The Cut: Reopen Strait of Hormuz to cut costs

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Clean energy news
Solar generations breaks record after record

Bills could be £300 more expensive unless the critical waterway is reopened in a month
Households bills have increased by 87% since 2021
Fossil fuel dependency is crippling UK

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is going to hurt consumers. Credit: Adobe.

Is the government doing enough to cut energy bills? With the Strait of Hormuz still closed, it it seems not, despite their best efforts.

Last week ministers said they were planning to ‘decouple’ energy bills from the price of gas, meaning that major geopolitical crises, such as the US-Iran war, shouldn’t send analysts into a frenzy of gloomy predictions, as they have done since the end of February.

According to analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), by the time Autumn comes round, energy bills will likely be 87%, or £4,800, higher than they were in 2021. For context, this would be the second energy crisis the world has faced, along with the ongoing war in Ukraine.

They’re not the only ones with a bleak outlook. Greg Jackson, CEO of the UK’s biggest energy company, Octopus Energy, predicted that higher prices could be “bedded in” should the Strait of Hormuz not reopen by the end of May. How much more will we be paying? Jackson said they could be £300 higher by the Winter.

This is all very worrying, and it is why the government is trying to get us off fossil fuels and onto renewables. For that to happen, clean energy technology needs to be easy to install and use. Nusku, a manufacturer from Bristol, has built a heat pump that it says is easier and quicker to install than traditional models. They claim it takes only a few days to install, instead of more than a week.

It’s only one heat pump, but it shows how the clean energy sector is trying to answer the challenge of getting people to get the tools needed to get household bills down long term.

There’s definitely demand for clean energy, and the US-Iran war has made it boom. Numbers from Solar Energy UK say that solar power supplied a massive 42% of the UK’s energy on 23 April, a new record, as fossil fuel reliance plummets.

Clean energy news

Is the government doing enough to cut energy bills?

Ministers are definitely trying, but with every week bringing more predictions of rising prices, we’ve asked what’s working and what isn’t in the government’s bid to get bills down.

Household costs 87% higher than they were in 2021

In real terms that’s a spike of £4,300. It looks like the two, still ongoing, energy crises have hurt us badly. It shouldn’t be a surprise, considering how much we rely on importing fossil fuels.

Octopus Energy CEO: bills will bounce if Strait stays closed

Greg Jackson told BBC Radio 4 that if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t open by the end of May, it’s likely price increases will be bedded in, meaning we could be paying £300 a more by the Winter.

EDF offers customers free electricity this May

The energy company has promised customers will have the chance to get free electricity through its ‘Sunday Saver’ offer. The more customers shift electricity usage away from peak Sunday hours (4pm-7pm). The more electricity they shift from between those hours, the more free power they get the following Sunday.

Solar generations breaks record after record

The UK is generating more clean energy than it ever has done, and on the 23rd April solar accounted for 42% of the country’s power. This is pushing fossil fuel reliance down, hopefully for good.

Average price of clean technology

Solar PV system: £7,634.36

Solar storage battery: £9,380.65

Air source heat pump: £13,685.70

Ground source heat pump: £23,829.85

Number of the week

87%

That’s how much the ECIU has predicted energy bills have increased since 2021.

Sources:

Written By

Maximilian Schwerdtfeger Deputy editor

Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024 and became deputy editor in 2025. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.

He has represented The Eco Experts on national television several times, including the BBC’s Sunday Morning Live and ITV Tonight .

In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.

He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.

Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.

As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.

His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.

Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.

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Tamara Birch Newsletters and sponsored content editor

Tamara is a journalist with more than six years experience writing about environmental topics. This includes advising small businesses on cost-effective ways tom become more sustainable, from installing to solar panels and heat pumps and reducing waste. She has used her journalist and research skills to become highly knowledgeable on sustainable initiatives, issues, and solutions to help consumers do their bit for the environment – all while reducing monthly costs. Now, she’s using this experience to advise homeowners on the benefits of installing low-carbon technologies. She is also qualified in offering innovative initiatives to improve sustainability practices in businesses, from advertising to marketing and publishing.

Her passion for sustainability and eco-friendly solutions stems from a long obsession with nature and animals and ensuring they feel looked after. In her free time, Tamara enjoys reading fantasy novels, visiting the gym, and going on long walks in new areas.

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