How will Miliband cut UK emissions by 29%?

Insulation cuts emissions

UK energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband is on a crusade - he wants to cut emissions from British homes by 29 percent by 2020, but considering how woolly the UK's climate change policy has been in the case how does he hope to do this?

Enter the Warm Homes, Greener Homes strategy - a plan that aims to make Britain's homes more comfortable, warmer and cheaper to run. Why set out such a plan in the first place? Because currently around one quarter of UK emissions coming from energy used in homes.

The new proposal aims to make it easier for people to take action and reduce bills, such as installing wall insulation that could see energy bills cut by £380 a year (average between 2013 and 2020).

It is also hoped that the new plan will be good for the economy by creating up to 65,000 jobs in the green homes industries, such as installing and manufacturing energy saving measures or providing home energy advice.

Three stage plan

In order to make sure the scheme reaches certain targets, the strategy will be implemented in a three stage plan;

• to insulate six million homes by the end of 2011
• to have insulated all practical lofts and cavity walls by 2015
• and to have offered up to seven million eco-upgrades by 2020 as well fitting all homes with smart meters.

In a statement, Ed Miliband said, “This shows we can meet the national interest of tackling climate change and reducing our dependence on foreign energy at the same time as we help people save money.

“The Warm Homes, Greener Homes Strategy will remove the deterrent of upfront costs and reduce the hassle of the move to greener living.

“Making homes more energy efficient will help protect people from upward pressure on bills, tackle climate change, and make us less reliant on imported energy.

“New ‘pay as you save’ green finance, a new alliance between energy companies and local authorities to help people in their communities, as well as moves to encourage landlords to stop ignoring energy wastage in their properties, will help deliver the radical transformation that’s necessary.”

As well as making houses greener, the strategy will also aim to remove the financial barriers that come with renovating your home. They include;

• Legislating to allow new ‘pay as you save’ green loans to be tied to the property, which will avoid the up-front cost of eco-upgrades
• Help those in private rented accommodation whose landlords have little incentive to take action and who endure poorly insulated and cold accommodation.

On the local front;

• Energy companies and local authorities teaming up to make homes more energy efficient – with energy companies required to help householders become more energy efficient. The new local partnership approach will take over from 2013, once the current Carbon Emissions Reduction Target ends
• Building on the Local Carbon Framework pilots announced by Communities Secretary John Denham in December, which are a new approach for local authorities to set targets and put in place plans to reduce carbon emissions.

However, this has not been met with overwhelming support by some. The British Property Federation has reacted angrily to the proposals put forward for the private rented sector. Ian Fletcher, director of policy at the BPF said speaking to Building.co.uk, “While some target setting from government can be helpful in changing behaviour, the idea that a private rented property will have to meet a minimum level of insulation before it can be rented out is ill thought out."

Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

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