News Archive

Energy Independence Bill to cut energy bills and boost consumer protections

5 November 2026 The government has introduced the Energy Independence Bill, legislation aimed at cutting household energy bills, strengthening consumer protections and expanding community ownership of renewable energy projects across…

Carol Hitchcock5th November 2026

Cooling to account for 13% of global electricity demand by 2035

5 November 2026 Electricity used for cooling will make up 13% of global demand by 2035, producing 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, according to analysis by DNV.…

Carol Hitchcock5th November 2026

Scottish onshore wind industry calls for 30 GW Target by 2040

4 November 2026 The Scottish Onshore Wind Developers Forum (SOWDF) has called on the Scottish government to set a target of at least 30 GW of installed onshore wind capacity…

Carol Hitchcock4th November 2026

Amazon Stockton delivery station targets 50% lower energy use

Amazon's new £40m delivery station in Stockton-on-Tees is designed to use around 50% less energy than a typical logistics building, with solar panels and energy-efficient heating helping to reduce energy…

Carol Hitchcock3rd November 2026

Cardiff landmarks switch to low-carbon heating

30 October 2026 Three of Cardiff’s most prominent public buildings have replaced gas-fired heating with a low-carbon network that uses surplus heat from a nearby energy recovery plant. The Senedd,…

Carol Hitchcock30th October 2026

Boiler Upgrade Scheme funding cut prompts industry concern

29 October 2026 The government’s decision to reduce planned funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) by £792m over three years has prompted concerns about the impact on heat pump…

Carol Hitchcock29th October 2026

UK business electricity bills fall 17% as energy use declines

29 October 2026 Average UK business electricity bills fell by 17% quarter on quarter to £4,804 a year, according to POWWR’s latest Quarterly Energy Barometer Report. Average energy consumption also…

Carol Hitchcock29th October 2026

Gas standing charges: what the Budget change means for bills

28 October 2026 Households that use less gas could save money under plans to abolish fixed daily gas charges, while those that use more may face higher bills. Chancellor John…

Carol Hitchcock28th October 2026

Warm Homes Loans launched to help households finance energy upgrades

28 October 2026 Households across the UK can now apply for government-backed loans to help pay for heat pumps, solar panels and battery storage, as the government seeks to make…

Carol Hitchcock28th October 2026

Energy sector warned not to leave customers behind in shift to digital services

27 October 2026 Gas distribution network operator Cadent has launched its annual Energy Diaries insights alongside Thinks Insight & Strategy, revealing that customers want to ensure technological progress in the…

Carol Hitchcock27th October 2026

Electricity bill reforms could save households £300 a year by 2030

26 October 2026 A coalition of 20 energy suppliers, business groups, charities and other organisations has called on the government to overhaul electricity pricing, saying a package of reforms could…

Carol Hitchcock26th October 2026

Report calls for policy changes to expand UK heat recovery

23 October 2026 Nearly 4,780 potential sources of recoverable heat are located within 1km of UK heat network zones, according to a new report calling for coordinated policy changes to…

Carol Hitchcock23rd October 2026

New industry programme to tackle barriers to AI adoption in energy

22 October 2026 The Energy Institute (EI) has launched a new industry programme to help the energy sector use artificial intelligence (AI) safely, effectively and at scale. The EI’s new…

Carol Hitchcock22nd October 2026

Energy committee calls for business electricity reforms and changes to network costs

21 October 2026 Businesses should get better access to long-term electricity deals as part of wider reforms to reduce energy costs, a parliamentary committee has recommended, alongside proposals to shift…

Carol Hitchcock21st October 2026

Spark gap holding back Britain’s heat pump market

20 October 2026 The government must bring down the cost of electricity relative to gas or risk continuing to lock homes and businesses into high prices, according to a new…

Carol Hitchcock20th October 2026

Grid upgrades forecast to generate £58bn for UK economy

20 October 2026 Investment in Britain’s electricity networks could generate £58bn for the UK economy and support a workforce of 210,000 by 2035, according to a new industry report. The…

Carol Hitchcock20th October 2026

Records show continued drop in electricity consumption

16 October 2026 Electricity consumption in non-domestic buildings fell by almost 2% in 2024, despite enormous growth in the number of data centres. This continues an annual trend in reductions…

Carol Hitchcock16th October 2026

Electric car batteries could boost UK grid flexibility

16 October 2026 The UK’s 2.28 million battery electric cars could provide a significant source of electricity storage as vehicle-to-grid technology moves into commercial use, according to energy technology consultancy…

Carol Hitchcock16th October 2026

Milton Keynes office achieves top NABERS UK energy rating

15 October 2026 An office building in Milton Keynes has become the only property in the UK to hold a five-star NABERS UK Energy for Offices Whole Building rating, following…

Carol Hitchcock15th October 2026

Solar carport to supply more than a third of Scottish Water HQ’s electricity

14 October 2026 A solar carport at Scottish Water’s headquarters in Stepps is expected to generate 0.87GWh of electricity a year, meeting more than a third of the site’s power…

Carol Hitchcock14th October 2026

Energy complexity makes business planning harder, EDF survey finds

13 October 2026 UK businesses may be more confident in their ability to navigate the energy market than their own experiences suggest, according to new EDF research revealing a potential…

Carol Hitchcock13th October 2026

UK’s sunniest year on recored handed solar homes £758 in savings

12 October 2026 2025 was confirmed as the UK’s sunniest year on record, with the Met Office recording more hours of sunshine than in any year since records began in…

Carol Hitchcock12th October 2026

Energy market faces test of competition after E.ON-OVO deal

9 October 2026 Three energy suppliers will account for 74% of Great Britain’s domestic electricity and gas market following E.ON’s acquisition of OVO, according to analysis by Cornwall Insight. The…

Carol Hitchcock9th October 2026

Heat networks study suggests regulatory uncertainty is slowing delivery

New research undertaken by Baxi has found that social housing providers and local authorities have good experience of heat networks, but regulatory uncertainty and stretched capacity are slowing delivery. Heat…

Carol Hitchcock8th October 2026

Business energy bills hit by £167m in discrepancies

7 October 2026 Business energy bills worth £1.8bn were recalculated by billing validation firm Optima Energy in the first eight months of 2026, with discrepancies totalling £167m, according to the…

Carol Hitchcock7th October 2026

Hospital solar canopy to save £70,000 a year for frontline care

6 October 2026 A solar car canopy has been installed at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and now generates enough power to run an operating theatre or 120 homes for…

Carol Hitchcock6th October 2026

Manufacturers offered help with soaring electricity costs

5 October 2026 More than 10,000 manufacturing businesses across Great Britain can now apply for a scheme that could cut their electricity bills by up to 25%. The British Industrial…

Carol Hitchcock5th October 2026

Proposed data centre in Scotland could be among UK’s largest

2 October 2026 Plans have been submitted for a 1GW data centre campus in southern Scotland, in a development that could involve investment of about £16.5bn. The proposed campus is…

Carol Hitchcock2nd October 2026

Energy strategy helps hospitality operator

30 September 2026 Energy consultancy, Consultus International, has completed an 18-month strategic energy overhaul for UK hospitality operator, Arc Inspirations. The Leicester-based firm successfully consolidated around 40 fragmented supply contracts…

Carol Hitchcock30th September 2026

Great British Grid to target bottlenecks holding back power projects

29 September 2026 A new publicly owned body has been created to help speed up electricity grid connections and bring more investment into the UK's ageing network. Great British Grid…

Carol Hitchcock29th September 2026

Chartered energy professionals report higher salaries

29 September 2026 Professionals holding Energy Institute (EI) chartered registrations are earning significantly more than their non-chartered peers, according to new research published by the Energy Institute. The survey, which…

Carol Hitchcock29th September 2026

Net zero confidence gap found between senior and junior workers

28 September 2026 Confidence among business owners and C-suite employees in reaching net zero is twice that of entry level employees, while half of junior workers are unaware of their…

Carol Hitchcock28th September 2026

Sunshine salary is a £14.2bn opportunity sitting on UK rooftops

25 September 2026 UK households could be missing out on a collective £14.2 billion a year in potential energy bill savings from the roofs over their heads, according to new…

Carol Hitchcock25th September 2026

BREEAM updates standards for commercial refurbishments

24 September 2026 The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has launched BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out Commercial Version 7 (BREEAM RFO V7), an updated framework comprising two sustainability standards designed to…

Carol Hitchcock24th September 2026

Canary Wharf locks in a decade of cleaner energy

24 September 2026 A new 10-year renewable power deal will help Canary Wharf Group cut its reliance on higher-carbon electricity, while bringing greater price certainty to one of London’s biggest…

Carol Hitchcock24th September 2026

Smart tariffs could help more households cut energy bills

23 September 2026 A new report suggests millions of households, from night-shift workers and busy families to low-income customers, heat pump owners and those with home batteries, could be missing…

Carol Hitchcock23rd September 2026

MPs urge ministers to rethink how they communicate net zero

23 September 2026 The government should use the term “net zero” less often and put greater emphasis on energy security, lower bills and other practical benefits of the energy transition,…

Carol Hitchcock23rd September 2026

£90m funding announced for heat networks serving hundreds of thousands of homes

23 September 2026 More than 750,000 homes are set to benefit from new or upgraded heat networks backed by £90m of government funding. The funding will support new low-carbon networks…

Carol Hitchcock23rd September 2026

Gas power station profits rose sharply during energy crisis, analysis finds

22 September 2026 Gas-fired power stations in Great Britain made about £4bn in profits above estimated normal returns during 2021 and 2022, according to analysis by University College London (UCL).…

Carol Hitchcock22nd September 2026

Community energy offers scope for major growth

21 September 2026 Community-owned renewable generation could increase more than fivefold by 2035, according to new modelling by energy consultancy Regen. The analysis found that generation connected to National Grid…

Carol Hitchcock21st September 2026

Operational intelligence could help commercial kitchens cut energy use

21 September 2026 An estimated £95 million was added to UK hospitality energy costs by this summer’s heatwaves, according to industry analysis, highlighting the potential for operators to reduce unnecessary…

Carol Hitchcock21st September 2026

Communities offered funding to develop local clean energy projects

18 September 2026 Communities across the UK are being offered £30m to develop their own renewable energy projects, as part of plans for up to £1bn of government support for…

Carol Hitchcock18th September 2026

UK faces half a trillion pound investment challenge for clean energy transition

17 September 2026 The UK will need at least £511bn of investment by 2040 to build the renewable energy, electricity networks and storage needed for its clean energy transition, according…

Carol Hitchcock17th September 2026

Businesses warn of energy cost surge as Clean Power 2030 concerns grow

16 September 2026 Businesses are calling on the UK government to reconsider its Clean Power 2030 target due to concerns about the cost impact of delivering the transition, according to…

Carol Hitchcock16th September 2026

Utility Aid calls on charities to join collective energy buying initiative

15 September 2026 UK charities, schools, churches, and other non-domestic organisations are being encouraged to consider the benefits of collective energy purchasing as they continue to navigate financial pressures and…

Carol Hitchcock15th September 2026

Flexibility to tackle voltage constraints on local networks

15 September 2026 Flexible demand is to be used to help manage voltage on parts of the low-voltage electricity network as rising levels of electric vehicles and rooftop solar alter…

Carol Hitchcock15th September 2026

Industry leaders call on Chancellor to remove electricity levies

14 September 2026 A letter signed by more than 120 organisations, including Energy UK and E3G, is calling on the government to move energy policy levies from electricity bills to…

Carol Hitchcock14th September 2026

Small firms put expansion plans on hold as costs mount

14 September 2026 Energy costs are cutting small business margins by around 18% on average, as rising costs across the economy prompt almost seven in 10 firms to delay or…

Carol Hitchcock14th September 2026

Power grid delays threaten to drive up energy bills

11 September 2026 Upgrades to the nation’s electricity grid are necessary to accommodate increasing amounts of renewable energy generation but need to accelerate to avoid rising costs being passed on…

