The EDF Energy survey was conducted by market research agency YouGov in late October 2006. It follows a similar poll for EDF Energy, conducted by Ipsos MORI, a year earlier.
Headline findings from the research included: 88% saying the UK should aim to be self sufficient in energy and 67% identifying energy as a major UK challenge compared to 37% a year earlier.
Fifty one percent say climate change is an urgent problem requiring immediate ‘radical’ action, while 2% think climate change is not happening and reports are ‘scaremongering’.
Rising bills and concerns about the reliability of imported fuel supplies are also apparent with 75% agreeing the price of gas is not stable compared to 57% last year. Nearly seven out of ten (69%) thought that gas supplies are insecure compared to 41% previously.
To fill the future energy gap, new gas fired power stations are now less favored than replacement nuclear power stations – a turnaround from last year’s polling.
Offshore and onshore wind are the most favored for future generation with 83% and 73% support respectively. Next are clean coal plants (if carbon emissions can be safely removed) on 59%. New nuclear has the support of 41% compared to 35% last year. Least favored are gas-fired power stations on 34% compared to 47% last year.
