The polling explored how favourable or unfavourable people are towards a range of ideas about the future of energy.

There is an overall positive response towards a range of renewable energy options. Of the ideas tested, offshore wind power, wave power and using biomass are positively regarded by more than seven in ten. Not quite as popular are micro-generation, smart meters and community power stations though for all of these, more Britons have a favourable opinion than an unfavourable one. Personal carbon allowances do not test well – here the balance of opinion is unfavourable.

Q. Please tell me how favourable or unfavourable is your overall opinion or impression of...
Base: All UK adults (1,946), Brunswick Research

Looking at the most popular tested option - offshore wind power - in more detail, those aged 55+ are both least positive and most negative (as opposed to being neutral) towards the idea. Across the regions, those in Northern Ireland stand out as being the most favourable. Conversely, the highest level of unfavourable opinion is found in Scotland.

Though offshore wind power tests well in the polling, the workshops show uncertainty over the benefits and costs of renewable options. Participants may be broadly favourable but many feel they need to know more about the cost of implementation, and how it will affect the consumer.

Connected to this, the polling with adults shows a strong correlation between cost-effectiveness and favourability. The more cost-effective a proposed solution appears, the more that proposal is favoured.

The polling explored how ‘realistic’ or ‘unrealistic’ various energy initiatives were, such as personal carbon allowances, smart meters and wave power. As with the relationship between cost-effectiveness and favourability, a strong correlation exists between how realistic solutions are perceived to be, and how favourably they are viewed.

Q. How favourable or unfavourable is your overall opinion or impression of...?
Q. How realistic or unrealistic do you think....is?
Base: All UK adults (1,946), Brunswick Research

E.ON view

It’s interesting how much support renewables always receives in surveys. Yet, according to this report, the public is most in favour of the projects that they won’t be able to see – offshore wind and wave power.

E.ON has extensive plans for renewables in the UK, with major offshore wind farms in the Solway Firth, the approaches to the Thames and off the Humber Estuary. In addition we are looking at a wave power scheme off the coast of Cornwall and a tidal scheme off the west coast.

However, we continue to look at onshore wind schemes because it’s vital that we have that option. Offshore offers scale but a more difficult working and operating environment, onshore is cheaper and it is considerably easier to maintain turbines.

We are also a major player in biomass, co-firing of coal-fired power stations and going through the testing process for the UK’s largest dedicated biomass power station at Lockerbie.

And, for our customers, we are trialling micro combined heat and power units for the home and are looking at other microgeneration technologies that could all form part of a lower carbon economy.