Brits face advertising blitz with Government energy saving campaign
Brits face an advertising blitz over Christmas from the Government, urging them to save energy by turning down boilers and radiators.
Downing Street will kickstart a nationwide advertising campaign this weekend, with messages in newspapers, posters on the side of buses, and commercials on television, according to The Telegraph.
The campaign will cost around £20m in taxpayer funds, but ministers believe the money will be more than made back in savings.
It will be built around the slogan “It All Adds Up” – with the motto designed to convince the public they can make financial savings through reducing energy consumption.
The Government will advise people to lower their boiler flow temperature to 60 degrees, with Downing Street estimating it could save households up to £100 per year.
Other tips include turning down radiators in empty rooms and stopping heat escaping through windows and doors.
Liz Truss reportedly blocked plans for an energy saving campaign during her fleeting stint as Prime Minister.
There is also the possibility Grant Shapps, Business Secretary, could appear in video messaging – demonstrating to camera various steps to reduce energy consumption.
A new website to provide information to the public is expected to go live this weekend, and a Government minister could tour television studios to promote the campaign’s core message.
Energy campaign follows insulation drive
The announcement follows a week of sub-zero temperatures and snowfall across the UK, with energy demand expected to rise.
Energy bills have climbed to a record £2,500 per year for average use despite vast Government subsidies, which are saving households over £1,000 per year compared to the £3,549 per year price cap over the November to January window.
Last month in his autumn statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced plans to reduce the UK’s overall energy consumption 15 per cent by the end of the decade.
He has also unveiled plans to will double the funding for a nationwide energy efficiency drive, to boost insulation across people’s homes.
Hunt has pledged to spend a further £6bn from 2025 to insulate homes and upgrade boilers as part of the 15 per cent energy saving target.
Leaky homes are an increasing issue for the UK as it scrambles to both reach net zero goals, and to tame record energy bills
Installation rates across the UK have dropped sharply in the past decade from over two million homes per year to just tens of thousands after former Prime Minister David Cameron slashed previous efficiency schemes in the mid-2010s – as revealed in the BEIS Select Committee report on energy pricing earlier this year.
Currently just one third of UK homes have an energy performance certificate rating of C or above – the minimum standards the Government has set for domestic households by 2035.
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