"Great British Refurb" to make all UK homes energy-efficient by 2030

posted by DAISY in Homes + Gardens

Solar panels on the roof of a London school. Photo: Fabienne Winkworth

The UK government has announced plans for an energy efficiency refurbishment of all the nation's homes.

Dubbed "The Great British Refurb", The Heat and Energy Saving Strategy, which will be published for consultation today by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, aims to bring household carbon emissions to near zero by 2050 - part of the government's 2050 target of an 80 per cent reduction in overall emissions.

Key parts of the plan include finance packages for refurbishment, incentives to switch to low-carbon technologies such as solar power, the establishment of a central coordinating body, and the introduction of low-cost energy audits and an accreditation scheme for installers.

The government aims to provide cavity wall and loft insulation for all suitable properties by 2015. 400,000 households a year are to have energy makeovers by 2015, with hopes that by 2030 all homes will have access to whole house improvements.

"We know the scale of the challenge: wasted energy is costing families on average £300 a year, and more than a quarter of all our emissions are from our homes," said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband.

"Energy efficiency and low-carbon energy are the fairest routes to curbing emissions, saving money for families, improving our energy security and insulating us from volatile fossil fuel prices."

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said: "Alongside global and national drives to tackle climate change and address fuel poverty we must remember the importance of collective action. All across the country there are examples of communities working together to become greener - buying local produce, sharing and comparing how they use energy, and of whole streets working together to cut carbon emissions.

"By encouraging this shared sense of responsibility and collective action we can tap into the ideas, innovation, and energy of groups of people across the country, helping foster greater neighbourliness, lower bills and less carbon dioxide emissions."

While the strategy has been welcomed by environmental groups, there is concern over the expected delay in implementing these changes.

"At long last ministers appear to have woken up to the need for huge emissions cuts from our houses - too much energy is being wasted cooking the planet, rather than heating our homes," said Friends of the Earth executive director Andy Atkins.

"An ambitious target to cut household emissions by a third by 2020 is certainly needed to help meet the challenge we face - but this won't be achieved if we wait four years for major work to begin."

The plan is also likely to create thousands of jobs in the UK.

The Heat and Energy Saving Strategy will be open for consultation for 12 weeks, with a final version due to be published later this year.

Also published for consultation today were proposals for a 20 per cent increase in the current carbon emmisions reduction program, which offers subsidised energy-efficiency measures, and proposals for a new Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP) to provide help to around 90,000 homes in low-income areas, backed by an expected £350 million in funding from energy suppliers and generators.