Carol Hitchcock11th September 2026

Highlighting the business case for energy efficiency

10 September 2026 The European Commission's De-Risking Energy Efficiency Platform (DEEP) has published new data showing that higher energy prices have strengthened the business case for energy efficiency investments. The platform,…

Carol Hitchcock10th September 2026

Commercial rooftops could provide major boost to UK solar capacity

10 September 2026 A new report, commissioned by Real Estate:UK, has found that the UK’s untapped commercial rooftops could accommodate more than 60GW of additional solar capacity – equivalent to…

Carol Hitchcock10th September 2026

Heat network in Suffolk becomes one of first to register with Ofgem

10 September 2026 A community heat network serving new homes in Sudbury, Suffolk, has become one of the first in the UK to be registered under Ofgem’s new regulatory framework…

Carol Hitchcock10th September 2026

Bristol council buildings to receive low-carbon heating upgrades

8 September 2026 Three Bristol City Council buildings are to have their gas heating systems replaced with air source heat pumps as part of a programme to reduce energy use…

Carol Hitchcock8th September 2026

Businesses urged to recover heat from used shower water

4 September 2026 Commercial buildings with frequent shower use are being encouraged to recover heat from wastewater before it is sent down the drain, in an effort to reduce energy…

Carol Hitchcock4th September 2026

London’s largest rooftop solar installation

3 September 2026 New Spitalfields Market has completed a £1m renewable energy project that has delivered London’s largest rooftop solar installation, helping the wholesale food hub cut carbon emissions while…

Carol Hitchcock3rd September 2026

Onshore wind could save billpayers £3bn a year

2 September 2026 Expanding onshore wind to meet the UK government’s 2030 target could save electricity billpayers about £3bn a year compared with generating the same amount of power from…

Carol Hitchcock2nd September 2026

Partnership to advance low-carbon heat networks

1 September 2026 Heat Networks Scotland and Heat Pump Association UK (HPA UK) have announced a new reciprocal membership partnership, strengthening collaboration between two organisations committed to accelerating the decarbonisation…

Carol Hitchcock1st September 2026

£9.8bn added to UK costs as conflict drags on

1 September 2026 New analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) finds that higher wholesale oil and gas prices since the start of the US-Iran war, on 28th…

Carol Hitchcock1st September 2026

AI demand puts pressure on data centre maintenance

28 August 2026 Growing demand for artificial intelligence is putting greater pressure on data centre cooling and power systems, prompting calls for operators to move towards more predictive maintenance. Engineering…

Carol Hitchcock28th August 2026

Solar installations reach record levels across UK

28 August 2026 Nearly 172,000 solar installations have been completed across the UK since the start of 2026, according to new government figures, with every UK nation and English region…

Carol Hitchcock28th August 2026

Two new data centres could produce more emissions than ExxonMobil, analysis says

27 August 2026 Two planned UK data centres could produce more than 4.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year if powered by new gas-fired plants, according to analysis by…

Carol Hitchcock27th August 2026

Bills to climb in October, with worse to come in January

26 August 2026 Household energy bills are forecast to rise by a further 9% in January, after Ofgem confirmed a 4% increase to its price cap from October. The average…

Carol Hitchcock26th August 2026

New funding model proposed to expand heat networks

25 August 2026 Heat networks could attract £17bn of investment by 2035 if the government provides £1bn of funding now and introduces a new financing model, according to an industry…

Carol Hitchcock25th August 2026

Business energy costs show no sign of cooling off

24 August 2026 Business energy bills have jumped 25% since February, with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continuing to drive wholesale prices upward. According to Cornwall Insight's Business…

Carol Hitchcock24th August 2026

Record number of UK households combining renewables

20 August 2026 Data from MCS, the quality mark for small-scale renewables, shows a record start to the year for certified installations. There were 210,000 installations in the UK between…

Carol Hitchcock20th August 2026

Buyers missing out on savings by ignoring efficiency labels

19 August 2026 As energy rates rocketed for millions of homes across the UK in July, many are prioritising cheaper upfront appliance purchases, even if it could cost them more…

