The Energy Bill Revolution

The number of energy efficiency measures installed in British homes has collapsed according to new figures commissioned by the Energy Bill Revolution campaign.

The research by the Association for the Conservation of Energy shows that the number of measures installed collapsed by 60% between 2013 and 2014, from 1.65 million major measures (cavity, loft and solid wall insulation) installed to only 661,000 major measures. This collapse is projected to continue over the next year with only 507,000 measures likely to be installed, representing a total reduction of two thirds.

The crash has been caused by the Government’s decision to axe Warm Front, the only Exchequer funded energy efficiency programme for low income households, the abject failure of the Government’s flagship Green Deal loan programme and the poorly designed energy efficiency levy scheme, the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). This failure was compounded at the end of last year when the ECO was cut in a bid by the Government to reduce consumer energy bills.

The UK has the oldest and one of the mostly badly insulated building stocks in Western Europe. As a result it has one of the highest rates of fuel poverty with an average of 25,000 people dying of the cold each winter. Energy efficiency is considered by fuel poverty groups as the only long term solution.

Ed Matthew, Director of the Energy Bill Revolution, an alliance of 180 charities, businesses and unions campaigning to end fuel poverty, said:
“The Government’s energy efficiency policies are in free fall. As a result fuel poverty is getting worse and people are dying. The Government must make home energy efficiency an infrastructure investment priority to put the funding in place to end this scandal once and for all.“

The Energy Bill Revolution is calling for:
• Home energy efficiency to be made a UK infrastructure investment priority;
• For all low income homes to be made highly energy efficient with 2 million low income homes brought up to Energy Performance Certificate Band C by 2020 and all 6 million low income homes brought up to EPC Band C by 2025;
• For carbon tax revenue to be used to provide long term funding.

For more information please contact:

Ed Matthew, Director of the Energy Bill Revolution: ed@energybillrevolution.org or Tel: 07827 157906

You can support this campaign here

And read the original research behind this report here

Notes to Editors:

1. Between 2012/13 and 2013/14:
• Cavity wall insulation fell by 46% from 490,000 measures installed to 260,000;
• Loft insulation fell 87% from 1,030,000 measures installed to 130,000;
• Solid wall insulation measures fell 30% from 73,000 measures installed to 51,000.

2. Since the launch of ECO, Green Deal finance and Green Deal Cashback, over 98% of measures have been delivered by the ECO:
• 776,000 measures have been delivered by ECO;
• 11,000 measures by Green Deal Cashback;
• 2,400 measures by Green Deal Finance.

3. To meet the recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) all remaining cavities and lofts should be insulated by 2015, and 2.2 million solid walls insulated by 2022. The monthly rate of installations of major insulation measures is far off the CCC’s recommended trajectory. With cuts to the ECO as presently proposed, the monthly rate of installations in the current financial year, compared to what must happen to meet carbon targets:
• Is only 9% of what it needs to be for loft insulation;
• Is only 6% of what it needs to be for cavity wall insulation;
• And is only 6% of what it needs to be for solid wall insulation.

4. The few low income households that are treated are receiving on average just 1.2 measures. To reach an EPC Band C (target of EBR), they need an average of 3.1 measures per retrofit. A maximum of 370,000 low income households might receive a total of 450,000 measures in 2014/15, but to reach EPC Band C by 2025, over 500,000 low income households need to receive 1.6 million measures each year.

5. Drop in installation of energy efficiency measures – 2000 to 2014