- Conference
- 2022 Energy Service Group Conference
- Date
- 1 June 2022
- Decision
- Carried
We are all aware of the crisis we are facing in the energy industry. With energy cost increases set to continue, the invasion of Ukraine on the 24th February 2022 and continued sanctions on Russia causing gas shortages as well as the continued rise of inflation. It is no wonder that we are seeing more and more consumers struggling financially and making the decision not to heat their homes.
While we all understand the impacts to consumers, we also need to remember the impacts to our members in the sector. As consumers themselves they are feeling the impacts of the energy crisis just like everyone else and below inflation pay rises do nothing to ease the strain of cost increases. Yet on the other hand they are also dealing with customers who are also struggling financially, whether they are working in call centres or in the field visiting customers’ homes, and for those working in the gas industry there are even more concerns around job security as we move to greener energy.
On the 8th March Kwasi Kwarteng announced that the UK Government will phase out imports of Russian Oil in response to Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine by the end of the year. While the UK is not heavily dependant on Russian natural gas, making up less than 4% of our supply, Ministers are also exploring options to reduce this further. The UK prime minister confirmed that the government will set out an energy strategy to set out the UK’s long-term plans for greater energy security, including both renewable and domestic oil and gas supplies.
Even though gas imports from Russia are minimal, the UK’s reliant on gas imports from Norway, Qatar and the United States puts the UK in a precarious position and this is why Unison has a clear policy in supporting the production of hydrogen gas in the UK, allowing the UK to be more self-sufficient. While this resolves the issue around home heating it does not resolve the issue for keeping the lights on.
While renewable energy systems, such as solar and wind, are most suitable for intermediate load. These are intermittent energy sources, with their output and capacity factor depending on weather conditions and seasonal variations. So, unless there is an effective energy storage system in place, they cannot be relied upon to meet constant electricity supply needs, nor can they be immediately employed to respond to peak demands. However, as intermediate sources, solar and wind systems can be efficient and can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
In June 2019, parliament passed legislation requiring the government to reduce the UK’s net emissions of greenhouse gases by 100% by 2050, this is why we need to look at our policy on Nuclear to see if it has a part to play in the energy mix going forward to help the UK meet its 2050 net zero target and at the same time, we would be less reliant on imports that could impose more cost pressures on the consumer.
Conference calls upon the Energy Service Group Executive to:
1)Complete a full review of UNISON’s Energy Policy regarding the energy mix of the future and report back to the 2023 conference.
2)To review the stance of the UNISON’s Energy Sector around Nuclear.