Energy Crisis Commission launched to review impact on households and businesses

It will make high-level recommendations aimed at ensuring the country is better equipped to withstand possible future energy crises.

The Energy Crisis Commission will make a series of high-level recommendations focused on ensuring the country is better equipped to withstand possible future energy crises (PA) (PA Wire)

A commission of energy experts has been set up to review the impact of the gas crisis and ensure the UK is better prepared in future.

The Energy Crisis Commission will bring together representatives from Energy UK, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Citizens Advice and National Energy Action.

It is launching on Wednesday with a call for evidence on the recent energy crisis in Britain.

Gas prices began rising in 2021 before skyrocketing the following year as European countries moved to cut their reliance on Russian gas due to the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

UK households and businesses faced huge increases to their energy bills as they grappled with the Covid pandemic fallout and the rising cost of living.

The Energy Crisis Commission said it expects to publish its findings in the autumn and make a series of high-level recommendations on how the country can mitigate the impact of possible future energy crises.

Assessing how policies can better protect households and businesses alike is important to bolster future energy resilience

Louise Hellem, CBI

David Law, Energy UK chairman and a former MP, will chair the commission.

Mr Law said: “The energy crisis has been hard on households and businesses alike.

“It’s important that we reflect on what has happened and steps that the country could take to mitigate the impacts of any future crises to ensure we are more resilient.”

He will work alongside CBI chief economist Louise Hellem, Citizens Advice’s director of energy Gillian Cooper, Energy UK’s deputy chief executive Dhara Vyas, National Energy Action’s chief executive Adam Scorer, and University College London energy policy professor Jim Watson.

Ms Hellem said: “Energy price volatility over recent years has brought impossible choices for many families and significant cost pressures for businesses in multiple sectors, limiting their ability to invest.

“Assessing how policies can better protect households and businesses alike is important to bolster future energy resilience – an objective that business and government must work together to achieve.

“This should include prioritising catalytic green investment to build long-term energy security, improve home energy efficiency and accelerate the UK’s pathway to net zero.”

The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit is providing the secretariat for the commission.