A chance for change

During the last couple of weeks of lockdown I have ventured out in the early evening for my state-approved exercise. The main roads have been eerily quiet and fellow walkers very thin on the ground. But get away from streets and houses and the most notable things how much easier it is to hear birdsong. And with the plummeting use of transport the improved air quality has received much attention.

Many of the policies and projects that were at the top of the agenda even a few short weeks ago now seem second-order concerns, compared to the twin priorities of getting through the crisis and then recovering as best we can.

Millions of us are now confined to their homes, resorting to teleworking to do their jobs, e-commerce sites to do their shopping, and streaming video platforms to find entertainment. A reliable electricity supply underpins all of these services, as well as powering the devices most of us take for granted such as fridges, washing machines and light bulbs. The UK’s collective weekly energy bills for domestic users are likely to be up to £52m higher now than in 2019, as around 16.8m people are working from home.

Of course, when this crisis has passed most things may return to normal and the roads will return to their noisy, busy selves. And air quality will probably deteriorate. But many companies will re-evaluate the way they work and reduce office space by allowing employees to work from home. And perhaps more people don’t want air quality to deteriorate again.

Throughout the crisis energy managers will have been preparing for full or partial shutdowns, considering what equipment can be turned off completely or what the need or heating and lighting might be. But there will be many companies out there who will have made no provision for managing their energy use. Once businesses are back up and running energy managers will have the chance to make a string case for energy management technologies. Now may be a good opportunity to prepare the ground for future discussions. Perhaps companies will revise their ways of working with less travel and reduced overheads through more home working.

Let’s hope that there is a change of attitude once we emerge from this crisis that leads to a greater appreciation of not only the energy we depend on but also the benefits on the natural world of using energy more wisely.