Who should foot the bill for energy transition costs?

The British public supports a transition to a low-carbon energy system, and is willing to shoulder some of the costs, on the condition that energy companies and government accept their fair share of responsibility, according to a study carried out by Cardiff University researchers. The adoption of new technologies and infrastructure required to transition to a low-carbon energy system will bring multiple benefits - including improved energy efficiency, falling technology costs, and avoided climate damage. It will also bring additional costs, with the public likely to bear these, either indirectly through taxation or directly from energy bills. On behalf of the UK Energy Research Centre, the team surveyed 3,150 members of the British public and ran a series of focus groups, revealing the groundswell of support for energy system change, whilst also highlighting the widespread mistrust of energy companies and government. Primary responsibility for funding the energy transition was found to lie with energy companies and the government, the public were found to be responsible to a lesser degree. Many respondents thought that they were already paying substantially, while energy companies were seen to contribute little. It was therefore considered unfair to ask the public to take on more of the financial burden, while energy companies were perceived to be protecting their profit margins.