About TheFuture

TheFuture asks what happened to the technologies that were supposed to change how we power our homes, get around and stay connected, and what the ones that did arrive mean for a household here.

What we cover

• Energy: rooftop solar, batteries, smart meters, heat pumps, hot water and the national generation mix.
• Transport: the compressed-air car story, electric vehicles and home charging, lighter materials.
• Communications: mesh networks, fibre and what replaced the copper phone line.
• Peak oil: the question that started it all, looked at again with twenty years of hindsight.

How we work

Pieces are written by the TheFuture editors. We check claims against primary and official sources, such as government agencies, regulators, standards bodies and research groups, and we link to them so you can read further. Where a figure changes over time, we say when it was checked. If we get something wrong, we correct it.

We give general information, not advice for your particular house, car or contract. For electrical work, building work or anything involving consents, talk to a licensed professional and your council.

Independence

TheFuture is independent. It is not run by, endorsed by or connected with any vehicle maker, engine developer, power company, lines company, telecommunications provider or retailer, including any company mentioned in our articles. We don't sell anything, take payment for coverage, run advertising trackers or collect personal information.

This domain hosted a different enthusiast site from 2007 until the late 2010s. The current site is a fresh start under new, unrelated editors; none of the old text, images or contact details are used. The archive note explains what used to be here.