Climate change experts call for home efficiency rethink
The government’s climate change advisors have warned that it must alter its approach to reducing carbon emissions from homes if it is to meet its own goals.
In its first annual progress report to Parliament, Meeting Carbon Budgets, the Committee on Climate Change calls for a new framework to accelerate the reduction in emissions from homes.
It warns that the existing Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, which places an obligation on suppliers to reduce energy consumption, may not be sufficient to reach the government’s wider goal of ensuring an 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.
Instead it suggests a ‘whole house approach’ to energy efficiency, including an assessment of all improvements that can be made, and the implementation of these.
It says central government should lead on this, but with strong support from local authorities who would act as delivery bodies working with energy companies and other partners.
To finance this, it says there may be some scope for ‘pay as you save’ schemes, where consumers pay back the cost of the work through the reductions in their fuel bills, but it notes ‘some element of subsidy should be retained, given that some measures will take a long time to pay back, and given the need to improve energy efficiency in the 4 to 5 million homes of the fuel poor’.
It notes the cost of this approach could be high, with work carried out by Petersfield-based Drum Housing Association suggesting bills could be up to £38,000 for the least efficient homes.
The government has set out its own revised approach to residential energy efficiency, and goals, in its draft Heat and Energy Saving Strategy, which was published in February and is due to be finalised in December.
However the committee has come up with its own set of indicators (see below), which it will use to assess progress against the 2050 goal, and its related target of 34 per cent reduction by 2020.
Chair Lord Turner said: ‘What we have proposed is achievable and affordable but action needs to be taken now if we are to make our contribution to combating climate change.’
Climate Change Committee indicators
How the CCC will judge progress against the government’s wider carbon reduction goals:
- 10 million lofts and 7.5 million cavity walls are insulated by 2015, supported by a high level energy audit of all homes in the UK
- 2.3 million solid walls are insulated by 2022
- all (i.e. 12 million) old inefficient non-condensing boilers are replaced by 2022
- stock penetration of A+ rated washing machines and dishwashers is increased to around 80 per cent by 2022 and A++ rated fridges to 45 per cent by 2022.
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Readers' comments (5)
Harry Lime | 12/10/2009 4:03 pm
As admirable as all of this is, it has to be said - where will the money come from? As it currently is the HCA will not pay for eco features on new homes, who will pay for existing homes? The "Whole House" approach is probably the one to strive for, but it needs to be broken down into its constituent parts so that as funding becomes available it can be done on a piecemeal basis, e.g £500 upgrading insulation, £1000 upgrading glazing £3000 installing solar panels for hot water, etc, etc. If the RSL's take a long term view of their properties they could accept that many of these improvements would add years to their properties ad encourage residents to stay longer due to lower bills. Ultimately though they will probably need to refinance said properties to pay for these improvements.
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Nat West | 12/10/2009 5:45 pm
These are all great ideas, unachievable but good, just one thing, not a penny will be saved! Fuel will be saved, carbon may be reduced but, no money will be saved to pay for it. If less fuel is used, the fuel companies (all foreigne owned - cause our governments sold them off) will make less profit for executives and share holders and we can't have that, so fuel cost will rise to maintain profitability and bonuses. Take them back into Public ownership? Where's the money coming from? Our grand or Great Grand children with more debt.
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Jim Paton | 12/10/2009 11:40 pm
This is something the money just HAS to be found for.
Oops! Forgot! It just HAD to be used to bail out the incompetent gambling bankers instead. The problem is governments might do bailouts, but the planet doesn't.
Never mind, we'll all be safer with the new missiles and submarines to replace Trident and can sleep contentedly in our beds once ID cards have seen off all those identity thieves and illegal immigrants. And consultants -where would we be without them? Truly, the wisdom of those set in authority over us knows no bounds!
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J Clarkson | 13/10/2009 9:21 am
This is utter hogwash. It would destroy the insulation and micro-renewables industry. LA's are rarely of high enough quality to understand these schemes. Instead, the polluter must be made liable to pay. The govt should apply an ECOTAX whose money by law can only be used to fund insulation. Instead of giving this just to one major company e.g. EAGA plc, it should be given to the utility companies, who can then send it to any managing agent they feel is responsible enough to administer UK wide projects. The main fund (70%) should be focused on only 4 measures: solid wall insulation, loft insulation, Cavity wall insulation and Photovoltaic panels. The rest should be used for micro-renewables again e.g. CHP, GSHP, Small stand alone wind power (only in suitable locations) ASHP etc etc. No funds should be allowed for fossil fuel driven heating, as that encourages destruction of the environment. People who need gas heating should be able to obtain funding from Warmfront. Also, every MP who has claimed expenses should be forced forever to donate 3/5th s of their salary to this fund, each year, till they are no more, as a punishment for taking money off the tax payer.
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John Westerman | 21/10/2009 1:07 pm
J Clarkson (Allegedly) should read the Renewable Energy Strategy 2009 (July) The new energy tariffs will make people think again... electric, gas (mains and LPG), oil etc will rise by at least 25% by April 2011, all those with qualifying renewable energy/energy efficient systems will benefit by a reduced tariff... so we will pay if we don't do anything!!!
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