Responding to the increase in the energy price cap, Andy Regan, Mission Manager in Nesta’s Sustainable Future team said:

“For many households across Britain, today’s announcement of an increase to the energy price cap will be a cause for fear and despair. Fuel poverty campaigners have long talked about the choice between heating or eating, but the cost of both has gone up significantly in recent months.

“We need to be clear that the UK’s energy price crisis is a global gas crisis, driven by geopolitics, and bottlenecks across the energy system which have all pushed up wholesale gas prices. The UK is more heavily exposed to these than most other countries in Europe, so the solution is to accelerate our move away from that dependency.

“These solutions begin in our homes. We use more gas for heating than for generating electricity. So the best solutions are switching to low carbon heating, insulating homes, and continuing to generate more renewable energy.

“The UK Government should retain its commitment to the Energy Company Obligation, push ahead with its plans to stimulate the heat pump market, and shouldn’t blink on its plans to shift levies on energy bills from electricity to gas - even in the midst of this crisis.

“It should also recognise the cost and complexity of making the change to low carbon heat for households, and invest in innovative approaches to reducing costs, increasing confidence, and making the right choice for the long term the easiest choice in the here and now.”