Rings are cheaper, hence why they were introduced following WW2 when there was a shortage of copper but they are now obsolete, Radials are much safer due to the ease of testing and the simple fact that if either the neutral or live conductor is broken you now have an overload situation and potential for a thermal event. Power requirements are now higher not lower, this can be seen by the number of sockets being fitted into houses and that you can now get consumer units with 32 ways compared to years ago when most houses were two or four way with wired fuses and no RCD. This is one of the reasons we now have an energy crisis, a lot more people all using more power, the only saving grace has been LED lighting otherwise we would be in trouble.
That is why our education system is failing, pushing every Tom, Dick and Harry through university when in reality you have those who can use their hands to make and build things and those that are academic and we need to put more value / respect on trade skills because otherwise the shortage will just get bigger.