By Leo Rayman, Founder at EdenLab

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how crises create asymmetric opportunities, and how the companies that act decisively in them tend to reshape their category.

The Metro front page on Monday declared “Solar sales go through the roof”. Octopus has reported a 62% spike in solar enquiries in a single month, E.On is up 54%, and Good Energy has seen interest double.

For anyone who has spent years trying to put energy security (not just climate) at the heart of the renewable proposition, this is both vindicating …and a little surreal.

The awareness problem, at least for now, feels largely solved. The front pages are doing that job for free, every morning. Which means the real challenge facing renewable energy leaders isn’t how to get attention, but what you do with it.

The conversion gap

What we’re hearing from energy clients right now is that the crisis is affecting different parts of the funnel in different ways. For people who were already considering heat pumps or solar, it’s acting as an accelerant - removing the last hesitation, shortening timelines, pushing decisions forward. That’s great news.

It’s not true for everyone though. For most households, the barrier is still simply affordability - the upfront cost puts the decision out of reach, regardless of how compelling the argument now is.

Still, the prospect pool is bigger than ever before. But getting more people into the funnel, not just converting those already in it, is the bigger job and the bigger win for the country too.

The economics of acting sooner rather than later are genuinely compelling, and mostly being missed in how the sector is communicating. Global demand for panels and batteries is surging, and with it the likelihood of higher prices and longer lead times. The government is looking to introduce subsidised home energy financing in 2027, but that's over a year away and likely skewed toward lower-income households.

The cheaper technology and the cheaper money is available now, not later. That's not a marginal consideration. That's the heart of the proposition for hundreds of thousands of people sitting on the fence.

Capturing the moment

Energy security, resilience, independence from the geopolitical rollercoaster - these are the things people actually feel they need right now, but it’s not what energy companies are selling.

The media environment has shifted so dramatically - and the energy system itself remains so complex and difficult to navigate - that the most powerful thing a renewable energy brand can do is show clear leadership: take a position, and make it obvious how they reduce people’s exposure to energy price volatility and geopolitical shocks.

We’ve been working with Good Energy on exactly this; helping them take that position clearly and decisively, at the moment it matters.

As Nigel Pocklington, CEO of Good Energy, put it: “The most effective way to bring bills down over the long term is to double-down on renewables, alongside storage and flexibility, so more of our power comes from predictable, home-grown sources. Mandating solar on new homes is common sense and we should be putting solar on any building that can take it. That’s how we cut costs, strengthen energy security and give people real control over the energy they rely on every day.”

That combination - a clear position on energy security, and the confidence to act on it at the right moment - is exactly what this window makes possible for challenger brands.

What going all in looks like

I told the Toyota story in the last piece - how Japanese manufacturers went hard on fuel-efficient engines during the 1973 oil crisis while American automakers retreated, and permanently shifted their competitive position. That dynamic is playing out again, only faster.

The energy businesses who will look back at Spring 2026 as the moment that changed their trajectory:

• are sharpening their conversion proposition,

• locking in competitive financing partnerships now,

• making their offers genuinely easy to understand, configure and compare

• making it easy to get advice and guidance from trusted experts via video call and Whatsapp

...C’mon, step up people!!

Three things matter most right now

The first is financing. The upfront cost of solar and battery remains the single biggest barrier to mass adoption. The sector needs financed offers at compelling rates, urgently. When’s the last time your bank wrote to you with an attractive financing offer for solar? For most people, the answer is ‘never’. That’s a gap someone is going to fill, and the businesses that fill it first will own a disproportionate share of what’s coming.

The second is advocacy. Most renewable installers and providers are sitting on an underused asset: their existing customers. People who installed solar a year or two ago have first-hand proof - real bills, real savings, real independence from the price cap. That recommendation engine needs to be activated more deliberately.

The third is urgency. The sector needs to move from awareness to action. The case for acting now rather than waiting is real and honest: the technology is available, the financing window is open, and global demand for panels and batteries is rising. People can handle being told the truth about timing when the truth makes sense.

If any of this has been on your mind and you’re ready to move on it - whether you’re an energy provider, a lender, a retailer or something else entirely - get in touch. I’d love to talk to you about it!