As the 2015 General Election approaches, attention is turning to the different ways in which the challenges facing the UK energy system might be addressed and how the next Government might achieve a secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply. The Environment Research team at Ipsos MORI has undertaken research into these challenges for a range of clients from Academics to Government and the Energy Industry. Antonia Dickman, joint head of Ipsos MORI’s Environment research team, shared some of her insights from this research as part of the Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies speaker meeting series.

1. Energy policy after the General Election:
Priorities for consumers
Antonia Dickman, Joint Head of Environment Research, Ipsos MORI 02/03/2015

2. Government and industry face significant challenges
Low carbon
economy
Energy
security
Climate
change
mitigation
Affordable
supply
Competitive,
transparent
energy
industry

3. What I’ll cover today
What do the public think?
• Concerns?
• Priorities?
•What does this mean for
policymakers?
• Priorities going forwards?
• Messaging?

4. Base: 513 British adults 18+, 5th – 7th April 2014
Source: Ipsos MORI / Political Monitor
…agree there is currently ‘a
cost of living crisis’ in the
UK (82%)
Affordability:
…are concerned about their
household energy bills (84%)
Source: Ipsos MORI / DECC
Base: GB adults aged 18+ who are at least partly responsible for paying household
energy bills: (2,159) 5th and 20th October 2012
Four in five …

5. Public supported price freeze following announcement
I am going to read out a number of policies announced by political parties. Which two or three, if any, of the
following do you think would be…
Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
Base: 1,004 British adults 18+, 12th -15th October 2013, split sample question- approximately half (c.500) the
sample were asked each iteration
33%
33%
41%
44%
44%
50%
22%
23%
29%
40%
56%
62%
25 hours of free childcare per week
A government scheme to guarantee mortgages for people
buying a home with a deposit between 5% and 20%
Free school meals for all children aged under eight
Raising the income tax threshold so that no-one earning the
minimum wage pays income tax
A freeze on petrol duty for the next 18 months
A freeze on gas and electricity prices for 20 months
…best for me personally …best for the country

6. Competitive & transparent industry?
Source: DECC/ Energy UKBase: 2,021 British adults aged 18+ at least partly responsible for paying household energy bills, August/September 2014
% trusting their supplier to…
…provide them with value for money – 45%
… be open and transparent – 50%

7. MPs trust industry less in some areas too
2
1
45
47
15
10
3
1
15
25
32
57
59
58
4
3
4
16
21
28
Trust completely Tend to distrustTend to trust Distrust completely
Q Could you please tell me the extent to which you trust or distrust energy
companies in general to do each of the following:
Base: All MPs (93), Conservative MPs (38), Labour MPs (44)
and Liberal Democrat MPs (8) asked, summer 2012
Keep the lights on in Britain, now & in
the future
Protect poor & vulnerable from high
energy prices
Move as quickly as possible towards
lower carbon generation methods
Offer genuine competition
Promote energy efficiency & insulation
Provide clear information so customers
can choose between suppliers

8. Energy security: a significant public concern
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: Ipsos MORI / Cardiff University
78%
81%

9. 58
56
50
50
50
42
39
36
36
35
35
33
30
28
27
27
25
23
23
19
12
8
7
4
Sweden
Germany
Great Britain
Japan
USA
South Korea
Australia
South Africa
Spain
Belgium
Italy
Canada
Poland
France
China
Turkey
Hungary
Argentina
Indonesia
Saudi Arabia
India
Mexico
Russia
Brazil
Base: Between 500-1010 respondents per country, February 2 - 14 2011
What are the three most important environmental issues in your country?
% Future energy sources and supplies
Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor
Brits care more than most about energy security

10. Public recognise energy use contributes to climate
change
Base:1,040 UK adults, 2014
Burning coal, oil & gas in
power stations to produce
electricity
% in UK thinking that each activity contributes to climate
change a lot / moderate amount…
Source: Ipsos MORI / Chatham House
85%Industry & manufacturing
e.g. production of goods
80%
87%
Heating & cooling our homes
and offices

11. Although concern about climate change has been
falling … (until the 2013/14 floods)
82% concerned 60% concerned71% concerned
2005
2010 2013
Base: 2014: 1,002 British adults, 28th August – 31st October 2013: 973 Great British adults, aged 15 and over, 8th - 26th
March 2013; 2010: 1,822 Great British adults, aged 15 and over, 6th January - 26th March 2010; 2005: 1,491 Great
British adults, aged 15 and over, 1st October – 6th November 2005. Methodology: face-to-face in-home Source: Ipsos MORI/Cardiff University
68% concerned
2014

12. How accepting are public of policies aiming to meet
goals of security of supply, affordability & climate
change mitigation?

