The country has some tough targets to meet. The government has committed to cutting emissions by 80% on 1990 levels by 2050, an ambitious but necessary aim if we are to do our bit to prevent dangerous climate change.
On Wednesday, the government will reveal its roadmap towards achieving these cuts but energy secretary Ed Miliband has admitted this will very likely cause families to be hit with rising bills.
Some analysts have estimated this could be more than £200 per household each year, which would be a substantial sum for most families.
How can people protect themselves against soaring prices? Here are a few tips.
Reduce use
It is the most obvious but most effective solution, helping out both the planet and your pocket.
Doing a little research into ways to save energy in the home will bring bills down and lessen the carbon footprint of your home.
Many of these steps are just a question of changing habits around the house - switching off appliances when they are not being used, turning off lights when you leave a room, only boiling the required amount of water - all these add up to bring down bills.
You might also like to consider fitting your home with an energy monitoring gadget. These can cost anywhere between £45 and £150, but allow families to see their rising bills in real time - and bring down use accordingly.
Be efficient
Is your property as energy efficient as possible? Make sure your home is not letting heat escape unnecessarily.
There are many ways to make a house more energy efficient but a really effective way to cut both carbon and cost is to fit the property with insulation. In fact, insulating a loft can save an average of £150 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
Having decent insulation, double glazing and draught proofing can also really help when it comes to selling a property, so it is worth looking into.
If you are on a low income or are retired, there may be schemes to help you fund such work and it is worth getting in touch with your local council to check what help is available.
Buy efficient
Small actions like fitting your home with energy efficient light bulbs can make a huge difference to your bills and your carbon cost, and so can energy efficient appliances.
When your boiler, washing machine or dishwasher reach the end of their lives, buying the most efficient new model you can afford is a great way to reduce energy use.
Go online and go monthly
The nation could save an incredible £2.3billion every year by switching from standard tariffs to online deals and paying by direct debit.
Research by moneysupermarket.com reveals households could save £170 a year on average by moving to the best online deal their provider offers and agreeing to pay monthly.
The current market leader is British Gas' Websaver 3 tariff, costing an average of £1018.38 a year, compared to an average standard tariff rate of £1,232.75.
Checking the market for the most competitive rates can really make a difference to bills but many people stick with their provider's standard tariff and lose out.
Our comparison tool makes it easy to find the best deal. Simply enter your postcode and details of your electricity and gas provider, along with how much you currently pay or the amount you use, and it will compare prices from all the main providers and reveal how much you could save by switching.
For more information, watch our video 'How to switch your energy provider'.
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