§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment has been made by his Department of the possible impact of energy efficiency programme development on levels of fuel bill charges in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. YeoI understand that the Energy Saving Trust is aiming to develop schemes which will by 2000 lead to energy savings by consumers equivalent to at least 2.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year. To achieve this the trust will need to offer incentives to investment in energy efficiency measures which may need to build up to about £400 million a year. Achievement of the trust's target will lead to substantial net financial savings to consumers by 2000, even if the gas and electricity regulators were to allow the entire cost of these incentives to be charged in gas and electricity tariffs. Before 2000, there will be times when consumers' savings have not yet fully offset the cost, and the peak level of increase in bills arising from this would be between 1 per cent. and 2 per cent.