and cities. Building lasting relationships with customers and designing products and solutions that deliver value today, tomorrow and beyond. We see the future of energy as decarbonised, decentralised and digital- ised and we are working to deliver a smart, sustainable and personalised solution to all our customers. The energy revolution is under way and we've a big part to play in this. Imagine making every home, business and even city energy e• cient; putting solar panels on every roof, providing access to electric vehicle charging and local, renewable gen- eration to all. We're already making this a reality for our customers and one example is our Future Energy Home collaboration with Berkeley Homes. This has seen us install a range of smart energy solutions in their innovative, award-winning house. All solu- tions are connected to Eon's home energy dashboard which o˜ ers intuitive visualisa- tion and control of installed solutions with- out having to navigate a maze of separate apps for each piece of technology. We're using our expertise to partner with developers and local authorities and provide solutions that enable them to deliver their sustainable strategies. Improving air quality and transforming and regenerating their cities with innovative renewable technologies and enabling the electri cation of transport. Creating sustainable and cleaner cities that are great to live, work and play in, where existing businesses thrive and new businesses invest. Michael Lewis, chief executive, Eon UK Energy Summit preview The Utility Week Energy Summit The summit features a packed lineup of high- pro le industry professionals and takes place on 13 June in Westminster, London. Speakers include: Keith Anderson, chief executive, Scottish Power; Martin Cave, chairman, Ofgem; Simone Rossi, chief executive, EDF; and Joanna Whittington, directorˆgeneral, Energy and Security at the Department for Business, Energy and IndustrialˆStrategy. It is sponsored by Navigant. More details at https://event.utilityweek.co.uk/summit/agenda/

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