Press release

Government urged to stop homes leaking heat

30 June 2011

Ministers must demonstrate their commitment to tackling climate change by strengthening measures in the Energy Bill to prevent homes leaking heat and wasting money, Friends of the Earth said today (Thursday 30 June) as a report by the Government's official climate advisor slammed the lack of progress in cutting emissions.

Today's report by the Committee on Climate Change said there had been little or no progress in cutting UK emissions over the past year - and that UK carbon reductions over previous years were largely due to the recession.  It also finds that progress on many policies to tackle climate change - such as the number of homes being insulated - actually slowed in 2010.

The report highlights the need for the Energy Bill - currently before Parliament - to be strengthened. It says the Green Deal should have clearer ambitions and an earlier implementation of energy standards on rented homes, and questions whether local authorities have sufficient incentive to cut carbon emissions.

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

"It's a national scandal that so many of our houses and flats leak heat and waste money - and action to insulate our homes is actually going backwards.

"Rising carbon emissions are a frightening wake-up call - attempts to see off dangerous climate change are not working but Ministers continue to dither with feeble policies.

"David Cameron must toughen up the current Energy Bill to enable the UK to reap the massive economic benefits of slashing energy waste and ensure we harness our vast clean home-grown energy potential."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) third annual report to Parliament on the progress made in reducing emissions and meeting carbon budgets as required under the Climate Change Act (2008) has been published today. The Committee on Climate Change was set up under the Climate Change Act to advise the UK Government on setting and meeting carbon budgets. The advice is based on the latest climate science, and takes account of other issues, such as the current state of the UK economy.

2. In order to prevent temporary emission reductions resulting from the recession giving the appearance of real progress, the CCC has set a series of benchmarks for progress in different policy areas.  The report shows that almost all were missed in 2010, with several showing less progress than in 2009.  For example:

•  The numbers of cavity walls insulated each year has gone backwards, with less treated in 2010 than in 2009.  Just over half the number (57%) needed to meet carbon targets were completed in 2010 (page 15).
•  300,000 fewer lofts were professionally insulated in 2010 than in 2009.  DIY installations did increase, but the CCC express concerns about the quality of these (page 15).
•  Over the last 2 years, just 28,000 of the 165,000 solid walled homes the CCC said should be insulated actually have been - just 17 per cent.  Again, progress slowed in 2010 (page 15).
•  Less wind turbines were installed, both onshore and offshore, than the CCC said were needed in 2010.  There was a significant fall in the number fitted onshore compared to the year before (page 21).
•  Emissions from public sector buildings were up 5 per cent - more than double the 2 per cent increase seen in the commercial sector (page 23).

The CCC did report good news in two areas:

•  More boilers were replaced with efficient models than was expected (as a result of the "boiler scrappage" scheme).
•  The average emissions of new cars has fallen faster than the CCC had hoped - though this is offset by slower than expected pick up of electric cars - just 167 of the 5000 cars (just 3%) that the CCC wanted to see registered actually were.

3. The Energy Bill, currently before Parliament, will be further debated in July.  Friends of the Earth has been calling for the bill to be strengthened through the inclusion of an overall strategy and ambition for improving homes; a requirement on councils to cut emissions in their areas and a more rapid introduction of energy efficiency standards for rented homes.

The Committee has added to the calls for action on all of these areas saying:

•  A clear ambition for Government schemes in the Energy Bill should be set to "commit to insulating all lofts and cavity walls by 2015" (page 25).
•  It is now "unclear whether there are now enough incentives for emission reductions across all local authorities." (page 36)
•  Minimum energy efficiency standards for private rented sector housing due to begin in 2018 "could be introduced earlier".

4.  Electricity Market Reform will be the next major attempt to reduce carbon emissions in the UK, with a White Paper expected in July and a second Energy Bill in the next session of Parliament.  It is vital that Ministers follow the CCC's advice to cut power sector emissions by 90% by 2030.  We will need feed-in tariffs suited to renewable energy, so we can make the best use of our huge wind, wave, tidal and other renewable electricity resources. It should also signal the end of our reliance on the failed technologies of last century - fossil fuels and nuclear power. Friends of the Earth has produced a briefing on Electricity Market Reform.

To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust