Energy deficiency: the challenge of decarbonising UK buildings

In February last year (2022) Europe was on the brink of war. Two months prior, as Russian forces gathered along Ukraine’s eastern border, the price of gas in the UK had reached record highs, passing 450p per therm for the first time ever. On March 7^th 2022, around two weeks after Putin’s ‘special operation’ got underway, the price spiked to nearly 540p, and the UK was facing a major energy crisis. 

While Ukraine continues to endure incredible suffering, the whole of Europe has been impacted by the war, with the UK particularly exposed to Russia’s weaponisation of gas supplies. Gas accounts for around 40 per cent of electricity generation and 85 per cent of domestic heating, a recipe for energy prices in the UK to skyrocket in line with a volatile wholesale market. For some consumers, bills have risen by 300 per cent over the course of 12 months – even with a price cap in place - and many businesses are simply being squeezed out of existence.