NESC Publishes Third 2025 Energy Policy Report

The Government has welcomed the publication of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) report Connecting People to the Energy Transition. This is the third NESC report on energy policy to be released in 2025.

The report examines how people can be better connected to the energy transition. It focuses on ensuring households share in the economic, environmental and wellbeing benefits while protecting the most vulnerable from negative impacts so that no one is left behind.

NESC’s work included a literature review, policy analysis, household research and consultations with more than 40 stakeholders. The Council took a broad, strategic view of the energy system in relation to households and energy communities, drawing on lived experience and social and behavioural insights.

The report identifies five areas for action. These are energy affordability, energy poverty, energy efficiency, clean heat and new opportunities for households, place-based energy resilience and local production, and overarching approaches to strengthening connections to the energy transition.

The Council concludes that households and communities could play a significant and immediate role in saving energy, generating renewable energy and building energy resilience if they are enabled to do so.

Overall, the report offers new understanding of societal considerations in the long-term energy transition. It also sets out actions to help address current policy challenges in supporting households and energy communities to act.

Further details and the full report are available on the NESC website.