A new survey conducted on behalf of UK utility EDF Energy has revealed deep concerns regarding energy issues within the UK population.
The EDF Energy survey was conducted by market research agency YouGov in late October 2006. It follows a similar poll for EDF Energy, conducted by Ipsos MORI, a year earlier.
Headline findings from the research included: 88% saying the UK should aim to be self sufficient in energy and 67% identifying energy as a major UK challenge compared to 37% a year earlier.
Fifty one percent say climate change is an urgent problem requiring immediate ‘radical’ action, while 2% think climate change is not happening and reports are ‘scaremongering’.
Rising bills and concerns about the reliability of imported fuel supplies are also apparent with 75% agreeing the price of gas is not stable compared to 57% last year. Nearly seven out of ten (69%) thought that gas supplies are insecure compared to 41% previously.
To fill the future energy gap, new gas fired power stations are now less favored than replacement nuclear power stations – a turnaround from last year’s polling.
Offshore and onshore wind are the most favored for future generation with 83% and 73% support respectively. Next are clean coal plants (if carbon emissions can be safely removed) on 59%. New nuclear has the support of 41% compared to 35% last year. Least favored are gas-fired power stations on 34% compared to 47% last year.