Prices & consumption· Net zero What does the abolition of the gas standing charge mean for households? Digging into the distributional impact of an overlooked bill change from the October 2026 Budget 30 October 2026 by Jonathan Marshall While the £100 Household Energy Payment grabbed most of the headlines, another energy bill change announced on Wednesday has got less attention. But John Healey’s request for Ofgem to abolish the standing charge on household gas bills by the end of 2027 will also affect future bills. And because it’s a regulatory change, the Treasury … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Cities and regions Jackdaw is a distraction from Aberdeen’s much bigger problem The Government needs a more place-centric approach to shore up Aberdeen’s labour market 22 October 2026 by Jonathan Marshall and Zachary Leather This article was originally published on our Substack. After years of back and forth and months of mounting speculation, this week the Government gave the green light to the Jackdaw gas field. But one small hydrocarbon project dominating headlines risks missing the much bigger – and more important – question over where tomorrow’s good jobs … Continued READ MORE
Growth· Net zero Is net zero reindustrialising the North? Green jobs, clean industries, and the future of Grimsby and Aberdeen 8 September 2026 by Zachary Leather This was originally published on our Substack. In 2024 then Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham argued that net zero was “the best chance we will ever have to reindustrialise the North of England, reduce inequality and close the North-South divide”. The Mayor has had a promotion since then but what of his prediction? Sadly, our new research has … Continued READ MORE
Net zero Cutting the cord Jonathan Marshall and Matthew Cavanagh dive into the details of the Government's plans to 'de-link' gas and electricity prices. 21 April 2026 by Jonathan Marshall This post was originally published on our Substack. The news that the Government is planning to ‘de-link’ gas and electricity prices has been leading discussions on energy policy this week. But for those who, understandably, spend less time keeping up with the ins and outs of energy bills and the Government’s drive to net zero … Continued READ MORE
Public finances· Growth· Net zero What Britain should learn from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act plan Like or loath the ‘protectionist’ Inflation Reduction Act’s green subsidies, America offers an example of strategic thinking 13 March 2023 by Torsten Bell The UK has lost the habit of thinking strategically. Grappling with the constraints imposed by the global and domestic economies — or reality as it is sometimes known — is deeply out of fashion these days. Debates on how the UK might respond to Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and its near $400bn of green … Continued READ MORE
Incomes· Inequality & poverty· Net zero Energy prices: Why now is the time to act to help millions of families facing fuel bill catastrophe A benefits boost and insulation drive are needed 3 May 2022 by Jonathan Marshall The first day of April saw the largest overnight jump in energy bills in living memory, pushing up the cost of gas and electricity for 22 million families by more than 50 per cent. Despite this not having sunk in yet – households are only one bill into this new reality at most – we … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Economy 2030 Working from home means bigger bills and highlights the need for better insulation ‘Running the boiler all day will see the average household use around 50 per cent more gas than if their home was unoccupied’ 10 January 2022 by Jonathan Marshall With the rise of the Covid variant Omicron, working from home is back. One of the many differences between this winter and last, however, is that working from home has come amid a cost of living crisis, with inflation recently hitting a 10-year high. It’s easy to see the spread of higher prices in day-to-day life, … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Economy 2030 The latest climate warning further highlights gaps in our decarbonising plans IPCC reports seldom bring good news, but the latest assessment finds that the crucial marker of a 1.5C temperature increase on pre-industrial times could be with us in just two decades 13 August 2021 by Jonathan Marshall The latest summary of global climate science, compiled over years by hundreds of researchers, brings yet another stark warning on how the world is not decarbonising fast enough. READ MORE
