A Blueprint for Electrification – LIA guest blog

The UK’s journey to net zero will be defined by its ability to electrify. Electrification is also the backbone of economic growth, as it underpins success in every sector. ECA’s report, A Blueprint for Electrification brings together a spectrum of voices from across the electrical industry to offer practical solutions to accelerate the energy transition.

Electrification is complex. The shift to electric heating and transport will put pressure on grid capacity, while lighting, when upgraded to high-efficacy LEDs and intelligent controls, offers immediate reductions in energy use.

At the recent Connected 2050 conference, organised by LIA and BEAMA, speaker after speaker highlighted the urgent need for collaboration within the electrical sector. Across the industry we are in remarkable accord on the issues that matter; professional skills, product standards, regulation, and the importance of listening to the needs of end users. By working together, we can speak more confidently to policy makers.

Current policy conversations tend to focus on energy generation - on where power will come from - while paying too little attention to the products, systems and workforce needed to deploy and integrate that energy across the built environment.

Of course, safe, clean, home-grown electricity is vital to energy security, as well as industrial renewal. Yet, despite clear ambition, delivery is falling behind. Emma Pinchbeck, CEO of the Climate Change Committee (CCC) the independent body which holds Government to account on legal net zero targets, acknowledges more delivery expertise is needed. This provides trade associations in the electrical industry with an opportunity to step up.

The Lighting Industry is a role model for others in the sector. By demonstrating the speed of ROI and energy savings for their products, they have helped turn ‘new’ into ‘normal’.  Energy efficient lighting is no longer perceived as a ‘net zero’ technology, LEDs are now the norm.

ECA’s Blueprint for Electrification, which is endorsed by LIA, is a roadmap to electrification. Electrification is shaped by a mosaic of interconnected challenges – a shortage of competent, qualified electricians risks slowing deployment; an unstable business environment impacts supply chains; lack of consumer confidence, policy uncertainty and planning constraints hinder investment - each challenge reinforcing the next. The 10-step report brings together practical solutions from across the sector to unblock the obstacles to delivery.

Electrification isn’t just an infrastructure challenge - it’s a behavioural one. To make the ‘new’ - ‘normal’ - households must be confident, informed, and supported to adopt low-carbon technologies. National polling by YouGov for ECA’s Blueprint shows a clear answer; the public trusts electricians to help them make the switch. A strong relationship between electrical contractors, distributors, and manufacturers is key to maintaining that trust.

The Blueprint for Electrification makes it clear, talk to the electrical industry; we are key to the energy transition. The UK has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to be a global leader in electrification, creating a stronger, more resilient economy in the process.