Switched on or switched off? Public attitudes to the UK’s energy challenges

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Switched on or switched off? Public attitudes to

the UK’s energy challenges

15/10/2013 Edward Langley, Head of Environment Research, Ipsos MORI

Antonia Dickman, Associate Director, Ipsos MORI


What we will cover today

What the public think about the…

1. Key challenges facing the UK energy

sector

2. Acceptability of renewables and nuclear

as a way of meeting the UK’s energy

supply needs

3. Willingness to help address energy

demand issues and the levers to

encourage behaviour change


We will discuss findings from a range of research studies


What do the public think about

the key challenges facing the

energy sector?


Government and industry face significant challenges

Low carbon

economy

Energy

security

Climate change

mitigation

Affordable

supply


91%

4% 5%

The public believe the climate is changing and are

concerned, but the proportions are falling Q. As far as you know, do you personally think the world’s climate is changing, or not?

2013 2010 2005

Bases: 2013: 973 British adults, aged 15 and over, 8th - 26th March 2013; 2010:

1,822 British adults, aged 15 and over, 6th January - 26th March 2010; 2005:

1,491 British adults, aged 15 and over, 1st October – 6th November 2005

Q. How concerned, if at all, are you about climate change, sometimes referred to as

‘global warming’?

60% 71% 82%

% Yes

% No

% Don’t know

78%

15%

6%

72%

19%

9%

Source: Nuclear Power, Ipsos MORI/Cardiff

University/UKERC, 2013


Source: The Sun, 22nd Jan 2013

Why has there been a fall in concern?


It’s the Economy stupid!

Q. What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?

Base: 967 British adults 18+, 8th – 12th August 2013 Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

Top mentions %

Economy

Race relations/Immigration

Inflation/Prices

NHS

Unemployment

Crime/Law and order

Defence/foreign affairs

Education/schools

Poverty/Inequality

Housing Environment (4%)


Issues Facing Britain: Pollution / Environment

Q. What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?

Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home

Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

Cameron’s “Vote

Blue, go Green”

campaign at 2006

local elections

Buncefield Oil Depot fire – toxic cloud

reaches northern Spain

Wettest Autumn since records began –

widespread flooding across the UK

EC proposes carbon

emission cuts of 20%

by 2020

Stern

report

Cameron becomes

PM


The environment is less of a priority across the board

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index, 1996-2012

% Important issues facing Great Britain today is “Pollution/Environment”


Public express doubts about the shift to a low carbon

economy

“Our world is changing.

In a time of recession,

investment in developing

greener forms of energy

will create new jobs and

economic opportunities.”

How many jobs?

For whom? Not for people

like me?

What about people losing

jobs in conventional energy

sector?

Version 1 | Public © Ipsos MORI Base: 2,441 British adults, aged 15 and over, 2nd-12th August 2012

Base: 2,817 British adults aged 18+ at least partly responsible

for paying household energy bills, 5th April – 2nd May 2013

*Source: Ipsos MORI / DECC

Public definitely agree there is an affordability issue

Over four in five consumers …

…are concerned about

their household

energy bills (84%*)

…want to reduce

energy usage (81%**)

**Source: Cardiff University / UKERC/ Ipsos MORI


Security of supply is also a significant concern for Brits

Base:1,822 British adults, aged 15 and over, 6th January-26 March 2010

Supplies of fossil fuels (e.g. coal and

gas) will run out

The UK will become too dependent

on energy from other countries

% Concerned that in the future…

Source: Cardiff University / UKERC / Ipsos MORI

78%

81%

But climate change or not, fossil fuels

are going to run out. So I do use low

energy bulbs. I have double glazing,

insulation and cavity walls. There is not

much more I can do … other than train

myself to put only one cup in the kettle.


5856

505050

4239

3636

3535

3330

282727

252323

1912

87

4

SwedenGermany

Great BritainJapan

USASouth Korea

AustraliaSouth Africa

SpainBelgium

ItalyCanadaPolandFranceChina

TurkeyHungary

ArgentinaIndonesia

Saudi ArabiaIndia

MexicoRussia

Brazil

Base: Between 500-1010 respondents per country, February 2 - 14 2011

Q. What are the three most important environmental issues in your country? % Future energy sources and supplies

Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor

Brits care much more than most about energy security


What does this mean for public perceptions of

energy challenges?

What does this mean for public perceptions of the steps

we need to take to address the UK’s energy challenges?


How acceptable are renewables

and nuclear as a way of

meeting the UK’s energy

supply needs?


