Bob the Builder ‘spreads net zero propaganda’ in solar advert

Bob the Builder has been accused of spreading “net zero propaganda” after installing solar panels in a “woke” advert. The animated character is seen trading in his construction yard for fitting solar panels and low-carbon heating in an eco-friendly reboot for energy company E.On. In his first screen appearance in 15 years, the original stop-motion animated Bob, voiced by Neil Morrissey, encourages viewers to sign up for a net zero training academy to meet the Government’s target of a decarbonised electricity system by 2030. The advertisement sparked anger from net zero critics, who accused E.On of turning Bob into “a woke commissar of climate” and spreading “eco-zealotry”. Morrissey’s Bob, last seen on TV in 2011, was replaced by a rebooted version depicting a taller, slimmed down builder from 2015 to 2018. Addressing his absence, he says: “I downed tools for a while. I got into yoga. Took up bird-watching. Then I packed my bags and went to Australia, where I saw some amazing sights,” while pointing at what appears to be a home battery. Holding up a newspaper with the headline: “UK needs more green skills for clean energy future,” he says: “When I arrived back home, I saw this in the news and thought: ‘Can we fix it?’” Swapping his yellow hard hat for a red E.On branded replacement, he is depicted learning to fit solar panels, connecting home batteries and installing low-carbon heating. He adds: “Now I’m helping with the switch to clean power by using my great new skills so people can take control of their energy and save money too.” E.On’s advert warns that there is a lack of skilled workers needed to deliver a decarbonised electricity system by 2030. The policy has become a political dividing line amid concerns over rising energy costs . Lee Anderson, the Reform UK chairman, said: “Bob the Builder has been turned into a woke commissar of climate, flogging the same net zero propaganda that’s sent energy bills through the roof in the homes he used to build. “This country doesn’t need another army of net zero specialists. It needs builders, plumbers and sparkies who can actually keep the lights on. Send Bob back to his proper trade.” Richard Tice, the deputy Reform leader, said: “Go woke, go broke: Bob the Builder has been missing for years. Did his firm go bust, or has he abandoned Britain by going to China and buying their solar panels?” Greg Smith, the Tory shadow transport minister, said: “Whatever happened to innocent children’s TV, telling fun stories rather than cramming in eco-zealotry and political messaging? Hey, Bob, leave our kids alone.” In July, Kemi Badenoch announced she would not let former Conservative MPs stand as candidates for the party at the next election if they supported net zero . Responding to accusations of climate change-denialism , she wrote in The Telegraph that “one can accept the science while questioning whether a particular collection of laws, subsidies, targets and prohibitions will actually solve the problem”. Britain has some of the highest domestic electricity prices in Europe, while net zero taxes, subsidies and system costs are estimated to cost the UK around £22bn a year . An E.On UK spokesman said: “Bob the Builder has always inspired people to solve problems and build things that matter. “Our campaign is about skills, opportunity and helping more people benefit from solutions like solar panels and home batteries that put people in control. Simply combining a home battery and time-of-use tariff can save the average household £255 a year.” The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero was approached for comment.