Invisible Heroes 03 - Emma Pinchbeck, Energy UK

In the third in our series of Invisible Heroes interviews - in which we share the personal stories of some of the people working behind the scenes on initiatives which help the planet - we’re speaking to Energy UK’s Emma Pinchbeck.

As Chief Executive of Energy UK - the trade association for the energy industry - Emma plays a fundamental role in supporting the sector as it transitions to net zero carbon, at a time when decarbonisation is more critical than ever. We caught up with Emma to discuss the journey that’s brought her to where she is now, her ambitions for the sector and her advice for those looking to make a difference. 

Can you tell us about your current role; what do you do, and the steps you’ve taken that led you to this job? 

I studied a Classics degree at Oxford University, and was actually the first person in my family to get a degree. There was something brilliantly freeing about that because my Mum literally said to me - go and do something you think is interesting! Aside from the fact that both the Prime Minister and the Energy Secretary did a Classics degree, in my case what it taught me was being able to take on people that knew a lot more than I did, having been to a state school and never studying Classics before! The system at Oxford teaches you to turn up every week and really debate an issue. That’s useful in an environment where you’re thinking through complex problems and dealing with experts all of the time.

Because of the financial crash, by the time I’d completed my degree I realised I was going to have to do something with numbers involved or I would be unemployable. With my background just waiting for something to come along wasn’t really an option. So I got a training contract in financial services where I did some large-scale renewables financing and was able to work on things like board governance and auditing - all of which is very relevant to my job now. But in the middle of that training contract the David Attenborough series about climate change, Frozen Planet, came out. I still remember just absolutely losing it after I’d watched it. I quit my job about four days later and looked for something in the environmental movement. I ended up going to work for a startup consultancy that specialised in green energy projects, mostly on the demand side of energy.

From there I landed my dream job at WWF heading up the climate change team, where I worked on things like coal phase-out and international carbon budgets. After that I was scouted to become deputy CEO of the trade body Renewable UK. The idea was to give a voice to the renewables industry and introduce more of a campaigning approach at a time when they were about to lead the charge on decarbonisation. 

Lastly, while I was on maternity leave I was asked to apply for Energy UK’s Chief Executive role. It’s my favourite joke - I went to the interview to have an hour off from a newborn baby! But I found that in talking to the people who are now my board members that there is this real sense that the energy sector is in transition. As a result my net zero background wasn’t seen as a risk but a huge asset; Energy UK wanted a different kind of leadership to bring them through this period of immense change. It felt like a really exciting time to bring my expertise from the climate movement and decarbonisation to the incumbent energy trade body and its members at this time.

You joined EnergyUK at a time when the energy sector is undergoing significant change, as it moves towards becoming a net zero carbon energy sector. In your view, what are some of the most exciting ways in which the energy sector is embracing change?

On the generation side there’s now a consensus about a power system that will be majority renewables. It means any energy business I speak to is looking at its future asset mix, and the investment in renewables has been staggering. There’s a huge shift happening in what our power system looks like.

The second thing is what that means for how we interact with energy. Most of the energy retailers in the UK are now thinking about energy as a service as well as a commodity. So not just charging per commodity, but instead asking whether you’ve got an electric vehicle (EV) or a clean source of heating in your home, and how that impacts how you relate to your energy supplier. 

The third thing is about energy’s reputation. The energy sector is the delivery vehicle for net zero carbon, and so we are fundamental to everyone else reaching their targets. So we’ve become a bit cool! As well as providing a commodity or service, we are doing something for the economy and society; providing energy to run the economy but also now helping everyone transfer to a greener economy. 

What do you think the UK energy sector will look like in five years' time?

I think in five years the pressures we’re seeing will be exacerbated, and where there’s change it will be happening quicker. 

For example I expect EV sales to start going through the roof so that’s going to - literally - accelerate! It’s the same with large-scale renewables deployment. We are pretty good at offshore wind, onshore wind and solar. We know we need more of them and the Government has set targets, so again we should expect to see a ramp up within those industries. 

Innovation within buildings and heating should be getting going, but the process will be more difficult. We’ll start seeing the industry tackle difficult questions in the supply chain for buildings over the next five years. We don’t need to regulate it unduly but how do we get people to want it because it’s better? 

Is there a particular product or service innovation that you feel holds potential to transform the way consumers use or engage with energy in their home? 

People talk about EVs being the ‘gateway’ drug to other low-carbon technology. I think that’s true so far. The demographic who buy an EV are more likely to get into something like agile charging or solar energy; they are understanding the value of electricity as it becomes a thing they put into their car. 

Secondly, smart meters. The smart meter roll-out continues apace and smart meters are an essential backbone for everything else we want to do in people’s homes.  

And finally, I’m watching to see if energy retailers can get people excited about new heating systems, particularly heat pumps. If they can make heat pumps an attractive thing that really helps what we need to do on heat decarbonisation. Energy retailers are going to be key to the next phase of decarbonisation - they are in a unique position of being able to have dialogue with customers about the new products that are available.  

Oh, and if someone can make loft insulation sexy, that would be great!   

What’s the one thing that makes you feel most excited to go to work in the morning?

Taking a shower and getting dressed for work! I was appointed when my daughter was three weeks old - she’s now sixteen months old. It was so nice as a mum returning to work to reclaim something of my identity by getting dressed for work in the morning  

Now I get to come to work (albeit in the spare room of my house) and think about something that’s not just being a parent. I find it a welcome break to get my head into the things I knew about before having my daughter.

If you could encourage readers to make one small change to their day-to-day lives in order to positively impact the planet, what would it be?

Investigate what your supplier offers you and look into getting on a green tariff. Look beyond energy, too; perhaps one day your supplier can offer you a heat pump or help you with an EV. You should be with a supplier who is thinking about the future.

Secondly, talk to your MP. So much decarbonisation relies on public policy. As much as individual lifestyle change is important, system change is the only thing that’s going to get us there in time. The next 5 years will determine the decarbonisation policy that dictates whether we hit net zero by 2050 or not: it’s this Government and the next Government and then we run out of policy making time.

What’s been your go-to book/podcast/show over lockdown?

During the US election cycle it was The New York Times’ The Daily and the BBC’s Americast. 

There are also a load of great energy podcasts such as The Energy Gang and the FullyCharged Show. 

I also really love the History of the World in 100 Objects series and recently finished reading Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez.