Archived press release

Foe calls for green mortgage surveys now

15 November 2000

Tory MP stops 3 million homes getting money saving advice
Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to introduce a new law to give home-buyers advice on how to cut fuel bills and fight dangerous climate change. A similar law (the Energy Efficiency Bill) was blocked three years ago by maverick Tory MP Eric Forth, even though his party supported it. The Government also supported new legislation,but have so far failed to include it in their programme. New figures reveal that up to three million new householders could have received energy-saving information since 1997.

The link between energy-use and climate change has been brought home over recent weeks. Thousands of householders' lives have been made a misery as they count the cost of the devastating storms and floods. Many experts suspect that climate change is the cause. And if we don't reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, then there's worse to come.

The Energy Efficiency Bill, drafted by Friends of the Earth, was introduced as a Private Members Bill in 1997. The Bill required mortgage surveys to include an “energy efficiency audit.” Home-buyers would then be given individually tailored advice on how they could cut fuel bills by making their new house more energy-efficient. To keep costs down, the advice would only be provided when a surveyor was already visiting the property. The additional work is expected to add less than £15 to the survey cost.

This week Ministers are meeting in the Hague to draw up plans to combat global climate change. Reducing energy use in the home is an obvious way forward. FOE wants the Government to make the scheme a reality by introducing the Energy Efficiency Bill itself rather than relying on a Private Members Bill.

Martyn Williams, Friends of the Earth's Senior Parliamentary Campaigner said
“The recent devastating weather shows the need for urgent action to tackle climate change. One way is for the Government to ensure that house-buyers are givenr advice on how to cut fuel bills. This will save people money and cut down on dangerous climate changing gases. Three million households could have benefited from such advice already. Further delay will be bad news for both people and the planet.”

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust