Executive Summary

• Ember Energy, in a new report, uses the term ‘electro-fortification’ to describe the process of upgrading and fortifying homes with modern energy technologies, across battery storage, electric vehicles, heat pumps and solar panels
• The report explores how Britain is doing in this process, the benefits of electrification, as well as advising on best practices
• Regional strengths and characteristics will drive near-term electrotech uptake; Wales, for instance, has much higher adoption rates

A new report from think tank Ember Energy has explored how Britain is tackling oil and gas dependence by plugging in modern electrotech powered by renewables – and concluded that while things need to go faster, some good signs are afoot.

Ember has coined the term ‘electro-fortification’ to describe the process of upgrading and fortifying homes with modern energy technologies, from battery storage, to electric vehicles, to heat pumps and solar panels. The fortification element comes from the need for action. While Britain’s grid is cleaner than ever, the report notes, homes remain reliant on fossil fuels and the country remains exposed to every international energy crisis.

This has led to homes taking initiative and independently transitioning to electrotech. UK solar is in its second boom era, the report notes. More than 60 parliamentary constituencies have rooftop solar on at least 10% of their homes today – up from five in 2022. Every month in the UK, 6,000 homes are installing a battery, 15,000 homes install rooftop solar, and 48,000 electric cars are bought. This uptake is, importantly, Ember notes, without much subsidy incentive.

The report notes that regional strengths and characteristics will drive near-term electrotech uptake. In Wales, for instance, there is a higher proportion of homes with solar panels. It’s a similar story with regard to home battery installations and heat pumps.

Whether the skills base is there for such an uplift is another story – analysis from Horizon Platforms earlier this month cited Wales specifically as an area where the national pipeline for data centres did not align with the number of electrical installers. The overarching conclusion from Ember, however, is that regional characteristics should guide place-based electrification. Homes with rooftop solar already have access to cheap power, while public charging should expect to lead in areas where driveways are scarce.

The plan to electro-fortify household bills, the report notes, is a three-pronged one: tackle high electricity prices, deliver existing policies, including the Warm Homes Plan and the ZEV Mandate, and publish an Electrification Plan. The latter should draw on local data, needs and characteristics to ‘target and empower the next wave of electrotech adopters.’

“Over the next decade, the UK has a massive opportunity to electrify households,” said Josie Murdoch, energy analyst UK at Ember and report co-author. “To get benefits to households quicker, we should tailor our approach to the specific needs and characteristics of communities and regions, tackling the easy wins first.”

You can read the full report here (pdf link).

Picture credit: Created with Magnific