§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to encourage households to reduce their energy consumption. [138675]
§ Mr Bradshaw[holding answer 18 November 2003]The Energy White Paper details the steps being taken to encourage greater energy efficiency in the UK, and sets out an ambitious strategy for energy efficiency up to 2010 and beyond. Energy efficiency is expected to deliver about half the carbon savings needed to meet our goals for 2020. This will mean roughly doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement of recent decades.
A wide range of policies and measures have already been established to encourage energy efficiency across the economy. These include:
1208WClimate Change Agreements, where companies can gain an 80 per cent. discount from the Climate Change Levy for eligible processes by entering into Agreements and meeting energy efficiency targets;the work of the Carbon Trust, which takes the lead on energy efficiency for business and the public sector, and supports the development of a low carbon economy in the UK. The Trust was launched in April 2001 as one way in which CCL receipts are recycled to business;the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which will generate significant emissions reductions and is the first economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme in the world. The UK Government is also working towards implementing the European ETS, due to start on 1 January 2005;funding for the Energy Saving Trust to run a number of programmes to promote the sustainable and efficient use of energy in homes. The Trust also facilitates the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, which brings together key stakeholders to support and promote domestic energy efficiency;encouraging improvements in product standards so that energy-using appliances operate more efficiently;the Building Regulations, updated in 2002, which are already delivering significant energy efficiency improvements in new and existing buildings.Looking to the future, the White Paper proposes some key measures, including extension of the Energy Efficiency Commitment beyond 2005 at possibly twice its current level of activity; improvements in building standards through further revisions to the Building Regulations; and faster improvements in the standards of new household appliances.
In Budget 2003, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that he would consult further on specific fiscal measures to promote energy efficiency. This consultation closed on the 24 October and the Government is grateful to all those who contributed. All responses are being actively considered to help inform policy development.
The Government intends to publish an Energy Efficiency Implementation Plan within a year of the White Paper's publication, which will provide further detail on all of these policies.