Zachary Leather
@zackleather.resolutionfoundation.org
Climate policy @resfoundation.bsky.social
While esteemed colleagues won prestigious awards for great work last, I'm also proud to have won 2.5kg of smarties for best report title of the year, the best return on writing two words I'm ever likely to get
www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...
www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...
November 13, 2025 at 2:18 PM
While esteemed colleagues won prestigious awards for great work last, I'm also proud to have won 2.5kg of smarties for best report title of the year, the best return on writing two words I'm ever likely to get
www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...
www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...
May be other factors but a) SW is bigger than the other regions b) the farms there are smaller so more of them
November 13, 2025 at 10:15 AM
May be other factors but a) SW is bigger than the other regions b) the farms there are smaller so more of them
Salary sacrifice is a poor way of subsidising.
More cash for those with higher tax rates (meaning more income) is the opposite of what we should be doing - getting solar panels onto the rooves of fuel poor families. Poorer families have less salary to sacrifice, meaning less or no subsidy for them
More cash for those with higher tax rates (meaning more income) is the opposite of what we should be doing - getting solar panels onto the rooves of fuel poor families. Poorer families have less salary to sacrifice, meaning less or no subsidy for them
October 14, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Salary sacrifice is a poor way of subsidising.
More cash for those with higher tax rates (meaning more income) is the opposite of what we should be doing - getting solar panels onto the rooves of fuel poor families. Poorer families have less salary to sacrifice, meaning less or no subsidy for them
More cash for those with higher tax rates (meaning more income) is the opposite of what we should be doing - getting solar panels onto the rooves of fuel poor families. Poorer families have less salary to sacrifice, meaning less or no subsidy for them
But this will inevitably affect some vulnerable households so must be balanced with consumer protection - a time of use price cap, seeing fixed prices in peak and off-peak hours, is one way to manage the risks posed by fluctuating prices.
July 9, 2025 at 11:30 AM
But this will inevitably affect some vulnerable households so must be balanced with consumer protection - a time of use price cap, seeing fixed prices in peak and off-peak hours, is one way to manage the risks posed by fluctuating prices.
We should start by making sure that households with the most 'flexibility' to contribute do so - that's those with big electricity intensive technologies like electric vehicles.
July 9, 2025 at 11:30 AM
We should start by making sure that households with the most 'flexibility' to contribute do so - that's those with big electricity intensive technologies like electric vehicles.
That would be a big shift for households, who largely pay the same price for electricity at all times of the day
July 9, 2025 at 11:30 AM
That would be a big shift for households, who largely pay the same price for electricity at all times of the day
So we need consumer protection too – a new regulated time-of-use with caps for peak and off peak would set consistent and fair prices for all who want or need a variable tariff.
Crucially, this would also protect from short term price volatility that families can't be expected to manage
Crucially, this would also protect from short term price volatility that families can't be expected to manage
June 24, 2025 at 10:38 AM
So we need consumer protection too – a new regulated time-of-use with caps for peak and off peak would set consistent and fair prices for all who want or need a variable tariff.
Crucially, this would also protect from short term price volatility that families can't be expected to manage
Crucially, this would also protect from short term price volatility that families can't be expected to manage
But that risks hitting other household types like big families and those with electric heating.
June 24, 2025 at 10:38 AM
But that risks hitting other household types like big families and those with electric heating.
But there are ‘flexible technologies’ that can be shifted easily. A tumbledryer run in the morning won’t save much – but an EV uses enough electricity in peak times that average savings of charging overnight reach £120 a year
June 24, 2025 at 10:38 AM
But there are ‘flexible technologies’ that can be shifted easily. A tumbledryer run in the morning won’t save much – but an EV uses enough electricity in peak times that average savings of charging overnight reach £120 a year
Those with children and unmovable work schedules will find the highest costs of moving to time of use, as they consume (slightly) more of their energy in the expensive peak hours.
That means more costs of pricy peak energy and less saved in off-peak discounts.
That means more costs of pricy peak energy and less saved in off-peak discounts.
June 24, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Those with children and unmovable work schedules will find the highest costs of moving to time of use, as they consume (slightly) more of their energy in the expensive peak hours.
That means more costs of pricy peak energy and less saved in off-peak discounts.
That means more costs of pricy peak energy and less saved in off-peak discounts.
But this inevitably means transferring price risk to households, who might struggle to manage it.
The evening peaks are when households are coming home and cooking – not schedules most will want to shift.
The evening peaks are when households are coming home and cooking – not schedules most will want to shift.
June 24, 2025 at 10:38 AM
But this inevitably means transferring price risk to households, who might struggle to manage it.
The evening peaks are when households are coming home and cooking – not schedules most will want to shift.
The evening peaks are when households are coming home and cooking – not schedules most will want to shift.
Electricity is around twice as expensive at peak times (430pm-8pm), when domestic and industrial demand overlap.
But almost nine-in-ten households pay the same price all day
But almost nine-in-ten households pay the same price all day
June 24, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Electricity is around twice as expensive at peak times (430pm-8pm), when domestic and industrial demand overlap.
But almost nine-in-ten households pay the same price all day
But almost nine-in-ten households pay the same price all day
Salary sacrifice for heat pumps (shorturl.at/0D5lf) not the way forward - we should be making heat pumps cheaper for poorest not the richest
As we showed for the EV scheme, salary sacrifice locks most low-income households out of meaningful subsidy and chucks huge sums to the highest earners
As we showed for the EV scheme, salary sacrifice locks most low-income households out of meaningful subsidy and chucks huge sums to the highest earners
May 14, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Salary sacrifice for heat pumps (shorturl.at/0D5lf) not the way forward - we should be making heat pumps cheaper for poorest not the richest
As we showed for the EV scheme, salary sacrifice locks most low-income households out of meaningful subsidy and chucks huge sums to the highest earners
As we showed for the EV scheme, salary sacrifice locks most low-income households out of meaningful subsidy and chucks huge sums to the highest earners
A Spending Review settlement that allocated funding in this more balanced way would deliver a cash-equivalent gain of £370 a year on average for the poorest decile, compared to a £150 boost for the richest.
