International Energy Authority (Hansard, 14 July 1981)

§ Mr. John Moore

The International Energy Agency's energy management initiative of October 1980 was, to a large measure, based on the experience and success of the United Kingdom's already significant energy management programme. The major importance attached by the Government to the maintenance and strengthening of this programme represents our principal response to the IEA initiative.

I emphasised the importance of the programme at the national energy managers conference early in October 1980, which was attended by 600 United Kingdom energy managers and directors. New United Kingdom initiatives since that time have included the Energy Conservation Act 1981, which provides for the setting of mandatory standards for energy efficiency of heating appliances, and an order setting a maximum heating limit for public buildings at 19?C. Additional funding has also been made available for the energy conservation demonstration projects scheme and the homes insulation scheme.

My Department publishes a monthly "Energy Management" newspaper with a circulation of nearly 40,000 and has encouraged the publication of special energy management supplements in other newspapers. The Government have established a comprehensive advice service to energy managers through such publications as the audit, thrift and fuel efficiency series and through the energy survey schemes. Training courses in energy management are run under Government aegis and a number of training films are also available, two new ones having recently been launched. A number of sponsored energy manager and energy saving awards are also supported by my Department. The Government have given strong encouragement for the establishment of an energy management network and I have had meetings with many of the chairmen of the 75 groups now established throughout the United Kingdom.