Greg Jackson, founder and chief executive of Octopus Energy and a government adviser, urged politicians in the UK and Europe to prioritize reducing electricity bills rather than asking consumers to make sacrifices in the name of climate change. Speaking ahead of the Makerfield by-election, where the Reform UK party is vying for electoral gains with a platform to abolish climate policies, Jackson criticized governments for failing to make energy affordable.

Jackson said current approaches to the energy transition risk alienating public support, arguing that policymakers should focus on aligning people’s immediate financial interests with environmental goals. “My request to all politicians is to relentlessly try hard now to have all policies that line up people’s immediate self-interest with that of the planet,” he said, emphasizing the need to avoid framing climate action solely as a sacrifice.

The UK Labour government under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to reduce household energy bills by hundreds of pounds while transitioning the power grid to clean energy by 2030. In contrast, Reform UK has called for the elimination of all net zero commitments, the cancellation of renewable energy contracts, and an end to subsidies for wind and solar projects.

Despite his neutrality on political affiliations, Jackson acknowledged that Reform’s focus on lowering energy costs could be aligned with efforts to electrify the economy. “To drive down electricity costs is so crucial for electrification,” he said, highlighting Octopus Energy’s long-standing position that greening the grid and introducing local electricity pricing can simultaneously benefit consumers and the environment.

Jackson also noted that electricity bills in the UK have become a “dumping ground” for various charges—including wholesale electricity prices, government policies supporting vulnerable households, renewable energy subsidies, and network upgrades—contributing to their high overall cost.

Chris Stark, head of the UK government’s Clean Energy Mission, affirmed that the goal of achieving a clean electricity grid by 2030 remains unchanged. However, he cautioned that future governments, including Labour’s, must ensure low borrowing costs to maintain investor confidence.

David Blood, co-founder of investment firm Generation Investment Management, which holds a stake in Octopus Energy, pointed to inconsistent government policies as a major barrier to faster decarbonization. “We are not moving as fast as we could do,” he said, adding that frequent policy shifts disrupt efforts by companies and investors seeking to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Catherine McKenna, former Canadian environment and climate minister and current adviser to Singapore’s Temasek, argued that governments could ease the affordability crisis by ending fossil fuel subsidies, which would make clean energy comparatively cheaper. She also criticized Canada’s recent plans to construct a new oil pipeline, warning that leaders are overlooking the gravity of the climate threat.

“Leaders have decided they’re not going to care about this massive existential threat,” McKenna said, calling for stronger government action. Her remarks reflect wider concerns that inconsistent policy and competing interests continue to challenge progress in addressing energy costs and climate objectives.