A specialist contractor body has called for the creation of a national electrification taskforce to boost the UK’s transition to renewable energy.
The Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) said a cross-government panel could coordinate efforts across different areas including transport, housing and skills.
This was one of 10 recommendations published this morning (29 April) in the ECA’s Blueprint for Electrification.
The specialist body said an electrification taskforce could ensure key tradespeople had an embedded role in national net-zero strategy.
This could provide consumers with more advice they trust and speed up adoption of clean technology, it added.
The ECA report also called for a training overhaul, with cash taken away from classroom courses and handed to apprenticeships and “other industry-recognised routes”.
Targeted grants should be offered to companies increasing the number of fully qualified electricians, the study added.
Net-zero policy should be unlocked from electoral cycles to create longer-term certainty, while electricity prices should be balanced against gas costs, said the ECA’s latest blueprint.
It also called for building regulations to be “streamlined” and laws to ensure all new homes were “electric-ready”.
Critical electrification infrastructure should be fast-tracked through planning, said the report, and procurement processes improved to “better support SMEs” and “mandate fair payment terms”.
Domestic manufacture of key components such as solar panels should be supported, and a national awareness campaign should tackle “misinformation” and “simplify the consumer journey”.
“Electricians are on the front line of the UK’s shift to cleaner energy – not just installing new technologies like heat pumps and solar panels, but guiding households through the process,” said ECA deputy chief executive Andrew Eldred.
An ECA-commissioned poll found that one in four UK adults would trust a qualified electrician ahead of anyone else to advise them on clean energy installations such as heat pumps or solar panels.
“This polling shows they are the public’s most trusted advisers, yet their insight remains an untapped source in national net-zero planning,” Eldred said. “Policymakers should harness that trust and expertise into national strategies if we want to make the transition faster, fairer and more effective.”
Upfront cost remains a major obstacle to installing green technologies at home, the poll found, with four in 10 respondents naming this as their primary concern. A similar proportion of private renters highlighted their inability to adopt sustainable energy items.
Lack of trustworthy advice was an issue for 6 per cent of the population.
Jeremy Parkin, an electrician from South Wales, said: “Every day I see how confusing the shift to greener homes can be for people. People want clear advice from someone who knows the practicalities, costs and what technology suits their homes.
“Electricians like me are often the first point of call – we’re trusted, we’re local, and we understand these technologies from first-hand experience. If our trusted role could be properly integrated into national policy, we could help thousands more households transition to greener homes faster, more easily and with greater confidence.”
Jason Poulter, national officer for construction at Unite, said the union was “fully supportive” of the ECA’s blueprint.
“Competent qualified electricians are key for the construction, retrofit, repair and maintenance of infrastructure, industry, commerce, housing, clean heat and sustainable energy across the total construction and built environment process,” he added.
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Greg Pitcher