April 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM
A Spending Review settlement that allocated funding in this more balanced way would deliver a cash-equivalent gain of £370 a year on average for the poorest decile, compared to a £150 boost for the richest.
This approach, where day-to-day health spending grew at 2% (vs. 3.6%), would avoid cuts to other departments, raising in kind benefits at the bottom by 1.4% a year. Higher capital to health than before could make this, and NHS productivity gains, more feasible.
April 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM
This approach, where day-to-day health spending grew at 2% (vs. 3.6%), would avoid cuts to other departments, raising in kind benefits at the bottom by 1.4% a year. Higher capital to health than before could make this, and NHS productivity gains, more feasible.
A ‘health only’ approach – in which NHS spending rose by 3.6% while unprotected departments faced cuts up to 1.1% each year – would see all households receive similar cash-equivalent gains of around £260.
April 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM
A ‘health only’ approach – in which NHS spending rose by 3.6% while unprotected departments faced cuts up to 1.1% each year – would see all households receive similar cash-equivalent gains of around £260.
We analyse new YouGov polling to show lower-income families (with incomes less than £25,000) report lower satisfaction on a range of public services than richer households (£70,000+). Addressing this satisfaction deficit should lie at the heart of the upcoming Spending Review.
April 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM
We analyse new YouGov polling to show lower-income families (with incomes less than £25,000) report lower satisfaction on a range of public services than richer households (£70,000+). Addressing this satisfaction deficit should lie at the heart of the upcoming Spending Review.
Day-to-day public service spending is tilted towards low-income families. Poorest fifth of households receive £15,900 benefits-in-kind, 53% more than richest fifth. Some services (e.g. schools and adult social care) are much more weighted towards the less well-off.
April 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Day-to-day public service spending is tilted towards low-income families. Poorest fifth of households receive £15,900 benefits-in-kind, 53% more than richest fifth. Some services (e.g. schools and adult social care) are much more weighted towards the less well-off.
Post-Covid, the British state is estimated to have reached a historic high of 45 per cent of the size of the economy. Past strategies to cope with increasing pressure on public services such as cutting defence and cuts to ‘unprotected’ public services have run out of road.
April 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Post-Covid, the British state is estimated to have reached a historic high of 45 per cent of the size of the economy. Past strategies to cope with increasing pressure on public services such as cutting defence and cuts to ‘unprotected’ public services have run out of road.
That's why we argue the Government should ensure rooftop solar goes to fuel poor and lower-income households that benefit most from the energy bill reductions.
Upfront costs make solar hard for most to afford, so there are a lot more panels in richer neighbourhoods. Policy can change this.
Upfront costs make solar hard for most to afford, so there are a lot more panels in richer neighbourhoods. Policy can change this.
March 11, 2025 at 2:39 PM
That's why we argue the Government should ensure rooftop solar goes to fuel poor and lower-income households that benefit most from the energy bill reductions.
Upfront costs make solar hard for most to afford, so there are a lot more panels in richer neighbourhoods. Policy can change this.
Upfront costs make solar hard for most to afford, so there are a lot more panels in richer neighbourhoods. Policy can change this.
With well targeted grants and loans Government can use solar panels to make a dent in fuel poverty - one in three solar-suitable fuel poor homes (defined as those spending 10%+ of income on energy) would be taken out of fuel poverty by a 3kw solar panel
February 13, 2025 at 1:47 PM
With well targeted grants and loans Government can use solar panels to make a dent in fuel poverty - one in three solar-suitable fuel poor homes (defined as those spending 10%+ of income on energy) would be taken out of fuel poverty by a 3kw solar panel
Looking deeper at where has most solar panels, it's older, white, rural places with loads of detached houses that have the most - so there's lots of scope for policy to broaden access
February 13, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Looking deeper at where has most solar panels, it's older, white, rural places with loads of detached houses that have the most - so there's lots of scope for policy to broaden access
But policy support has slipped over the past decade, resulting in a rise in the proportion going to the richest areas (and decline in those in low-income areas).
February 13, 2025 at 1:47 PM
But policy support has slipped over the past decade, resulting in a rise in the proportion going to the richest areas (and decline in those in low-income areas).
This compares well with other insulation measures. Crucially not many roofs (8%) have solar panels on them so there's lots of potential. Doesn't mean insulation is bad - lots of very leaky homes need it - but solar is going to be a good option for many
February 13, 2025 at 1:47 PM
This compares well with other insulation measures. Crucially not many roofs (8%) have solar panels on them so there's lots of potential. Doesn't mean insulation is bad - lots of very leaky homes need it - but solar is going to be a good option for many
Gov has big ambitions for solar capacity, most of which will be met by (cheaper) utility scale solar.
But rooftop solar has a different role - it cuts energy spending a lot (around £440 a year) for those that get them, equivalent to a quarter of energy spend for low-income households.
But rooftop solar has a different role - it cuts energy spending a lot (around £440 a year) for those that get them, equivalent to a quarter of energy spend for low-income households.
February 13, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Gov has big ambitions for solar capacity, most of which will be met by (cheaper) utility scale solar.
But rooftop solar has a different role - it cuts energy spending a lot (around £440 a year) for those that get them, equivalent to a quarter of energy spend for low-income households.
But rooftop solar has a different role - it cuts energy spending a lot (around £440 a year) for those that get them, equivalent to a quarter of energy spend for low-income households.