Government action on energy security welcomed

Responding to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s announcement on new measures to deliver energy security and sovereignty in response to instability in the Middle East, Community Assistant General Secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said:

“Community welcomes the commitment of Secretary of the State for Energy Security and Net Zero to move faster to upgrade Britain’s energy infrastructure and scale up the roll-out of heat pumps.

“Our members who manufacture heat pumps will appreciate government action to accelerate the installation of these appliances at a time when households are showing considerable interest in making that investment. By complementing the Warm Homes Plan with streamlined regulations including for non-domestic buildings, the government can bolster energy efficiency while supporting good jobs.

“Community’s considerable membership in the steel industry will also welcome the commitment to cut delays to grid connections and create new, easier routes for developers to build their own grid connections, which will remove significant barriers for investment to flow into the UK’s steel industry. We will continue to engage with government to ensure these reforms and the Connections Accelerator Service benefit steel communities. However, more needs to be done to cut wholesale energy prices for the industry immediately to bring us in line with European competitors.”