Public backs clean power to strengthen UK energy security

• New polling reveals people know clean energy makes the country more secure
• Bills remain the top concern, but voters support the need to spread infrastructure costs over many years
• Confusion remains around the reality of today’s energy system

A new report, commissioned by eleven leading energy trade bodies and published today, shows almost two-thirds (63%) of the public across the UK think clean power strengthens the UK’s security, held as a majority view across every political persuasion.

There is a clear appreciation of the impact of international events – such as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East – on rising energy bills. While bills remain the public’s top concern, there is strong support across all groups (age, political, gender) for fairly spreading investment costs over many years, rather than delaying them – even at the expense of lower bills now.

Watt Communities Want: Six Insights into UK Public Opinion on Energy, sets out the views of 996 UK adults across all political voting intentions, who were surveyed between 23 March and 20 April 2026.

Undertaken by Early Studies, the polling uses two novel methods; social circle surveying and triple tense technique, and highlights six key insights from the data:

1. People know clean energy makes the country more secure.
2. Bills remain the top concern, but voters support the need to spread infrastructure costs over many years
3. Climate change and air pollution still matter.
4. The public will back a flexible, storage-led energy system.
5. Clean energy is now an industrial opportunity.
6. Confusion remains around the reality of today’s energy system.

Using ‘social circle surveying’, which asks people what their friends, family and colleagues think about a topic, enables respondents to multi-select the views of their wider social circle, forming a picture of how the wider population feels.

The triple tense technique means respondents were asked what people think now, what they thought in 2020, and what they expect to think in 2030.

The results show that, although lowering energy bills remains the highest priority (72%), there is a clear understanding of the link between clean energy and energy security, and a call for investment rather than delay, with 50% wanting costs spread fairly, compared to 28% wishing to pay less now and incur greater costs later on.

When asked about excess renewable generation most people supported energy storage (57%) to build more flexibility into our system, and there was high backing for grid upgrades (46%).

Fighting climate change is still important and ranks third of six options in 2026 (39%) rising to 49% in 2030 and ranking above energy security (44%) as what matters to people the most.

Of the seven options around our future energy needs, reducing air pollution ranked second in the national sample in 2026 (37%) and rose to be the top concern in 2030 (42%) although this varies by political affiliation.

More broadly, the results show a growing awareness of the way the energy system works, but there remain areas of profound misperception amongst the public, including a significant overestimation of energy supplier profits on bills, as well as an underestimation of how much of our power already comes from clean sources. There was also little understanding around what the Clean Power 2030 target actually means, with most people thinking the sector is aiming for 100% renewables, demonstrating a need for clearer communications from both the energy sector and governments.

Alfred Malmros, co-founder of Early Studies, said:

“Climate polling is uniquely vulnerable to people telling us what they think they should say. By asking people about their social circle instead of themselves, we strip out that performance and get to genuine belief. What emerges is a public that backs clean, homegrown power more firmly than the current discourse suggests, and a direction of travel on energy security that looks settled rather than fragile.”

Olivia Powis, CEO of the CCSA, added:

“This polling shows strong public support – regardless of political affiliation – for long-term investment in the infrastructure needed for a cleaner, more secure energy system. Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) plays a vital role in delivering clean power, decarbonising industry and supporting jobs and economic growth across the country. As CCUS projects move into construction and deployment accelerates, maintaining momentum will be essential to securing these benefits.”

Aaron Gould, Interim CEO of ADE said:

“Voters care about cutting bills, protecting jobs and strengthening energy security. To deliver that, we need to start making best use of British renewable power and recover the heat from things like data centres. The best way to do this is by embracing a demand-led energy system, and building out modern networks for heat and power that befit a modern society – so we wring every ounce of value from the energy we generate.”

Yselka Farmer, CEO of the BEAMA commented:

“This report provides us with a strong consensus around consumer acceptability of the need for a transition to clean power, which is a solid platform for policy and free market delivery. However, the clear message is that consumers need to have confidence that the benefits of the transition, such as flexibility offers, are passed on through their energy bills; unsurprisingly lower bills remain a key motivation for consumer behaviour. There is also still a lot of work to do, through consistent visible infrastructure investment, to translate our shift to clean power to a potential growth in skills and career opportunities. The supply chain is ready, but we will need a long-term policy and regulatory commitment to reach our ambition.”

Dhara Vyas, Chief Executive Officer of Energy UK, said:

“These results show that people understand only too well how global events directly affect our bills and recognise that clean energy will strengthen our energy security. People have an appreciation of the need to invest and build to achieve this and want costs spread fairly. It doesn’t represent a carte blanche though and the public remains rightly concerned about keeping bills down while we do what’s required to put our country’s energy system in the best possible shape to deliver what we will need over future years and decades.”

