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Low Carbon Existing Homes report released

Posted: 13/10/2008

The UK Green Building Council has submitted its report, entitled 'Low Carbon Existing Homes' to the government today, after spending the summer working on it alongside a number of other organisations. The Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, who initiated the work, the Technology Strategy Board and the Sustainable Development Commission have all joined forces to help deliver the project. Government provided co-funding and support.

The report calls on the new Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, Ed Miliband, to respond to the setting of the ‘Carbon Budgets’ on 1st December, by committing not just to cutting 80% of CO2 emissions by 2050, as suggested by the Climate Change Commission, but strict interim targets every 5 years for the household sector.

It seemed to the working group that the key barriers, either real or perceived, to action on low carbon existing homes are:

* government has no clear vision for low carbon homes;

* the industry is not geared up to deliver low carbon refurbishment;

* a lack of occupier/tenant demand or action for low carbon homes.

Based on these ideas, the working group recommended that government should commit to at least an 80 per cent cut in CO2 from UK households by 2050, with interim targets every 5 years along the way.

Householders should have access to a ‘Whole Home Energy Plan’ – a plan for how to do low carbon refurbishment and which measures should be taken out, when. This needs to be based on much better information and advice on finding accredited installers and how and where to access grants and finance.

There needs to be a fundamentally new way for consumers to fund energy efficiency improvements to their home, which spread the cost of upfront measures over time, saving money on energy bills straight away. There are several viable alternatives on which Government should consult.

There needs to be a big push to train builders and tradesmen, to give them the skills needed to carry out green refurbishment projects at the same time as standard building work. This is a potentially huge area of jobs and growth – potentially a £5bn market per year creating tens of thousands of jobs.

Government should consult on whether regulation should be used to ensure the worst performing homes are upgraded over time. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) could be used as the basis for this.

In summary, the main message from stakeholders was that a clear statement of vision from Government, coupled with targets for the household sector and a long term delivery strategy, are essential requirements for the investment and scaling up required by industry to deliver low carbon homes.

The lack of a coherent, long-term plan has frustrated investors in the industry up to now. The industry needs as much long term certainty as possible so the timetable for policy targets and funding schemes needs to be as clear, consistent and as stable as possible. Government should focus on creating a strong policy framework for driving mainstream demand, within which the supply chain can gain the confidence to invest and deliver. The industry, in effect, will respond to Government’s strong lead.

Low carbon refurbishment presents a potentially enormous business opportunity, with an estimated worth of around £3.5-£6.5bn a year, and the creation of tens of thousands of new ‘green collar’ jobs at a time when jobs in the construction sector and elsewhere are increasingly under pressure.

Virtually all participants agreed that addressing skills and capacity in the industry is essential, and it will be necessary to consult further with the industry to understand what kind of support it will need, and ensure that capacity and skills are in place in time to deliver an ambitious carbon and energy reduction agenda.

There must also be a focus on creating market demand for low carbon homes by making the proposition attractive for the occupier or landlord. Trusted advice, information, practical support, a seamless service and cost-effective solutions need to be easily available for all households.

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