The Energy Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to establish a mandatory social price support scheme to help more of the most vulnerable households with their energy bills, and strengthen the powers of the regulator (Ofgem) to refer market abuse to the Competition Commission. The Bill would also introduce a levy on electricity suppliers to fund four demonstration carbon capture and storage (CCS) coal power plants.
Source: Energy Bill, Department for Energy and Climate Change/TSO | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 7 December 2009, columns 41-122/TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | Citizens Advice briefing
Date: 2009-Dec
A new book examined who constituted the 'fuel poor', and how this had changed in recent decades. It examined the traditional and emerging drivers for the problem, and evaluated the policies that had been employed to help alleviate it. The author presented a detailed set of proposals, based around long-term improvements in housing stock, that needed to be employed in order to tackle the problem effectively.
Source: Brenda Boardman, Fixing Fuel Poverty: Challenges and solutions, Earthscan
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Dec
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation on a new fuel poverty plan. A central 'hub' would be created to co-ordinate all the help available for householders struggling to pay their energy bills; funding would be targeted at those most at risk from fuel poverty; and there would be early identification of those most vulnerable to fuel poverty so that help could be provided as soon as possible.
Source: Fuel Poverty Strategy: Consultation, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2009-Nov
A study explored the attitudes of disadvantaged consumers in Scotland to switching energy supplier. Many struggled to even understand their energy bills, and believed that there were too many barriers to switching.
Source: Andrew Faulk, Switching Off: Attitudes to switching energy suppliers among disadvantaged consumers, Consumer Focus Scotland
Links: Report | Consumer Focus press release
Date: 2009-Nov
The government published an Energy Bill. The Bill was designed to establish a mandatory social price support scheme to help more of the most vulnerable households with their energy bills, and strengthen the powers of the regulator (Ofgem) to refer market abuse to the Competition Commission. The Bill would also introduce a £9.5 billion levy on electricity suppliers to fund four demonstration carbon capture and storage (CCS) coal power plants.
Source: Energy Bill, Department for Energy and Climate Change, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | DECC press release | CBI press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2009-Nov
The government began consultation on six draft National Policy Statements for energy infrastructure. Ten sites were named as potentially suitable for new nuclear power stations, and a framework was set out for the development of 'clean coal' power stations.
Source: Consultation on Draft National Policy Statements for Energy Infrastructure, Department of Energy and Climate Change
Links: Consultation document | Hansard | DECC press release | Friends of the Earth press release | Greenpeace press release | RTPI press release | CPRE press release | REA press release | TUC press release | CBI press release | SERA press release | Liberal Democrats press release | SNP press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Nov
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on energy efficiency and fuel poverty. It said that rising energy prices had had a 'major detrimental impact' on the number of households in fuel poverty.
Source: Government Response to the Efra Select Committee Inquiry: Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty, Cm 7719, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2009-Oct
A report examined spending patterns among older households between 1995 and 2007. Higher energy prices between 2004 and 2007 coincided with substantially higher fuel spending and lower fuel consumption for older households.
Source: Andrew Leicester, Cormac O'Dea and Zoe Oldfield, The Expenditure Experience of Older Households, Commentary 111, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: Report | IFS press release | Age Concern press release | ERA press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Aug
A report set out a new form of financing for low-carbon refurbishment in the household sector, based on spreading the cost of refurbishment for a property over a substantial period of time, across different owners.
Source: Pay As You Save: Financing low energy refurbishment in housing, UK Green Building Council (020 7580 0623)
Links: Report | Summary | EST press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Aug
A report (by an official advisory body) said that fuel poverty levels in England were more than three times higher than five years previously, and that existing measures were inadequate to deal with the scale of the problem. It said that the government should set out a clear plan to meet the target of eradicating fuel poverty by 2016.
Source: Seventh Annual Report: 2008, Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (for England) c/o Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (0870 150 2500)
Links: Report | EST press release | National Energy Action press release | Telegraph report | BBC report | New Start report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that the 'Warm Front' scheme continued to be poorly targeted, despite some changes to the eligibility criteria. Nearly 75 per cent of households entitled to a grant were unlikely to be in fuel poverty, whereas the scheme was only available to 35 per cent of all those households likely to be in fuel poverty – partly because the eligibility criteria included receipt of non-means-tested benefits. In addition, the scheme did not prioritize those with the most energy inefficient accommodation. (The Warm Front Scheme provides assistance to eligible households with the installation of heating and insulation measures in order to improve household energy efficiency and reduce fuel poverty.)
Source: The Warm Front Scheme, Thirty-ninth Report (Session 2008-09), HC 350, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Telegraph report | BBC report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-Jul
The Department of Energy and Climate Change published its annual report for 2008-09, showing performance against public service agreement targets.