Carol Hitchcock19th August 2026

BCIA offers a clearer route from specification to performance

18 August 2026 A new framework gives energy managers a clearer way to specify BEMS functionality, compare tenders and ensure systems deliver the performance their buildings require. The Building Controls…

Carol Hitchcock18th August 2026

Help for schools and hospitals with green energy grant applications

17 August 2026 A new online tool is helping schools, hospitals and community organisations identify viable solar projects, assess network connections and find potential funding. UK Power Networks’ Distribution System…

Carol Hitchcock17th August 2026

Businesses told to get ready for harsher winter conditions

14 August 2026 Businesses are being urged to review heating, insulation and environmental control plans for the coming winter, after the Met Office’s latest State of the UK Climate report…

Carol Hitchcock14th August 2026

Communities to share in the cost of Britain’s grid upgrade

13 August 2026 Households living near new electricity pylons could save up to £2,500 on their energy bills over the next decade, as the government offers discounts to communities hosting…

Carol Hitchcock13th August 2026

Factories abandoning electrification plans due to grid connection uncertainty

12 August 2026 Industrial businesses are walking away from electrification projects before they even submit a grid connection application because they cannot get a reliable early estimate of what it…

Carol Hitchcock12th August 2026

UK households’ energy use has not returned to pre-crisis levels

12 August 2026 Households across the UK cut their energy use at its fastest rate in more than a decade after gas and electricity prices surged following Russia's invasion of…

Carol Hitchcock12th August 2026

Llŷr wind farm clears major planning hurdle in Wales

10 August 2026 A test and demonstration offshore wind project in the Celtic Sea has secured Section 36 consent from the Welsh Government, clearing another key regulatory hurdle ahead of…

Carol Hitchcock10th August 2026

Lifecycle thinking is the key to efficient pumping systems, says BPMA

7 August 2026 As organisations across industry continue to seek ways to reduce operating costs and improve sustainability, the British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) is highlighting the importance of regular…

Carol Hitchcock7th August 2026

Investment boost for UK solar thermal business

6 August 2026 The UK solar thermal manufacturer Naked Energy has received a combined £8.875m investment from Great British Energy and Barclays Climate Ventures, with the aim of helping to…

Carol Hitchcock6th August 2026

New British Gas scheme could save energy costs for small businesses

5 August 2026 Small and medium-sized businesses are being presented with a new energy proposition from British Gas which is claimed to deliver an average 20% saving on energy bills…

Carol Hitchcock5th August 2026

How to address the overheating challenge

4 August 2026 With the UK experiencing four heatwaves so far this year and with heat-health warnings currently in place across parts of England, Vent-Axia has sponsored a new white…

Carol Hitchcock4th August 2026

Social landlords urged to invest in energy-saving shower system

3 August 2026 Housing associations and local authorities are being urged to consider shower waste water heat recovery (WWHR) as part of their long-term planned maintenance and retrofit programmes, with…

Carol Hitchcock3rd August 2026

Survey of energy executives highlights misplaced confidence

31 July 2026 Almost every senior B2B energy executive surveyed in Europe believes their organisation has an accurate view of its margins, yet new research suggests many are operating with…

Carol Hitchcock31st July 2026

EPC confusion stops homeowners from making energy upgrades

30 July 2026 UK homeowners are delaying energy-efficiency improvements amid ongoing uncertainty about their homes' energy performance and the benefits of upgrades, according to new research from the energy comparison…

Carol Hitchcock30th July 2026

Automotive manufacturers to improve energy efficiency following SMMT warning

29 July 2026 Mitsubishi Electric UK is calling on the automotive industry to take proactive steps to improve energy efficiency if it is to remain competitive in the face of…

Carol Hitchcock29th July 2026

Industry urges government to keep VAT relief on energy-saving measures

29 July 2026 Almost 50 organisations are urging the government to extend the 0% VAT rate on the installation of energy-saving home improvements, warning that ending the relief next spring…

Carol Hitchcock29th July 2026

Heat networks need government backing to unlock £100bn

29 July 2026 Households will miss out on lower heating bills, and the UK economy will lose £100 billion in investment unless the government acts now to make heat networks…

