Archived press release

Councils failing on energy efficiency

8 July 2002

New government energy efficiency performance figures reveal that only a quarter of local authorities are on track for achieving the Government’s target of a 30% improvement in energy efficiency for houses by 2010 [1]. The figures starkly illustrate why a new energy efficiency law, currently before MPs – the Home Energy Conservation Bill [2] – must be passed.

The latest figures (attached) for councils in England show that just 95 councils out of 354 have successfully improved energy efficiency by the two per cent per year needed to meet the 30% improvement by 2010 (based on 1995 figures). Council energy efficiency programmes form an important part of the Government’s strategy for tackling both climate change and fuel poverty i.e. households (mainly older people), who cannot afford to keep their homes warm in winter.

A regional breakdown of the figures reveals:

Region Local authorities on track to meet 30% target by 2010

London 14 out of 33 (42%)
East of England 16 out of 48 (33%)
West Midlands 11 out of 34 (32%)
South West 13 out of 45 (29%)
North East 6 out of 23 (26%)
South East 17 out of 67 (25%)
East Midlands 8 out of 40 (20%)
North West 8 out of 43 (19%)
Yorks and Humberside 2 out of 21 (9.5%)
TOTAL 95 out of 354 (27%)

(The figures were compiled by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and published earlier this month (July).

The Government’s 30 % target for local authorities to improve the energy efficiency of (private and council) houses is not a legal duty, but it is a target that ministers are extremely keen for councils to meet. Last year, Environment Minister Michael Meacher MP described current progress as “wholly inadequate” [3].

The Home Energy Conservation Bill – introduced as a Private Members Bill by Des Turner MP (Lab), Brighton Kempton – would put legal force behind the 30% target, and require the Government to provide the necessary resources to help meet it. But when the Bill was recently discussed in Parliament, Ministers attempted to remove the 30% target because they didn’t want to provide local authorities with the additional public funds that they would require to achieve it. This was a tacit admission that the resources provided by Government to councils so far have been inadequate. The Bill is due to be debated again on 19th July.

The importance of the Home Energy Conservation Bill has also been highlighted by recent government figures showing that government programmes are failing to reduce the emission of “greenhouse gases” such as carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide emissions have risen in each of the last two years, when they should have been falling. Without drastic cuts in carbon dioxide emissions, it is predicted that sea levels will rise, and weather conditions will become more extreme, causing massive problems both in the UK and abroad.

The Home Energy Conservation Bill was also introduced to help tackle “fuel poverty”. Every year between 30,000 and 60,000 more people die during the winter – a massive increase in the death rate. Much of this is attributed to badly insulated, draughty and cold homes. Colder countries with better housing, such as Sweden and Norway, see a far smaller increase in the death rate. Passing the Bill could therefore help save tens of thousands of lives.

Martyn Williams, Senior Parliamentary Campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said
“These disappointing figures indicate that without radical action, most local authorities will fail to meet the Government’s target of a 30% improvement in home energy efficiency by 2010. Unless the Government supports new legislation to force local authorities to meet this target, and provides them with the funds to do it, more people will become ill or die prematurely, more energy will be wasted and more climate changing emissions will be released into the atmosphere.

“Ministers have repeatedly harangued local councils over their failure to improve energy efficiency but aren’t prepared to back a law requiring them to do so. They must recognize the importance of this new Bill and give it their full backing when it comes before Parliament later this month.”

Notes

[1] Councils’ targets arose as a result of the 1995 Home Energy Efficiency Act. Since this Act was passed, councils have run a huge range of schemes to improve energy efficiency in homes in their area – such as improving their own council housing stock, operating “bulk buy” schemes to reduce costs for energy efficiency products for private home-owners, providing energy advice, promoting energy efficiency products, providing grant schemes etc. The

[2] The Bill will allow the Minister to set legally binding targets for councils, which are then far more likely to be met than the current voluntary targets. When choosing which targets to set for councils (not every council needs the same improvement) the Minister must have the “principal aim” of achieving a 30% improvement across the whole country – an aim he has claimed to support for the last 5 years at least.

[3] Letter to from Michael Meacher MP to Nigel Griffiths MP, dated 18/9/01

[4] For example, Standing Committee C Hansard 2/2/02 or Commons Hansard 10/5/02

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust