Sustainability Committee

Inquiry into Carbon Reduction in Wales: Residential Carbon Reduction

Response from the Energy Saving Trust Local Support Team (South East Wales) based at South East Wales Energy Agency

The Local Energy Support Team at South East Wales Energy Agency is funded by the Energy Saving Trust to provide strategic level support to local authorities and housing associations in the South East Wales area. Our aim is to encourage these organisations to invest in reducing carbon emissions across the communities for which they are responsible. The following are the views of the Local Energy Support Team in South East Wales. They do not represent the views of the Energy Saving Trust or the South East Wales Energy Agency.

General Questions

1. Is the proposed 3 percent annual reduction target by 2011 "In areas of devolved competence " sufficient to enable Wales to make it’s full contribution to meeting UK- wide targets? If not , what targets should be put in place.

The local authority officers with whom we work do not believe a 3% annual reduction in household carbon emissions target will be achieved unless resources are channelled into reducing domestic carbon emissions. This does not mean that the 3% target is unrealistic as currently very few resources are invested in private sector household energy efficiency. Most local authorities simply have an officer who is responsible for compiling data and coordinating the odd campaign rather than a full time officer who could put their time and effort into coordinating activity and securing resources and funding from outside organisations such as the Energy Saving Trust Energy Advice Centres.

An additional aspect to consider is the energy which will be expended building additional homes in Wales over the coming years. This needs to be considered within targets for carbon reductions, although perhaps it belongs within another sector. However, bear in mind that if for example, you asked the construction sector to reduce their emissions by 3% they might argue that this was very difficult considering they are being asked to ramp up their activity. Although many of the emissions resulting from increased housebuilding may actually be released elsewhere, for example, stone products being mined in China and exported to the UK.

2. Should the emission reduction target be based on Welsh consumption, or production, or both (i.e. Should it take into consideration the Carbon Dioxide generated in Wales (production), or the Carbon Dioxide emissions that Wales’ residents are responsible for, regardless of their source(consumption)?

The target needs to be based on consumption as it is consumption which drives production. Improvements in electricity production should be required via alternative mechanisms focusing on industry. However, any improvements in electricity production will be reflected in consumption based targets as carbon emissions as a result of electricity consumption are calculated based on current production methods in the UK.

Improvements in domestic energy efficiency are currently reported by using an assumed energy saving as a result of installing energy saving measures, for example, a new boiler. However, this is not a satisfactory method as a) this data can be difficult for local authorities to acquire and manipulate and b) assumed savings will not always be achieved - a new boiler will only achieve its maximum impact if it is used correctly. For these two reasons it would be preferable to base targets on actual energy consumption data, currently compiled by Defra. This would also allow efforts to reduce energy use by changing the way we use it (e.g. Turning off lights, using heating effectively etc) to be recorded and recognised. This is very important as behavioural change is an area in which we can make a big difference (the Energy Saving Trust have calculated that the average household wastes £37 each year by leaving appliances on standby. Across the UK this is equivalent to the annual output of about 2½ 700MW power stations).

Questions specific to household emissions of Carbon Dioxide:

3. What particular challenges does Wales face in reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions from households, and how can these challenges be overcome?

As mentioned previously a lack on investment in encouraging householders to play their part in cutting carbon emissions.

The existing housing sector will account for two thirds of the stock standing in 2050 (40% House Report) therefore it is imperative that we focus on the existing housing stock as well as new build via planning and building regulations.

In Wales we also have a particular challenge with large numbers of solid wall properties (32%) and large numbers of off gas properties (37%). Older solid wall properties are expensive to insulate and there is currently no financial help available to facilitate this. Off gas properties usually use higher emission fuels such as coal and gas. It is not suggested that we extend the gas network to all areas of Wales, but that it is recognised that changes in these households will have the greatest effect on carbon emissions (for example, behavioural change campaigns could be initially focussed on these households).

Difficult decisions need to be made regarding how to improve post 1950's stock which cannot be insulated (non-traditional stock). The 40% House team advocate that demolition is required....

4. To what extent has the Welsh Assembly Government been successful in utilising the powers available to it in order to reduce household Carbon Dioxide emissions?

The Welsh Assembly has helped to bring household energy efficiency up the agenda of senior officers and politicians within local government by including it in the 2004-7 Policy Agreement targets, although very little (if any) of the Policy Agreement Grant monies found their way back to the teams who helped secure them by working towards the domestic energy efficiency targets.

I would like to see carbon emissions across the whole communities included as a core target for Local Service Agreements with Local Service Boards, should they be introduced.

According to Defra statistics, with the exception of 2005, household carbon emissions have risen year on year since 1990. Therefore it could be argued argued that the Welsh Assembly Government (along with the other UK administrations) has not been very successful, although perhaps we have now begun to buck the trend. The statistics for 2006 should be very interesting when they are released.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/globatmos/gagccukem.htm

5. Could alternative targeting of Welsh Assembly Government financial resources lead to greater household emissions reduction than is currently being achieved? If so where could additional resources lead to greatest impact? (Please provide detail to support your evidence)

There needs to be a debate over where Welsh Assembly Government resources for reducing carbon emissions are targeted. Currently the majority of the budget spend goes into the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is targeted at people in fuel poverty (although it could be argued that providing grants for everybody over 60 no matter what their financial status is not targeting at fuel poor households).

We fully support the provision of free insulation and heating repairs to fuel poor householders, however, there could be more careful targeting of resources at those households that are actually fuel poor. This would free up resources to target the high carbon emitters who tend to be at the higher end of the income scale (Understanding the Social Distribution of energy consumption, CSE 2005). These resources don't necessarily need to be in the form of grants, but could be advertising campaigns, helping them to take action by providing a 'hand holding service' (see London Green Concierge Service idea).

6. What examples from other administrations (devolved , UK, and overseas), where other means have been used to achieve reductions in household Carbon Dioxide emissions, could be adopted in Wales under current powers?

This is difficult for me to answer without an understanding of the Assembly's current powers.

However, the London Assembly's soon to be launched Green Concierge Service seems like an excellent way to help those people who have the willingness and the cash to take action but don't know where to start.

7. In the context of the Government of Wales act 2006, which further means of reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions from households could only be achieved with the introduction of further legislative competence for the National Assembly for Wales.

If Building Regulations were brought under the control of the Assembly this would allow rules to be set regarding improving household energy efficiency whenever major improvements are made. This is the time when these improvements would probably be the most cost effective with tradesmen on site etc., and would help to tackle the issue of emissions from the existing housing sector as detailed above.

8. If specific Carbon Dioxide emissions targets are to be set for Wales should those targets be subdivided into shares by sector? If so, what share of the total should reductions by household comprise?

We suggest that each sector should be set equal percentage reduction targets. This would mean that each sector would have to achieve absolute reductions relative to its contribution to overall emissions, and avoid a scenario where the most powerful sectors were able to negotiate down targets.