Carol Hitchcock29th July 2026

Report: Gas boilers pose critical threat to UK national security

The heavy gas reliance of UK homes presents a critical threat to the UK’s national security, according to a report from climate think-tank E3G and the Department of War Studies…

Carol Hitchcock28th July 2026

Electricity sector emissions forecast to rise in 2026

27 July 2026 Global electricity demand is expected to grow faster in 2026 than it did last year, with carbon dioxide emissions from power generation forecast to rise by around…

Carol Hitchcock27th July 2026

Cheshire BECCS facility issues planning application

24 July 2026 Energy-from-waste-wood operator Evero has submitted a planning application to deliver the UK’s first Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) facility delivered under the GGR Business Model.…

Carol Hitchcock24th July 2026

Heat pump association sets out roadmap for low-carbon heat networks

23 July 2026 Britain's ambition to expand low-carbon heat networks to cover a fifth of the country's heating needs by 2050 risks falling short unless the government updates its regulatory…

Carol Hitchcock23rd July 2026

Dirty solar panels could be costing UK businesses thousands

22 July 2026 New performance data from commercial solar specialist Absolar suggests dirty solar panels could be costing UK businesses thousands of pounds in lost electricity generation every year, but…

Carol Hitchcock22nd July 2026

Electricity VAT removed in Burnham’s first major policy announcement

21 July 2026 Households in Great Britain are expected to save about £45 a year on electricity bills from October after new Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that VAT on…

Carol Hitchcock21st July 2026

Energy industry groups urge Burnham to cut electricity costs

20 July 2026 A coalition of energy industry organisations has called on the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reduce electricity costs, maintain investor confidence and keep the UK's energy…

Carol Hitchcock20th July 2026

Energy Minister: AI must ‘bring down’ electricity bills as data centres squeeze the grid

17 July 2026 Energy Minister Michael Shanks has called for Britain to be at the forefront of the AI revolution, harnessing the technology to improve energy systems, reduce costs for…

Carol Hitchcock17th July 2026

Ventilation rules set for tighter scrutiny under 2027 building standards

17 July 2026 Housebuilders and housing providers in England and Wales will face stricter requirements on the design, installation and certification of ventilation systems when updated Building Regulations take effect…

Carol Hitchcock17th July 2026

EU addresses post-2030 energy policy

16 July 2026 The European Union is continuing to promote energy efficiency investment as one of its first strategic priorities. Having received confirmation from the European Environment Agency that the…

Carol Hitchcock16th July 2026

GB sets quarterly solar generation record as renewables top half of power mix

16 July 2026 Great Britain generated a record amount of solar electricity during the second quarter of 2026, while renewables supplied more than half of the country's power, according to…

Carol Hitchcock16th July 2026

Ukraine investment boosts renewables and energy security

Ukraine’s electricity system is becoming far greener, thanks to interventions by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Carol Hitchcock15th July 2026

Happy Hour for power! Pubs get free electricity for football

As England reaches the World Cup semi-final for only the fourth time in history and faces Argentina tonight, Octopus Energy is extending its ‘Watt a Save’ initiative right through to…

Carol Hitchcock15th July 2026

UK media missed net zero link in majority of record heatwave coverage

Almost three quarters (72%) of national newspaper articles referring to “heatwave” or “extreme heat” during last month’s record temperatures did not mention climate change, according to new media analysis.

Carol Hitchcock14th July 2026

Rising energy costs spark calls for new support for businesses

The UK’s growth ambitions risk being undermined unless action is taken to reduce business energy costs, according to a new report from the CBI and Energy UK.

Carol Hitchcock14th July 2026

Homes reporting overheating in England almost double in five years

13 July 2026 Nearly three million homes in England are now reporting overheating, up from 1.7 million in 2019, according to new government figures. The data has prompted Nesta, the…

Carol Hitchcock13th July 2026

UK approves second-largest solar farm project

10 July 2026 The government has approved a 740-megawatt solar farm, the country’s second-largest project to receive planning consent, as the expansion of renewable energy capacity continues. One Earth Solar…

Carol Hitchcock10th July 2026