When it comes to net zero 69% of us support the idea but we don’t want to pay more for it!
Recent research from Accenture has found a huge gap between support and willingness to pay more to decarbonise.
Of residential consumers, only 33% are willing to pay higher energy premiums to support it.
Of the rest (67%), who are unwilling to pay higher bills, almost half (43%) cited the affordability of energy bills as the cause.
And 44% felt it was not their responsibility to fund clean energy initiatives.
On the whole, British consumers largely believe it is everyone’s responsibility to take action towards a more sustainable future, pointing out both businesses and individuals, have to be responsible for change.
Lack of trust
The research also highlights distrust between consumers and businesses, in particular trust that energy companies are committed to investing in green energy.
It found that energy providers will have to do more to win support from their customers in the energy transition.
If consumers must pay more for the transition, (as is likely), 42% wanted to see additional help like discounts on energy bills or financial assistance.
However a huge 78% of consumers are interested in clean energy-related products and services, like electric vehicle charging, battery storage and solar panels.
Gavin Moore, Resources lead for Accenture in the UK commented: “To drive progress, energy providers must prioritise building stronger relationships with their consumers by demonstrating transparency, accountability and measurable impact.”
The findings are based on a survey of 16,800 household consumers across 18 nations.
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