People in England and Wales are concerned about higher electricity bills under a proposed scheme to divide the UK up into different pricing zones.
A poll of over 3000 people in England and Wales by Opinium Research, commissioned by RenewableUK, has found that 58% oppose zonal pricing, while only 14% are supportive of it.
It also found that 59% of the public see the policy as unfair, whereas only 16% think it would be a fair system.
Furthermore 72% said the Government should instead prioritise reducing energy costs for all parts of the country at a flat rate, whereas only 12% believe that the Government should prioritise creating regional power markets.
Analysis by LCP Delta shows that the 60 million billpayers in England and Wales would be hit hardest by the proposals, while only those in northern Scotland might benefit.
Jane Cooper, Deputy CEO of RenewableUK, said: “People in England and Wales are rightly worried that zonal pricing would create a postcode lottery in which they’ll be paying higher energy bills.
“As this polling shows, the lack of fairness which lies at the heart of zonal pricing really concerns people.
“This scheme would create so much uncertainty in our electricity market that it could disrupt investment in vital new clean energy projects and push up their costs, at the very time when we need to start building at pace to deliver the Government’s target of clean power by 2030.
“We’re urging Ministers to rule out zonal pricing as soon as possible, and to focus on policy decisions which do not undermine the confidence of investors.”