UK households want the government to expand renewable energy generation, according to the Vattenfall Energy Barometer, which has been expanded to include UK residents for the first time.
The survey found that Britons are optimistic about renewable energy’s role in cutting costs and boosting the reliability of the UK’s energy system.
Despite this optimism, 62% of respondents said they were concerned about the construction of energy infrastructure such as wind farms, pylons and substations, in rural areas.
However, 54% of UK households said they wanted the government to continue investing in renewable energy sources – similar to other European countries surveyed – with only 9% of UK respondents saying they did not want any support from the government.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) are open to living in a property connected to a heat network and say it would positively influence their decision were they to move house, while 67% believe the increased use of renewable energy sources will lower energy costs.
Almost seven in 10 people (68%) believe renewables will improve energy reliability both in terms of consistent supply and reduced risk of power cuts.
The barometer compares the UK results with five other countries: Germany, Finland, France, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Concerns about the cost of the energy transition are most prevalent in UK households (31%), followed by France.
This is in comparison to Finland, where 42% said they weren’t very concerned or weren’t concerned at all.
The priority placed on a climate-friendly lifestyle in the UK remains very similar to other countries, however, with four out of five Brits viewing it as important.
This perspective is particularly strong among 18- to 35-year-olds, but declines with age, the survey found.
The Vattenfall Energy Barometer was carried out in partnership with Statista.
It involved people aged 18 and over living in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK. For each country, 1,000 people were surveyed.