While renewables are favoured over fossil fuels,

support has declined

Solar

Hydro

Wind

Gas

Biomass

Nuclear

Oil

Coal

Bases: 2013: 973 British adults, aged 15 and over, 8th - 26th March 2013; 2010:

1,822 British adults, aged 15 and over, 6th January - 26th March 2010; 2005: 1,491

British adults, aged 15 and over, 1st October – 6th November 2005

2013

2010

2005

Q. How favourable or unfavourable are your overall opinions or impressions of the

following energy sources for producing electricity currently?

% Very/fairly favourable




Benefits of nuclear power outweighing risks for public

Bases: 2013: 973 British adults, aged 15 and over, 8th - 26th March 2013; 2010: 1,822 British adults, aged 15

and over, 6th January - 26th March 2010; 2005: 1,491 British adults, aged 15 and over, 1st October – 6th

November 2005

28

16

13

31

38

34

2005

2010

2013

Risks outweigh benefits

Benefits outweigh risks

Q. From what you know or have heard about using

nuclear power for generating electricity in Britain, on

balance, which of these statements, if any, most closely

reflects your own opinion?

How concerned, if at all, are you about nuclear power?

% Very/fairly

concerned




On balance public likely to support replacing our nuclear power

stations, but some work to be done to convince more

42%

support 33%

oppose

55% agree “if we

had safer nuclear

power stations, I’d

be prepared to

support new ones

being built”

Q. To what extent do you support or oppose the

building of new nuclear power stations in Britain to

replace those being phased out over the next few

years? This would ensure that the previous

proportion of nuclear energy is retained.

Base: 973 British adults, aged 15 and over, 8th - 26th March 2013 Source: Nuclear Power, Ipsos MORI/Cardiff



54%

21%

Oppose building in local area (5 miles from home)

And still NIMBY attitude towards nuclear

Base: 2,441 British adults, aged 15 and over, 2nd-12th August 2012

Source: Energy Systems, Ipsos MORI / Cardiff University/UKERC, 2013


Climate change may not be most effective frame for

communicating on energy choices with the public



Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree…..

“I am willing to accept the building of new nuclear power stations if it

would help to tackle climate change”

Bases: 2013: 973 British adults, aged 15 and over, 8th - 26th March 2013; 2010: 1,822 British adults, aged 15

and over, 6th January - 26th March 2010; 2005: 1,491 British adults, aged 15 and over, 1st October – 6th

November 2005


Public preferences for UK energy mix

• Renewables and nuclear understood to

be part of the solution

• Support for renewables is falling, however,

perhaps due to:

• increasing concern for impact on billing

• weakening concern for climate change

• Despite support, there is still public concern about safety

of nuclear power

Need to re-frame renewables as a way of tackling energy security,

and not as way of meeting climate change targets

Need balanced debate about risks posed by nuclear power


What are the public willing to

do to help address energy

demand?


Gas is still the default option for heating our homes

Q. If you were going to replace your current heating system, what types of

heating system would you consider to heat both your home and hot water?

Base: All GB homeowners aged 18+ who do not currently heat their home

mainly using a GSHP, ASHP, biomass boiler or heat network (2,848), 28th

August to 14th October 2012 Source: More Efficient Heating Study, Ipsos MORI / DECC, 2013

3%

81% 3%


I think there is more I could

do to reduce the amount of

energy I use at home

I have tried to reduce the

amount of energy I use at

home

59%

74%

We do have aspirations to reduce how much we use

“I do think about how much it’s going

to cost me [and] I was brought up not

to waste things unnecessarily or using

things for the sake of using them.” Householder aged 70+, CERT evaluation (DECC/Ipsos MORI)

Base: 2,210 British adults aged 18+ at least partly responsible for paying household energy bills, 5th April – 2nd May 2013

Source: Smart meter tracker, Ipsos MORI / DECC, 2013


…automatically

turning off if left on

standby for long time

…turning off after set

period of time (e.g. 10

mins)

…switched off by

electricity network

operator for short periods

of time

But some concern about loss of control?

% Acceptable % Unacceptable


Source: Energy Systems, Ipsos MORI / Cardiff University, UKERC, 2013


“Mainly responsible for ensuring appropriate changes are made to UK energy

system over next 40 years”

Responsibility firmly placed on Government

Source: Energy Systems, Ipsos MORI / Cardiff University/UKERC, 2013


54%


What levers are there to

encourage less energy

intensive behaviours?


Behaviour occurs as an interaction between three necessary

conditions...

