The UK’s Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, has unveiled a new package of measures to speed up the country’s shift to clean power in response to instability in the Middle East, arguing that reducing dependence on fossil fuels is now central to energy security. The interventions are framed as going “further and faster” on renewables, consumer protection and major infrastructure delivery.
From this summer, “plug‑in solar” panels – low‑cost, modular units designed for balconies or small outdoor spaces – will be available in the UK for the first time, allowing households to buy simple, supermarket‑shelf solar as an extra way to cut bills and reduce reliance on the grid. Ministers will also bring forward the next annual Contracts for Difference renewables auction to July, inviting developers to compete for support just months after what is described as the most successful auction round to date, which together with the previous round secured enough clean generation to power the equivalent of 23 million homes.
On large-scale projects, the government says it will apply lessons from the Fingleton Review – originally commissioned to speed up delivery of new nuclear stations – to other types of infrastructure, including renewables, in an effort to cut delays in planning and construction. Alongside supply-side measures, the government is also positioning itself as a consumer watchdog in the face of fuel price volatility, working with the Competition and Markets Authority to clamp down on any “price gouging” by fuel retailers or heating oil suppliers. The CMA has stepped up monitoring of the road fuel market, is gathering evidence from heating oil firms, and has reiterated its willingness to levy fines where competition or consumer law is breached.
Compliance with the government’s Fuel Finder price comparison scheme is also being tightened, bringing coverage close to the entire UK market. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said global events showed there was “not a moment to waste” in delivering clean power, describing the package as part of a wider mission to “take back control of our energy” on behalf of billpayers.
