Latest Publications

As we transition towards electric vehicles that don’t incur fuel duty, the Treasury faces a revenue loss of £30bn each year. Given the unpopularity of fuel duty, this report explores the case for introducing a nationwide road pricing system in the UK – setting out a model that is fairer than fuel duty, replaces lost tax revenue, and reduces the burden on low-income households.

This report draws attention to the home heat workforce - the plumbers, heating and gas engineers, and installers - who will be playing an essential in delivering the UK's net zero targets. It provides much-needed insight into the challenges and barriers facing the industry, and highlights the need for policymakers to step in and address them.

This report examines how government and regulators can address the presence of "greenwashing" to ensure consumers do not feel misled by the costs or benefits of climate policy and green goods.

Informed by a recent expert roundtable and polling evidence commissioned for the SMF, the report highlights a lack of public understanding of Net Zero and the need to transition homes away from natural gas boilers.

This collection of essays published by the Social Market Foundation think-tank and the Chartered Banker Institute focuses on green finance and the role that financial services can play in delivering environmental goals. Contributors include: Mary Robinson and Sir Roger Gifford.

This report examines the ‘poverty premium’ in energy – a phenomenon where those living below the poverty line pay more when they buy their gas and electricity than higher-income households.

This Social Market Foundation (SMF) report examines how one can quantify and track the size of the “poverty premium” in the United Kingdom.

This briefing explores the true state of the UK's energy markets and examines the practicalities of the price freeze policy proposed by the Labour Party. It recommends policies which could help boost competition and market efficiency in the energy sector.

This new briefing paper brings together the evidence on switching, starting with the conundrum of prices rising in tandem with declining switching rates. It examines the characteristics of those who do switch, and considers what policymakers can do to boost consumer trust in the energy market.