The Green Gap: 2023

Tandem Bank’s annual index charts UK consumers’ intentions to ‘go green’ over the following 12 months and then tracks actual changes in behaviour over the same period.

• Index reveals 34 point ‘green gap’ between consumers’ plans to move to a green way of living 12 months ago, compared to their actual actions over the past year

• Last year’s Index scored consumers’ intention to ‘go green’ over the next 12 months as 138.3 – whereas the Index scored consumers’ actual changes in behaviour over the past 12 months as 104.3

• Positive progress made with increase in solar panel installations (+31%), along with strong electric and alternative fuel vehicle registrations (+27%) and electric charging network roll out (+45%)

• Gap driven by slower pace of other green energy improvements at home and significant increases in car and plane travel, as well as significant drops in public transport use over the past 12 months

• Consumer concerns about climate change remain high but have reduced in the past 12 months:

        o 61% of Brits expressed concern, down from 69% in 2022

        o Majority still believe climate change an urgent problem, but down 9% (61% 2023; 70% in 2022)

        o 4 out of 10 Brits want to learn more about reducing their environmental impact

       o Older generations less likely to change – with 70% believing they already do enough
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Commenting on the findings, Alex Mollart, CEO of Tandem Bank, said:

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‍“Climate change is the biggest challenge we face today. UK consumers have good intentions to make substantial changes to their lives, but today’s results show a significant hurdle in that journey, with actions not keeping up with levels of intention.

“While it’s not good news, it’s hardly surprising with cost of living pressures and confusing Government rhetoric on the immediacy of the action required.

“But Tandem’s on a mission to change that. We know customers find it increasingly important to make the right choices and we want to help them do so – providing insight and information like today’s Green Gap, but also the right tools and expertise to help them make informed greener choices.”

2022 intentions

• 13% intended to reduce their energy consumption

• 10% intended to switch to a renewable energy supply

• 9% intended to switch to a hybrid or electric vehicle

• 8% intended to install solar panels

2023 actions

Notable changes within the 28 key component measures based on most recent public data against 2022’s index, include:

• Solar panel installation up 31% monthly, but those reporting they have in place static at 10%

• Electric vehicles registered within the month increased 27% to over 150,000

• Electric vehicle charging stations almost double (up 45%), but remain low base, with London having significantly more than the rest of the UK per population

• And while some home improvement measures have increased, they have done so at a slower pace than required – smart meter installation up 2%, wall insultation fallen 3% and 6% in Scotland

• Domestic energy usage fallen by over 10%, however, price seen as driving factor

• Total distances driven by cars jumps 11% to 102 billion kilometres, while plane travel has increased 8% up to just under 560,000 flights on a seven day average

• Public transport use has fallen on most recent data – bus and rail journeys have decreased 11% and 14% respectively

• Changes to house EPCs rated A-C has increased by only 2%
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Consumer attitudes remain high, but have reduced

And while intentions have grown, forecasting and latest results of the underlying attitudes survey have shown a deterioration in views:

• Majority still believe climate change an urgent problem, but down 9% (61% 2023; 70% in 2022)

• UK less concerned about climate change – 61% of Brits expressed concern, down from 69% in 2022

• 4 out of 10 Brits want to learn more about how to reduce their environmental impact

• Older generations less likely to change – with 70% believing they already do enough

• Majority of households still don’t know their property’s EPC rating – 51%, increasing from 49% last year

• Consumers remain more likely to adopt smaller scale solutions such as smart meters and low energy lighting – those who have installed or definitely will install when compared to 2022 was: +5 for low energy lighting; +8% for smart meters; and +5% for wall insultations; but only +3% for heat pumps; and -1% for solar panels

• Urgency of climate change disparate across UK – 73% in Scotland; 65% in Wales, and 60% in England see it as an urgent problem to solve

Intentions for next year show intentions to ‘go green’ remain high – but have reduced since last year

• 12% will definitely reduce their energy consumption

• 9% will definitely switch to a renewable energy supply

• 8% will definitely switch to a hybrid or electric vehicle

• 7% will definitely install solar panels

Tandem’s Green Gap is published annually, with monthly trackers, illustrating the trends and changes of behaviour as the UK adopts greener living towards net zero in 2050.

Tandem is focused on its mission to provide hard working people across the UK with sustainable ways to spend, borrow, save and share a little bit greener.


Read The Green Gap 2023 full report here