Housing Corporation chief executive Steve Douglas is encouraging housing association chiefs to take up a new scheme aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of over two million households. Steve Douglas sent 500 letters to housing association chiefs, explaining how housing association households could benefit from a scheme, spearheaded by EDF Energy, eaga and the Housing Corporation, which will see eight million Osram energy-efficient light bulbs delivered directly to their households.
Letters will be sent to all remaining associations in the coming weeks, while light bulbs will be delivered directly to households over a 12-month period, from 1 September 2008.
Energy efficient light bulbs have an estimated lifespan of 10,000 hours – ten times longer than traditional bulbs – and are expected to save 1.14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over a ten-year period, enough to fill over 230,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The bulbs also use about 80% less energy – an immediate saving on a household’s electricity bill at a time when energy prices are rising. The project is being funded as part of the energy industry's Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT). By focusing on housing association households, it ensures that funding reaches CERT's priority groups of lower income and older households.
Community Gateway Association chief executive Diane Bellinger said: “It is very pleasing to be the first housing association in the country to sign up to this scheme. We aim to be a leader and we hope the rest of the sector will follow us in signing up. With 6,000 homes in Preston, delivering energy-efficient light bulbs to them all is a practical way we can reduce the carbon emissions from them. The fact that it will also help our tenants reduce their energy bills is a significant bonus. Our people, customers, partners, suppliers and communities are all affected by what we do and how we do it. We believe we have a duty to manage our business processes so that we have a positive long-term effect on our communities, local neighbourhood and the environment generally. We already participate in a carbon-offsetting scheme in partnership with our boiler suppliers through our investment programme. Combined with the light bulb initiative, we will be contributing to not only reducing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, but also bringing a wide range of other benefits to local communities, who are at the heart of everything we do.”
Housing associations can call 01706 239053 or email housingcorp@eaga.com for further information about the energy-efficient light bulb offer
