Fossil fuels make us poor & cold. UK Gov paid £21 billion of our money for the price cap when prices last spiked. Even then, people couldn't heat their homes. Ambitious action to switch to home-grown renewables will make us all better off (except the oil billionaires). 🧵1/3 - ThreadSky

sioldridge.bsky.social • 69 days ago

Fossil fuels make us poor & cold. UK Gov paid £21 billion of our money for the price cap when prices last spiked.

Even then, people couldn't heat their homes.

Ambitious action to switch to home-grown renewables will make us all better off (except the oil billionaires). 🧵1/3

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sioldridge.bsky.social•69 days ago

2️⃣ The evidence:
Gov spent £21 billion on the energy price cap - boosting oil company profits
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9491/

Shifting to a 100% renewables system will deliver huge savings
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/news/researchers-agree--the-world-can-reach-a-100--renewable-energy-system-by-or-before-2050/

The faster we go, the more we save
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-09-14-decarbonising-energy-system-2050-could-save-trillions-oxford-study

sioldridge.bsky.social•69 days ago

3️⃣ A national home insulation program should be at the heart of the switch to efficient electric heat pumps, because that avoids us having to expand the electricity grid as much.

We can't afford not to do this. Italy got their market going with 110% grants for heat pump + insulation up to €100k.

insan3gl0ss.bsky.social•69 days ago

What kind of insulation program are you meaning? How far are you imagining the insulation measures would go?

sioldridge.bsky.social•69 days ago

I mean including exterior solid wall insulation which can easily cost £30k. It’s an incredibly good long term investment, but one which needs the state. It’ll avoid lots of cost in grid upgrades if we can use smaller heat pumps.
It’ll also make people warmer and wealthier.

l-bow.bsky.social•69 days ago

Is that actually going to be lower cost than grid upgrades? Especially if upgrades are needed anyway - much of the cost is fixed civil works, so going one size up in capacity has minimal marginal cost. Feels more deliverable than millions of home disruptions. Would love to see some numbers on it

mark60.bsky.social•69 days ago

Interesting point. I feel that Simon’s point is right in principle, but as you say, it would be good to see the numbers. And there should be a higher insulation standard for all new-builds from now on.

sioldridge.bsky.social•68 days ago

I’ve not seen a specific analysis but I’m sure it will be when you consider the cost of climate impacts - ie it’ll take longer to reach net zero if we have to expand the grid further.
There’s also the renewables cost - and materials availability to consider.

insan3gl0ss.bsky.social•69 days ago

I would tend to agree. If I was a benevolent dictator, I’d subsidise loft insulation to 300mm for all at a limit of £X per m2 (to stop overcharging by contractors) and same with CWI. Then most controversially - I’d subsidise low temperature heating courses that were mandatory to pass gas safe.

insan3gl0ss.bsky.social•69 days ago

So then engineers start designing systems for as low as practically possible flow temperatures.

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