The closure of Redcar steelworks (Report, 13 October) shows the importance of boosting energy productivity to tackle high energy costs. Over half (54%) of the energy used in electricity is lost before it even reaches us, and is worth £9.5bn annually – enough to pay half the electricity bill of every home in Britain. Wasted energy reduces our productivity and undermines efforts to create a competitive, modern economy. With energy costs on an upward trajectory and ever tightening carbon budgets, urgent action is needed. New analysis identifies how to cut much of this waste and save bill payers more than £3.9bn a year.
How? By focusing on a best-value energy policy, improving energy productivity and giving businesses a simple policy to leverage investments in energy efficiency. Unlocking energy productivity will strengthen the economy and protect jobs. Carbon emissions will decline. The environmental impact of new energy infrastructure will reduce. Energy costs will go down. Businesses will be able to do more with less. As the secretary of state for energy and climate change, Amber Rudd, approaches her planned energy policy “reset” and the comprehensive spending review, now is the right time to transform this wasteful inefficiency into a huge growth opportunity for the UK economy.
Dr Tim Rotheray Director, Association for Decentralised Energy
Dr Joanne Wade Director, Association for the Conservation of Energy
Matt Thomson Head of planning, Campaign for the Protection of Rural England
Nick Mead President, Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
David Workman Director general, Confederation of Paper Industries
Louise Kingham Chief executive, Energy Institute and seven others (full list at gu.com/letters) Martin Fry Chairman, Energy Services and Technology Association
Steve Reeson Head of climate change and energy policy, Food and Drink Federation
Doug Parr Chief scientist and policy director, Greenpeace
Sheila Wren Advocacy officer, John Muir Trust
Dr Richard Leese Director, energy and climate change, Mineral Products Association
Simon Marsh Head of sustainable development, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
• So the government has rejected an appeal for help to keep the Redcar steelworks in Teesside open with the loss of 2,200 jobs in the area. This will have a devastating effect on the local economy and communities and is yet another example of the government’s hypocrisy. David Cameron is keen to push for shale gas in the UK at any cost, and one of the carrots that he offers us is the possibility of tens of thousands of jobs created as a result of the development of the fracking industry.
A 2014 report by Ernst & Young, Getting Ready for UK Shale Gas, states that more than 12,600km of steel well casings worth over £2.3bn will need to be purchased in order to drill the thousands of wells proposed over the next 15 years. Enough, they say, to go from John O’Groats to Land’s End nine times.
So, where will the steel be purchased? Methinks from George Osborne’s new friends in China.
Jayne Watson
Doncaster
