Everything Electric Podcast: Why the UK Energy Market Is Broken (and How to Fix It!)

Why the UK Energy Market Is Broken (and How to Fix It!) | Greg Jackson & Rory Sutherland

Apr 27, 2026

Welcome to a special live episode of the Everything Electric podcast, recorded right in the heart of Oxford Street thanks to @renaultgroup .

This is a rare, unfiltered conversation with three of the most influential voices in clean energy and human behaviour:

Greg Jackson (CEO, Octopus Energy)
Rory Sutherland (Behavioural Science, Ogilvy)
Robert Llewellyn (Fully Charged)

We’re living through a strange moment. Clean energy is advancing faster than ever… yet the global system still clings to fossil fuels, geopolitical instability, and outdated market rules. So what’s really going on?

In this episode, we explore:

Why fossil fuels are fundamentally inefficient (and losing ground)
The surprising psychology behind EV adoption (spoiler: it’s not about saving the planet)
How the UK’s electricity pricing system is distorting costs
The idea of an “energy pension” and how solar could deliver ~11% returns
Why countries like China are racing ahead while others hesitate

Standout moments:

“Oil and gas are like an abusive partner… it’s never going to be different.”
The “Château Pétrus” analogy that perfectly explains energy pricing
Why petrol stations might soon look… completely outdated
“You just plug it in like a phone. Shut up.”

This conversation is about technology, economics, human behaviour, and what the future will actually feel like. Enjoy!

00:00:00:00 Welcome and a little caveat!

00:01:10 Ad Break

00:01:32 Set the scene

00:05:20 Greg Jackson, Rory Sutherland & Robert Llewellyn

00:07:00 Why?

00:09:41 Robert Llewellyn on Efficiency and Internal Combustion Engines

00:11:18 Rory Sutherland on EV Hostility

00:16:14 The Energy Crisis and Fossil Fuel Industry "Audacity" - Greg Jackson

00:20:53 Oil and Gas - an "Abusive Partner"?!

00:22:56 Market Reform and the Future of BP and Shell

00:28:10 Harm Reduction vs Perfectionism

00:30:45 The Norwegian Paradox and Imported Emissions

00:33:11 Marginal Pricing: The "Pint of Beer" Analogy

00:34:31 Overcoming the Standard of Perfection in New Tech

00:37:46 Greg Jackson’s Three Magic Wishes for Energy Reform

00:40:14 AI Data Centres and Localised Pricing

00:43:46 The Perception and Politics of Electric Vehicles

00:45:52 Behavioural Science: Social Copying and the Sigmoid Curve

00:48:21 The IKEA Effect: Loyalty through Sunk Effort

00:50:11 Induction Hobs and the Benefits of Electrification

00:51:03 Reframing Clean Tech as an "Energy Pension" 00:53:08 Preppers and "Freedom Cars" in Texas

00:54:39 The Success of Global EV Test Drives

00:56:53 Micro-Mobility and the Quiet Streets of China

01:00:08 Displacing Global Fossil Fuel Consumption

01:03:03 Symbolic Action vs. Meaningful Energy Change

01:04:45 Closing Remarks and Audience Farewell

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