13. Renewables favoured over fossil fuels, though support
shows signs of decline
33%
34%
34%
49%
59%
64%
72%
77%
36%
33%
34%
57%
56%
82%
76%
88%
20132010
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
% Very/fairly favourable
Source: Ipsos MORI / Cardiff University

14. Support for tax increases to pay for more renewable
energy
9%
30%
18%
22%
17%
3%
Don’t know Strongly support
Tend to support
Neither support
nor oppose
Tend to oppose
Strongly oppose
40%
support
39%
oppose
Source: Ipsos MORI / Cardiff University
Base: 1,002 British adults, 28th August – 31st October 2014

15. 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: Ipsos MORI / Cardiff University

16. How willing are public to act themselves?

17. “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, 2013Base: 2,441 British adults, aged 15 and over, 2nd-12th August 2012
54%

18. 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 our energy use
Source: DECC / Ipsos MORIBase: 2,210 British adults aged 18+ at least partly responsible for paying household energy bills, 5th April – 2nd May 2013
3rd statement: Base: 1,002 British adults, 28th August – 31st October 2014
Likely to buy more energy
efficient appliances84%
Source: Cardiff University / Ipsos MORI

19. Smart meters expected to help households budget &
avoid wasted energy use
Source: DECC/ Ipsos MORI
Base: 2,210 British adults aged 18+ at least partly responsible for paying household energy bills, 5th April – 2nd May 2013
What, if anything, do you think you would benefit from if you had a smart meter
installed in your home? (spontaneous)

20. …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 concerns about getting too “smart”
% Acceptable % Unacceptable
Source: Cardiff University / Ipsos MORI
Base: 2,441 British adults, aged 15 and over, 2nd-12th August 2012

21. Gas is still the default option for heating our homes
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%

22. 22
With many consumers unaware of lower carbon options
14%
17%
53%
53%
68%
69%
73%
Gas Condensing Boiler
Solar thermal
Ground Source Heat Pump
Biomass boiler
Air Source Heat Pump
Heat network
Micro-CHP
Source: Ipsos MORI/DECC More Efficient Heating Study, 28th August to 14th Oct 2012
Base: All GB homeowners aged 18+ (2,900)
% Never heard of
Which of the following best describes the extent to which you had heard of
each of these ways of heating your home and/or hot water before today?

23. Challenges for
policymakers

24. 41
34
30
20
18
16
15
13
12
11
Base: 966 British adults 18+, 6th – 15th February 2015 Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Energy competing against many other issues
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Top mentions %
Immigration/Immigrants
Economy
Defence/Foreign affairs/Terrorism
Unemployment
NHS
Education/schools
Low pay/minimum wages/fair pay
Poverty/inequality
Housing
Crime/Law and Order/ASB
% Environment – 5%

25. Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Concern about the environment similar now compared
to before 2010 election
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
5
10
15
20
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
May
2014
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
Review on
climate
change
Cameron becomes
PM
Flooding
in England

26. How much, if anything, have you heard or read about the following energy
technologies?
Base: 428 UK adults aged 16+
Energy is an issue people are hearing about…
95
77
55
Source: Ipsos MORI Public Attitudes to Science

27. To what extent do you support or oppose the development of the following
energy technologies in the UK?
…but that doesn’t always lead to favourable opinions
11
7
34
76
51
36
Base: 428 UK adults aged 16+ Source: Ipsos MORI Public Attitudes to Science

28. What would you say are the main benefits/risks, if any, of fracking to extract
shale gas?
Base: 315 adults who have heard of fracking to extract shale gas
N.B. word clouds are illustrative of data, not statistically representative; only codes registering 2% or more are shown
Depends on messages getting through
Source: Ipsos MORI Public Attitudes to Science

29. 29
90%
86%
83%
67%
62%
55%
51%
32%
22%
19%
16%
8%
11%
14%
27%
30%
38%
37%
62%
72%
76%
80%
2%
3%
4%
6%
8%
7%
14%
6%
6%
5%
4%
Doctors
Teachers
Scientists
TV newsreaders
Man/woman in the street
Civil servants
Pollsters
Business leaders
Journalists
Government ministers
Politicians generally
Tell the truth Not tell the truth Don't know
And who is delivering the message
Source: Ipsos MORI Veracity Index, December 2014
Base: All GB adults aged 15+ (1,166),
Now I will read you a list of different types of people. For each would you tell me if you generally
trust them to tell the truth or not?

30. Public would like our future energy system to involve…
• A secure supply – with mix likely to include renewables & nuclear
• An affordable supply & fair pricing from suppliers
But significant challenges remain…
• Responsibility firmly placed on Government
• Concerns around impact of cost of changes on households
• Mixed picture on opinions of different energy sources
• Opinions greatly influenced by message and messenger
Some clear preferences, but also some challenges

31. Version 1 | Public
Paste co-
brand logo
here
Antonia Dickman, Joint Head of Environment Research, Ipsos MORI
020 7347 3157; antonia.dickman@ipsos.com
2nd March 2015
Energy policy after the General Election:
Priorities for consumers