The much-anticipated Energy Security Strategy launched today by government has come under fire for its failure to address energy efficiency in the nation’s building stock.

The Strategy focuses on demand-side solutions, setting out goals for solar, wind, hydrogen, and nuclear power. The plan is for the UK to acquire 95% of its electricity from low-carbon sources by 2030, and 100% by 2035.

However, experts say the government has wasted an opportunity to help bill payers now, by ignoring energy efficiency solutions which can go a long way in the short-term to cut carbon and lower costs.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng admitted to Sky News that the Strategy was unlikely impact the cost of living crisis for householders any time soon, describing it more as a ‘medium-term’ plan.

Earlier this week, the Treasury blocked a Number 10 proposal to include more households in the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, with a £200 million increase to the scheme’s budget to help to pay for insulation, new boilers and other energy efficiency measures for households facing a cost of living crisis.

With the lack of ambition for energy efficiency in the Strategy, critics say the government has ignored the low hanging fruit. The Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) believes the wider adoption of heat networks and energy efficiency technologies would see the UK require less gas, which would have an immediate impact on national energy security while reducing energy bills.

Lily Frencham, CEO of the ADE, says: “Unfortunately, the new Energy Security Strategy misses a trick by neglecting to focus on easy and established measures that can help people immediately – such as improving the efficiency of their homes. Without increased government support in these areas, it will be impossible to adequately protect consumers from continued price rises and volatility in the future.”

Dr Nina Skorupska CBE, chief executive of the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), comments: “Energy efficiency makes sense because every unit of energy saved is one that doesn’t have to be bought from elsewhere or paid to produce.”

Jonathan Maxwell, CEO and founder of Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL), points out: “Energy efficiency measures quickly pay for themselves in terms of the cost savings they deliver, and then go on to produce further savings. There is an investment case, an environmental case and a national security case for putting energy efficiency at the heart of government energy policy.”

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas describes the Strategy as ‘economically and environmentally illiterate’. She said: “There is a gaping wide hole on energy efficiency and demand reduction – which should have been filled by a home retrofit revolution, a mass roll-out of improved insulation and electric heat pumps to keep homes warm and slash household bills.”

Key points in the Strategy

Nuclear: The government aims to create more nuclear in the UK, with an ambition of up to 24GW by 2050. This would represent up to around 25% of projected electricity demand. There is also mention of Small Modular Reactors as technology develops in this area.

Offshore wind: With onshore wind sidelined to appease a section of the Tory party, offshore wind will be accelerated, aiming at generating up to 50GW by 2030. Planning will be reformed to cut approval times from four years to one. Government says it will partner with ‘supportive’ communities to host a limited number of onshore wind farms in return for lower energy bills.

Oil and gas: A new licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects is planned to launch in the autumn. BEIS says these fuels will play an important part in the transition to renewable energy.

Hydrogen: The aim is to double targets to up to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with at least half coming from green hydrogen and using excess offshore wind power to bring down costs.

Solar: The government will investigate ways to increase the UK’s 14GW solar capacity, which could grow by up to five times by 2035. Plans for solar farms have met local opposition so far but the government said it is consulting on rules for solar projects, particularly on domestic and commercial rooftops.

Heat pump manufacturing: A Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition will launch in 2022 worth up to £30 million to make British heat pumps.