In May 2019, The Scottish Government committed to establishing an independent Energy Consumers Commission (ECC) to enhance the voice of consumers who reside in Scotland within the energy market. The Commission was formed in July 2020 consisting of representatives with a wealth of experience in national consumer advocacy and advice bodies, academia and local groups serving energy consumers in their communities.
Scottish Government is required to meet the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland by 2045. To achieve this, significant changes will be required to domestic heat, energy and transport use. Consumers in Scotland will have a key role to play in adopting new technologies and changing behaviour to support decarbonisation.
This briefing, based on research commissioned from Cenex, examines consumers’ levels of knowledge of and attitudes towards decarbonisation technologies and associated behaviour change implications. It also identifies priority areas for policymakers and makes a series of recommendations.
