Fossil Fuel subsidies to be removed for Event Sector

In the UK Budget on 11th March it was announced that subsidies for red diesel will be scrapped for the entertainment sector, amongst others. The Government has however committed to consulting with affected sectors over the summer. This will impact most outdoor events that use generators and onsite plant with fuel cost rises of up to 50%. 

The industry is already on a journey toward smarter energy planning, better fuel efficiency and using alternative fuels such as HVO: between 2016 and 2019 Powerful Thinking’s Industry Green survey recorded an increase in events who are monitoring their fuel use, from 53% to 80%, monitoring generator loads rose from 44% in 2016 to 68% in 2019, and the number of events working with suppliers to increase energy efficiency and reduce fuel usage has doubled from 27% in 2016 to 56% in 2019.

With 2 years to adapt to this change, and the knowledge that typically outdoor events can reduce fuel consumption by 40% by working with their suppliers to make simple changes such as more detailed planning, there is an opportunity to reduce the financial impact of this change and take the steps needed to reduce fossil fuel emissions. 

Alternative fuels such as HVO and HOV are increasingly available and are ‘drop-in key solutions’. Other technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen generators, hybrid generators and battery technology are also becoming more available and cost-effective in the events market.

To learn more about alternative technologies and managing energy efficiently to reduce fuel costs and emissions, you can use Powerful Thinking’s free-to-access Energy Knowledge Hub – Europe’s leading knowledge base on sustainable energy at outdoor events.