The survey, which is currently live, reveals that nine in ten (87%) people support having a wind turbine in their postcode area if it means half price electricity, showing just how much attitudes towards NIMBYism have changed when local communities benefit.
80% of people would be likely to change their energy profile, for example the times of the day which they use the most energy, if the costs were cheaper at certain times. This highlights just how engaged consumers are and would like to be in the energy system.
92% would like a wind turbine in their community
In addition to these independent survey figures, Octopus Energy has been running a poll among its customers since Friday 25th March. The survey is still live but almost 20,000 people have already responded, with 92% saying they’d like a wind turbine in their local community if it meant cheaper electricity.
Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, said: “Building more onshore wind turbines is the cheapest, cleanest and fastest way of creating more green power in the UK. If we want to become energy independent and bring down people’s energy bills – and quickly – then onshore wind absolutely has to be a significant contributor to our energy mix.
“The concept of NIMBYism has rapidly changed and we’ve been blown away by the positive feedback towards local wind turbines if energy can be supplied at cheaper rates.
“Through the Octopus Energy Fan Club, thousands of communities up and down the country have got in touch with us to build wind turbines near them, so we know the demand is definitely there. We now need the right can-do mindset to build and connect wind turbines where people want them, quicker than ever before.”
Octopus Energy’s ‘Fan Club’ is the world’s first local energy tariff for greener energy to customers living near local wind turbines when the wind blows. With two local wind turbines on this model so far, one in Market Weighton in Yorkshire and another in Caerphilly in Wales, Octopus is planning to build at least 30 more in the next two years and 1,000 across the country by 2030.