"As a man thinks, so he is."

Awareness is the foundation of meaningful change.

We cannot act on what we don't understand, and we rarely think deeply about things we've never been taught. Energy is no different. It powers our lives quietly in the background, until something goes wrong or a bill arrives that makes us pay attention. Then, suddenly, energy becomes a headline, a topic of stress, and a daily worry.

Right now, in the UK, energy is a conversation happening everywhere. It's at the dinner table as families work out how to afford winter heating. It's in business meetings where directors are deciding how to budget for rising electricity prices. It's in the news when infrastructure failures or policy decisions disrupt entire regions.

Energy has become a defining issue of our time.

Solving the challenges ahead isn't about technology or government policy alone. It starts with something more fundamental: education.

Why Education is the Key to Energy Reform

The UK is in the midst of an energy crisis that touches every household and every business. Electricity and gas are no longer background costs. They are front and centre, affecting how people live, how businesses grow, and how communities function.

For decades, reforms have focused on infrastructure upgrades, policy tweaks, and emergency support schemes designed to keep the system running. These efforts have their place. They treat the symptoms rather than the root cause.

The real question we need to ask is: how do we create a society that understands energy deeply enough to make lasting, positive changes?

Education holds the answer.

The children sitting in classrooms today will be paying energy bills twenty years from now. By that time, pressures around the cost of living, housing affordability, and energy demand will likely be even more intense than they are today.

If we want an energy system that is fair, transparent, and resilient, we need to start now by equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions as future homeowners, voters, and innovators.

A Personal Perspective on Reform

Education reform isn't an abstract idea for me. It's personal, and it has shaped my own life and family.

My sister has devoted her entire career to teaching. Long before her, my mum made a life-changing decision because of me.

Back in the 1990s, I was a child struggling with dyslexia. At that time, many schools didn't have the resources or awareness to support children like me. Teachers cared deeply. They didn't have the right tools or training.

My mum saw how this gap was affecting me and countless other children, and she made a bold decision: she retrained as a teacher. Her goal was to help me and make sure no child in our community was left behind because of a lack of understanding.

Fast forward a generation, and my own son is dyslexic. The difference I've seen in his experience compared to mine is transformative. Teachers today are better equipped, schools have access to resources that never existed before, and there is a genuine culture of support that changes how families experience education.

This journey has taught me something powerful: education can reform itself, and when it does, it changes lives for generations.

The same transformation is now needed in how we teach about energy. If we can change the way we teach reading and writing, we can change the way we teach energy literacy too, giving young people the ability to understand how energy works, how it affects their future, and how their choices can influence the system.

Where Reform is Needed

Energy reform is a complex issue. It can be broken down into four interconnected areas. Each plays a vital role in building a fair and sustainable energy system.

1. Billing Reform

Energy bills have become so complicated that even industry professionals sometimes struggle to decode them. Families deserve simplicity and clarity.

Bills should clearly show:

• Standing charges
• Unit costs
• Network levies
• Environmental obligations

When bills are easy to understand, families can make informed decisions about usage and budgeting. Hidden charges, back-billing, and overly complex tariffs need to be phased out completely.

Transparent billing builds trust and empowers households to take control of their energy use.

2. Product Reform

The market is flooded with products that claim to save energy, from smart thermostats to insulation solutions. Too many of these products overpromise and underdeliver.

Consumers should have confidence that when they purchase something designed to reduce energy use, it has been independently tested and meets a clear performance standard. This requires enforced regulations across the industry.

Without these standards, families risk spending their hard-earned money on technology that fails to deliver results, damaging both household finances and public trust in renewable energy solutions.

3. Policy Reform

Policies shape the national energy landscape. Frameworks such as the Energy Price Cap play an essential role in protecting households. They need to evolve as the market changes.

Recent reforms by Ofgem to improve grid connection times are a step in the right direction. More comprehensive action is needed to ensure that investment in renewable energy and infrastructure actually benefits communities across the UK, not large corporations or urban centres.

Policy reform should focus on long-term stability, giving families and businesses the confidence to plan for the future while encouraging innovation in clean energy.

4. Education Reform

Education is the thread that connects all the other reforms. Without it, even the best policies and technologies will fall short.

Energy literacy needs to be embedded in schools from an early age. Children should learn:

• The basic science of electricity and renewable energy
• How to read and understand an energy bill
• The social and environmental impacts of energy use

By making energy part of everyday learning, we can build a generation that approaches energy with awareness, confidence, and creativity.

What Energy Education Could Look Like

We are not talking about adding pressure to already overwhelmed teachers. Energy education should be practical, integrated, and inspiring. It can be woven into existing subjects in ways that bring learning to life.

Curriculum Integration

• Science: Explore how electricity is generated and distributed, why peak times cost more, and how renewable technologies like solar panels function
• Maths: Teach pupils to calculate energy usage, understand unit pricing, and predict savings from behavioural changes
• Personal Finance: Link energy literacy to budgeting, showing how household decisions impact financial wellbeing

Practical Projects

Hands-on projects make learning memorable and relevant:

• Assign "energy monitors" in classrooms, allowing pupils to track daily usage of lights and devices
• Demonstrate how insulation works by comparing heat loss in different model houses
• Host interactive workshops with solar panels, heat pumps, or smart meters to show real-world energy solutions

These activities don't teach. They inspire curiosity and encourage problem-solving.

Building Resilience and Awareness

Energy education must also address the emotional and social aspects of energy use.

• Open conversations about rising bills and energy poverty can help pupils understand the real-world challenges families face
• Lessons on resilience can empower young people to see that awareness and action can reduce vulnerability
• Students can learn how small changes at home or in their communities can collectively create meaningful impact

While there are existing resources for schools, such as the government's Energy Efficiency Guidance for the School and FE College Estate (2022), most focus on building management rather than student learning. What's missing is a coherent, nationwide programme designed to teach children about energy in a way that connects with their daily lives.

Our Experience with Young People

Recently, we were invited to speak at a college about energy. The session began with technical topics. It quickly grew into something more profound. We discussed entrepreneurship, innovation, and the wider opportunities that exist in the energy sector.

The students were fully engaged. They asked insightful questions, connected ideas, and left the session excited about the possibilities ahead.

One lecturer told us afterward:

"That gave the kids something to aim for. Their usual circles of influence aren't always practical or helpful, but this gave them direction."

This experience reinforced our belief in the power of education. A single conversation can shift a young person's perspective, giving them hope and a sense of agency. Imagine that same spark ignited across classrooms nationwide. It could transform individual lives and the future of our entire energy system.

The Long-Term Impact

Reforming how we teach energy isn't about quick wins. The benefits won't show up on next year's bills or in next quarter's financial reports.

The real results will come in twenty years, when today's pupils are adults. By then, they'll be:

• Running households
• Paying energy bills
• Voting on policies
• Making decisions about renewable technologies
• Influencing the market through their choices and demand

This is why education reform is not a school issue. It's a national priority.

By investing in energy literacy today, we create a generation equipped to build a fairer, more resilient energy future.

Practical Steps for Schools and Communities

So how do we begin? Here are some practical steps schools and communities can take:

Closing Thought

Reform takes time, but every lasting change begins with awareness.

Education is the seed from which a fair, transparent, and sustainable energy system can grow.

The energy future isn't a distant vision. It's unfolding right now, in our homes, our schools, and in the minds of young people. By acting today, we can equip them to build a future where energy is understood, managed, and valued in ways that benefit everyone.