Charlotte Lee, HPA UK Chief Executive commented:

“The polling clearly shows a growing public awareness of the need to move away from fossil fuels and invest in clean, homegrown power to strengthen the UK’s energy security, particularly in light of recent geopolitical events and sustained pressure on energy bills.

There is a clear recognition that long-term investment, rather than short-term fixes, is the right approach. Electrifying heat through the accelerated deployment of proven, scalable technologies such as heat pumps will be central to this transition. It will reduce reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets, support a more flexible and resilient energy system, and deliver high-quality, well-paid jobs across the UK in both installation and manufacturing.”

Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK, said:

“This report shows that the public understands what is needed to build a stronger, more secure energy system. People want lower bills, but they also recognise that the way to achieve lasting change is through long-term investment in homegrown energy, infrastructure and storage, instead of a short-termism that could see us delay the transition or return to greater reliance on fossil fuels.

“Hydrogen has a vital role to play in that future. It can help store clean energy, provide flexible power when renewable generation is lower, and decarbonise hard-to-abate industries electrification alone can’t always reach. With the right policy certainty, the UK can turn public support into private investment, skilled jobs and the resilient energy system we need.”

Tom Greatrex, Nuclear Industry Association Chief Executive, added:

“This polling shows the public understands what is at stake. People back clean power when it strengthens energy security, cuts reliance on imports, lowers bills and creates skilled jobs. Nuclear delivers on all four.

“If Britain is serious about energy security and economic growth, we need to build more homegrown clean power – and build it faster. That means a planning and regulatory system focused on delivery, not delay, so we can unlock investment, create jobs and provide reliable, low-carbon power for decades to come.”

Trevor Hutchings, CEO of the REA, said:

“These findings should give policymakers and investors confidence that the British public increasingly see the clean energy transition as both an economic opportunity and a national asset, regardless of political affiliation. The strength of support for renewables across the country sends a clear signal that people want to see continued investment in homegrown clean energy and the infrastructure needed to deliver it. This public backing should give decision-makers the confidence to accelerate the planning and delivery of projects, ensuring the benefits of greater energy security are felt by communities across the UK.”

Tara Singh, CEO of RenewableUK, commented:

“The striking findings contained in this report show a clear desire from the public for investment without further delay, both to enhance and reinforce our grid infrastructure, as well as to accelerate the transition to a smarter and more flexible clean energy system. This is broadly consistent across the political spectrum and, crucially, shows the public has no desire to revert to a reliance on fossil fuels. Rather, the British people want greater security, lower bills and economic growth – all of which clean energy can provide with the right policy and regulatory framework to minimise delays and streamline delivery.”

Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said:

“These results underline strong public backing for the clean energy infrastructure needed to deliver a more resilient and prosperous future. After years of global volatility, now is the time to double down on our credible plan for homegrown power.

“That is especially true in Scotland where we must create the right conditions to unlock investment across all technologies and the critical grid infrastructure needed to deliver them. We must continue to earn and maintain public support, but we should also be clear that changing course would undermine our ability to stay competitive and realise the full economic value of clean energy deployment.”

Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, added:

“The public knows that every solar panel and every battery storage system installed makes us more secure from geopolitical upsets. Only a negligible few want to turn the clock back from cleaner, cheaper, greener power towards reliance on expensive fossil fuels – showing that voices opposing the transition are isolated and out of touch with the British people.”

The full report, commissioned by eleven leading energy trade bodies and undertaken by Early Studies, can be accessed here.

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Editor’s notes:

The results, undertaken by Early Studies, uses a novel method called ‘Social Circle Surveying’, which asks respondents what they think people in their social circle (i.e. family, friends and colleagues) believe, rather than asking respondents what they themselves believe. Adapted from techniques used in political polling, the shift of asking respondents about their social circle matters because people are often more candid about views circulating around them than about their own, surfacing opinions that conventional polling can miss.

The organisations behind this polling represent the breadth of the UK’s clean energy economy – from wind, solar and storage to heat, bioenergy, hydrogen, carbon capture, nuclear, and demand flexibility. Together, the ADE, BEAMA, the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), Energy UK, the Heat Pump Association (HPA UK), Hydrogen UK, the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), the Renewable Energy Association (REA), RenewableUK, Scottish Renewables, and Solar Energy UK speak for thousands of businesses across the supply chain – developers, manufacturers, investors, operators, generators, and innovators – working to deliver the UK’s clean energy transition at pace and scale.