There is an awareness that our approach to energy has to change especially among older children. An overwhelming majority of 13-16 year olds believe they have a responsibility to encourage others to recycle and save energy (69%), and that their generation will be left to clear up the mess of earlier generations (70%).

Children are in favour of using renewable sources of energy. When asked what people should use to make light and heat, the sun, wind turbines and waves came out on top. Overall, 73% of children believe that all energy should come from renewable sources.

Base: All UK children aged 7-16 (524), Brunswick Research

E.ON view

While it is comforting that the nation’s children are keen on renewable energy – with almost three-quarters believing that all energy should come from green sources – it is also unrealistic to assume that this can be the case. While we intend to reduce the carbon intensity of our generation – the amount of carbon produced per unit of electricity we generate – by 10% by 2012, we will still power stations going forward.

E.ON has multi billion pound plans for the next generation of UK power stations, including jointly developing the world’s largest offshore wind farm, two gas-fired power stations, a cleaner coal-fired power station, marine and tidal projects and carbon neutral biomass power stations.

It is only by investing in such a diversity of power sources that we can ensure both that the UK’s lights stay on and that we can lower our carbon emissions. As we go forward we can no longer have an ‘either-or’ debate, it should all be about ‘and’.