Neil May, chairman of the Good Homes Alliance (GHA), comments on the Government’s Home Energy Saving Programme announced recently:
“The Government’s plans to help improve the energy efficiency of millions of households across the UK are a very welcome step towards sustainability. Over the next few years, new housing will gradually be built to higher environmental standards under the Code for Sustainable Homes. However, existing housing stock, which certainly presents the greater challenge and potential for environmental gains, has not received the same attention.
“The aim to insulate all of Britain’s homes by 2020, if achieved, could lead to a substantial reduction in the carbon emissions attributed to our housing. However, it is vital that this process is undertaken properly in order for emissions to be reduced in reality, and for risks to building fabric and human health to be minimised.
“Interestingly, recent extensive research into the Government’s Warm Front programme to insulate and up-grade existing homes showed that, while illness associated with poor housing was reduced by these measures, fuel consumption was not. This was partly because people chose increased comfort above financial savings, but may also have been because of installation issues.
“The success of energy efficiency initiatives is only possible if installations are undertaken correctly and if homeowners are informed about how their buildings work and the impact of their own behaviour on energy consumption. By providing targeted advice on improving energy efficiency and reducing household bills, the Community Energy Saving Programme will go some way towards advancing consumer awareness in this area, but this needs to be combined with ongoing monitoring and feedback to show us what works and what doesn’t.
“The Good Homes Alliance has extensive experience of low energy buildings and the effect of human behaviour and feels it is vital that lessons learnt from monitoring new buildings are applied to the refurbishment of existing stock and vice versa. All available financial and human resources must be properly committed to the task if we are to overcome the challenges of climate change and fuel poverty in a rational and cost effective way. While £1bn is a huge amount of money to invest in existing housing stock, unless it is invested correctly there is a great danger that we will not achieve the results we need for the benefit of everyone.”
