§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress made by the Energy Efficiency Office in testing materials used under the home energy efficiency scheme.
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§ Mr. MacleanThis is a matter for the scheme's administering agency, the Energy Action Grants Agency.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are currently undertaken by his Department to monitor the standard of installations carried out under the home energy efficiency scheme.
§ Mr. MacleanThe Energy Action Grants Agency (EAGA) which administers the home energy efficiency scheme employs technical monitoring officers who make physical inspections of a proportion of all work carried out under the scheme.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what plans he has to review the maximum levels of grant offered for home insulation under the home energy efficiency scheme;
(2) what plans he has to extend the range of improvements which can be grant aided to low-income households under the home energy efficiency scheme;
(3) what plans he has to increase the rate of loft insulation and draughtproofing in low-income households as part of the home energy efficiency scheme.
§ Mr. MacleanThere will be a small increase in the amount of grant available under the home energy efficiency scheme from some £35 million in the current year to £37.5 million in 1993–94. The scheme is intended to ensure that the greatest number of low income households can benefit from basic energy efficiency measures. I have no current plans to introduce changes to the scheme which would increase the average cost per household and thus reduce the number who could benefit.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action is being undertaken by his Department to encourage take-up of energy advice offered under the home energy efficiency scheme.
§ Mr. MacleanNeighbourhood energy action is currently undertaking research for the Energy Action Grants Agency on the delivery of energy advice under the scheme.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish pilot schemes to test the value of introducing energy efficiency measures for households in addition to those specified under the home energy efficiency scheme.
§ Mr. MacleanI have no plans to do so.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for I he Environment if he will make it his policy to provide funds under the home energy efficiency scheme on the basis of numbers of eligible households within a given area.
§ Mr. MacleanNo. Eligibility for grant under the scheme depends on the client being in receipt of a qualifying benefit. Allocations of funding to installers must take account of the amount of similar work already carried out in an area and the installer's ability to use the allocation.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to establish energy audits on a sample of households which have been assisted under the home energy efficiency scheme.
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§ Mr. MacleanThe interim evaluation of the home energy efficiency scheme currently being carried out by the building research energy conservation support unit includes energy audits of a sample of households assisted by the scheme. A copy of the report will be placed in the Library of the House when it is available.