HL Deb 25 March 2003 vol 646 cc650-2

2.58 p.m.

Lord Ezra asked Her Majesty's Government:

What measures they have in mind to stimulate householders to achieve greater energy efficiency in accordance with the objectives set out in the energy White Paper (Cm. 5761).

Lord Whitty

My Lords, as the energy White Paper indicated, we need a step change in energy efficiency to deliver big increases in energy efficiency in order to meet the demands on the economy and the environment that energy policy requires. The White Paper contains a diverse range of measures and some are already in place. They include the energy efficiency commitment, upgraded building regulations, higher product standards targets, VAT reductions, the Warm Front programme, the Home Energy Conservation Act, and the provision of targeted advice and information. The energy White Paper will reinforce these measures and set out plans to consult on others.

Lord Ezra

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that detailed reply. However, bearing in mind that the Government's objective is to double the rate of improvement of energy efficiency in the home and that substantial market barriers, such as relatively low prices and wide consumer choice, stand in the way, can he give an indication of the additional measures, apart from those already in place, that the Government have in mind to introduce and can he say how soon they will be introduced? In that connection, can he indicate when we are likely to hear the result of the domestic energy efficiency consultation launched by the Treasury last year and completed in October, to which many people, including myself, responded?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, the additional measures announced in the White Paper include: the extension of the energy efficiency commitment beyond 2005—the first time that that has been committed to—bringing forward to 2005 the next revision of the building standards; discussion with the industry about the skills required to deliver energy efficiency—that is, so far as concerns the installers and so on; setting out commitments on procurement and energy efficiency for the Government's own estate; reviewing current policies on the climate change levy; and the commitment to publish next year an implementation plan on how demand-side mechanisms would interact. They include areas on which the Treasury consulted and which effectively are a way to bring economic and fiscal measures to bear on the issue.

Baroness Byford

My Lords, what progress is being made on existing houses—the older stock houses—to bring them up to date in terms of energy efficiency as compared with new-build houses?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, the latest range of building regulations require, for example, a higher specification of boiler in the refurbishment of existing buildings. The next range, to which I referred in response to the noble Lord, Lord Ezra, on improved buildings standards to operate from 2005 will include standards relating to existing as well as new buildings. The noble Baroness is right: the major advance so far has been in new build rather than existing build.

Baroness Maddock

My Lords, given the Government's commitment to energy efficiency, is it still their intention to cut the amount of money being spent on the Warm Front programme, which actually goes to help those who are in fuel poverty and in most need of energy efficiency measures in their homes?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, I regret to tell the noble Baroness that I am as yet not in a position to announce the details of the Defra budget for next year, to which she referred. However, I can assure her that the target set for the number of homes treated will be met for the five-year period over which the Warm Front programme runs.

Lord Ezra

My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that one step to alert householders to the importance of energy efficiency would be to establish a nationwide energy efficiency rating scheme, based on the Government's own standard assessment procedure, which it is estimated demonstrates that the energy efficiency in the average British home is about half what it really should be?

Lord Whitty

My Lords, the noble Lord is absolutely right. In the context of housing legislation and information required on sale of houses, we are looking at the way in which energy is rated for the building. Of course the building itself is not the sole contribution towards the energy use of buildings; domestic appliances of all kinds are very important. While we have made some progress in the white goods sector, in terms of labelling and therefore steering—if you like—consumer choice, we need to make more progress, particularly in electronic goods and, as I mentioned earlier, on boiler installation. The totality of the domestic contribution towards energy use will be reduced as a result of these energy efficiency measures.