Changes in the views of housebuilders will be a major influence in rolling out electric vehicles and other domestic energy options, according to Vicki Spiers.
“Will people decide not to buy houses because they don’t have an electric vehicle charging point? That will make a difference and it will be driven by consumer behaviour. Keeping close to the way those trends are going is important for all of us,” she said.
Spiers heads the Association of Independent Gas Transporters and the Competitive Networks Association, two organisations for the independent networks that own and operate ‘last mile’ domestic energy networks for over two million customers. Independents now install and own the connections for the majority of new developments: Spiers says incumbent distribution network operators (DNOs) are likely to have just 15% of new connections.
In an exclusive interview with New Power Spiers called for independent networks to have more access to funding that supports innovative approaches to networks. She said at the moment investors expected an assured, steady return from networks, and to take on more risk they had to be supported. But independent networks offer “an opportunity because they are discrete networks and you could be more experimental and more innovative.
“I think we are a young forward-looking body of people and we would be keen to embrace that provided that the right investment was there. The independent networks are all relatively young, so they are made of modern materials, so it’s a good place to start trials.”
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