Source: Michie et al (2011) Implementation Science

COM-B model of behaviour change


There are many interventions targeting these levers


90

90

87

55

54

40

Provide information on how to livemore sustainably

Provide incentives to live moresustainably

Make companies be moresustainable

Ban the most unsustainableproducts

Make unsustainable productsmore expensive

Not get involved in whether or notpeople choose to live sustainably

Strongly / tend to support (%)

Thinking about using the planet's resources in a sustainable way (i.e. in a way that protects the quality of life of future generations), what, if anything, should Government do?

In terms of broad principles the public support the Government

providing information, incentives and direct action on business

Base: 1,014 British adults aged 16-64, surveyed online between 4th – 22nd November 2010


31

26

22

19

18

16

15

32

Real-time information powerful tool

Base: Base varies depending on how many customers have the appliance. ‘Not

looked at RTD’ includes customers who have not received or installed their RTD.

18 November – 17 December 2010

Q. In the last six months, would you say the frequency with which you do the following behaviours has increased, decreased, stayed about the same or do you not know?

% who increased their behaviour

Turning off lights when

they aren’t needed

Turning off unused

appliances (televisions/

computers) rather than

leaving them on standby

Unplugging chargers

when they are not in use

Only boiling the kettle

with as much water as

you need

Looked at RTD

Not looked at RTD

Source: Ipsos MORI/ERA, 2010


Consumers respond well to real-time information

“It jumps right up when I put the kettle on

from 3p to 47p so you can really see how

much it adds to your bill doing different

things.”

“I do glance at it

every time I come

to the sink.”

“You see it when

you come in and

you think 'oh yes

must turn off the

lights'. It prompts

you to keep up

with those kind of

actions.”

Source: Ipsos MORI/ERA, 2010


9

9

9

32

31

30

25

27

28

28

27

31

5

5

2

Very interested Fairly interested Not very interested Not at all interested Don't know

There are differing levels of interest in smart meters

Base: Adults aged 18+ who are at least partly responsible for paying household energy bills and have not had a smart meter installed: Wave 1 (2,267), 30th March – 26th April 2012; Wave 2 (2,049) 5th – 20th October 2012: Wave 3 (1,984) 5th April – 2nd May 2013

Q. To what extent would you be interested, or not, in having a smart meter

installed in your home in the near future?

April

2012

Oct

2012

April

2013

Source: Smart meter tracker, Ipsos MORI / DECC, 2012/2013


Although expected to help households budget and to avoid

wasted energy use

Source: Smart meter tracker, Ipsos MORI / DECC, 2013

Base: 2,210 British adults aged 18+ at least partly responsible for paying household energy bills, 5th April – 2nd May 2013

Q. What, if anything, do you think you would benefit from if you had a smart meter

installed in your home? (spontaneous)


Power of social norms and trusted sources

“There were so many houses

in the area getting done...

Once you’ve seen the van you

just followed suit.” CERT customer, North Shields

“A lot more people were getting it

done, and you cannot think I’m

right and they’re all wrong.” CERT customer, North Shields

Source: CERT Evaluation, Ipsos MORI/DECC, 2011

“I knew if the council was in the

scheme there wasn’t going to be

any hidden charges.” CERT customer, North Shields


Where does this leave us?


Public would like our future energy system to involve…

• Renewables, and probably nuclear

• Improved energy efficiency

• Assistance budgeting and ensuring an affordable supply

But significant challenges remain…

• Gas remains most popular way to heat homes

• Reluctance to lose control of home energy use

• NIMBY attitude to nuclear

• Responsibility firmly placed on Government

Some clear preferences, but also some challenges


Public Use

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For more information please contact:

Edward Langley

[email protected], 020 7347 3154

Antonia Dickman

[email protected], 020 7347 3157


Ipsos MORI research for Department of Energy and Climate Change - Public Awareness,

Attitudes and Experience of Smart Meters (2013)

http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3033/Public-Awareness-

Attitudes-and-Experience-of-Smart-Meters.aspx

Ipsos MORI research for Department of Energy and Climate Change – Homeowners’

willingness to take up more efficient heating systems (2013)

http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/publications/1612/DECC-Taking-up-more-

efficient-heating-systems.aspx

Cardiff University / Ipsos MORI research for UKERC – Transforming the UK energy system:

Public values, Attitudes and Acceptability (2013)

http://www.ukerc.ac.uk/support/article3045-New-UKERC-research-defines-values-which-

determine-public-acceptance-of-energy-system-change

Cardiff University / Ipsos MORI research for UKERC – Public Attitudes to Nuclear Power and

Climate Change in Britain Two Years after the Fukushima Accident (2013)

http://www.ukerc.ac.uk/support/article3253-British-public-split-on-nuclear-power

Links to published reports with further discussion of the findings

presented here:

Switched on or switched off? Public attitudes to the UK’s energy challenges

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