Top 5 Energy-Efficient Countries Series: The United Kingdom
Nov 22, 2016
Every year, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) releases a list of the top 23 most energy-efficient countries. Rankings are based on energy-efficiency for buildings, industry, transportation, and national efforts to reduce energy usage. Each country earns their spot according to accumulated efforts over the previous year.
The United Kingdom was ranked at number five. Here's a look at a few highlights.
The UK government plans to connect energy-efficient knowledge and technologies to finance, making strong returns on power savings. With those savings, the government intends to promote and fund efficiency innovation. The UK feels that it's important for households and businesses to save money on fuel bills and create a more sustainable and secure energy system.
Energy and Climate Secretary, Amber Rudd, has spoken out and revealed her policy priorities to come in 2017. She explained that the UK has already implemented an electricity system where no form of power generation, even gas-fired power stations, can be built without government intervention. For 2017, she intends to reduce the use of fossil fuels and replace coal-fired power stations with gas.
The United Kingdom fell behind countries like Germany, Italy, Japan, and France because the government cut off certain funds. According to this report, the UK government cut funds to various policies. There was a 33 percent cut to the Energy Efficiency Obligations target in 2014, a 20 percent cut to future Energy Efficiency Obligations spending in 2015, and a complete cancellation and pull of government backing from the Green Deal. The report explains that while the UK has some good policies in place, they were much stronger in the past.
UK’s Mission
The UK government plans to connect energy-efficient knowledge and technologies to finance, making strong returns on power savings. With those savings, the government intends to promote and fund efficiency innovation. The UK feels that it's important for households and businesses to save money on fuel bills and create a more sustainable and secure energy system.
Government Intervention
Energy and Climate Secretary, Amber Rudd, has spoken out and revealed her policy priorities to come in 2017. She explained that the UK has already implemented an electricity system where no form of power generation, even gas-fired power stations, can be built without government intervention. For 2017, she intends to reduce the use of fossil fuels and replace coal-fired power stations with gas.
However, Some Things Could Be Improved...
The United Kingdom fell behind countries like Germany, Italy, Japan, and France because the government cut off certain funds. According to this report, the UK government cut funds to various policies. There was a 33 percent cut to the Energy Efficiency Obligations target in 2014, a 20 percent cut to future Energy Efficiency Obligations spending in 2015, and a complete cancellation and pull of government backing from the Green Deal. The report explains that while the UK has some good policies in place, they were much stronger in the past.