Source: Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2008-09, HC 452, Department of Energy and Climate Change, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that the government's statutory target to eradicate fuel poverty, as far as reasonably practicable, in vulnerable households by 2010 (and in all households by 2016) was likely to be missed – highlighting the weakness of a policy that attempted to address fuel affordability issues and domestic energy efficiency simultaneously. The government should have reviewed its fuel poverty policies earlier given the upward trend in the number of people in fuel poverty and rising fuel prices.
Source: Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty, Third Report (Session 2008-09), HC 37, House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Consumer Focus press release | LGA press release | Transact press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Jun
The government began consultation on proposals for all homes to have 'smart meters' for electricity and gas installed by 2020. The meters would enable meter readings to be taken remotely, and (together with a display device) would give householders real-time information on their energy use. The meters would also mean the end of estimated bills; an end to the need to stay in for home readings; quicker and smoother switching between suppliers; and cheaper, easier prepayment.
Source: Energy Metering: A consultation on smart metering for electricity and gas, Department for Energy and Climate Change (0300 060 4000)
Links: Consultation document | DECC press release | Consumer Focus press release | Green Alliance press release | CBI press release | ERA press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-May
A report said that existing policies and funding were inadequate to meet the target to end fuel poverty by 2016.
Source: The Cost of Affordable Warmth, National Energy Action (0191 261 5677)
Links: Report | NEA press release
Date: 2009-Mar
The energy industry regulator proposed new rules for energy suppliers, designed to give consumers more power and help to rectify 'flaws' in the retail market. There would be a prohibition of unjustified price differences to close off any recurrence of poor deals for customers in sectors of the market; and a set of remedies to address specific retail market issues.
Source: Press release 23 March 2009, Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (0116 277 2617)
Links: Ofgem press release | DECC press release | Consumer Focus press release | NHF press release | ERA press release | Consumer Association press release | Conservative Party press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs said that government programmes to reduce household energy consumption might have led to a reduction during the period 2004-2007, following a long-term trend of rising consumption. Overall, however, consumption was still 8 per cent higher in 2007 than in 1990. Without sufficient improvements in energy efficiency, energy consumption might rise again due to trends such as the growth in the number of households, the demand to use more electronic appliances, and a desire to live in warmer homes.
Source: Programmes to Reduce Household Energy Consumption, Fifth Report (Session 2008-09), HC 228, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Mar
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation on an energy efficiency and savings plan. The three key objectives were to: help reduce Wales's greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the reduction of its wider ecological footprint; contribute to the reduction of fuel poverty; and support economic development by helping businesses become more energy efficient and providing new opportunities for business.
Source: National Energy Efficiency and Savings Plan: Consultation, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document | WAG press release | NEA press release | EST press release | BBC report
Date: 2009-Mar
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on energy policy. It said that reducing fuel poverty was a core objective of the new Department for Energy and Climate Change. It would be reviewing the impact of recent developments on progress towards its fuel poverty goals, and the initial findings were expected by the end of June 2009.
Source: Energy Policy: Future Challenges – Government Response to the Committee's First Report, Second Special Report (Session 2008-09), HC 317, House of Commons Business and Enterprise Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2009-Mar
A briefing set out the way in which a national energy efficiency programme could deliver government targets to eradicate fuel poverty, meet environmental objectives, and create employment opportunities in a time of recession.
Source: National Energy Efficiency Strategy, National Energy Action (0191 261 5677)
Links: Briefing | NEA press release
Date: 2009-Feb
The consumer rights watchdog said that the regulators of essential services, such as energy and financial services, were often not stepping in quickly enough to help consumers. It called on the government to provide clarity and a more joined-up approach to tackling problems such as fuel and water poverty. It also highlighted the scope for regulators to use more of the tools at their disposal – such as making better use of incentives to change the way firms behaved.
Source: Rating Regulators, Consumer Focus (020 7799 7900)
Links: Report | Summary | Consumer Focus press release | Food Standards Agency press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Feb
An audit report said that the 'Warm Front' scheme to tackle fuel poverty in England had helped to improve the energy efficiency of over 635,000 households between June 2005 and March 2008. There were, however, 1.9 million vulnerable households in 2006, so this rate of progress would still leave many in fuel poverty in 2010.
Source: The Warm Front Scheme, HC 126 (Session 2008-09), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Summary | NAO press release | Consumer Focus press release | NEA press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-Feb
The government began consultation on a heat and energy saving strategy. It set out the need to reduce household carbon emissions to almost zero, in order for the United Kingdom to achieve its target of an 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050. Households would be able to receive expert, targeted help to reduce their fuel bills and access low-carbon heat and power in their homes.
Source: Heat and Energy Saving Strategy: Consultation, Department for Energy and Climate Change (0300 060 4000)
Links: Consultation document | Hansard | DECC press release | SDC press release | LGA briefing | NHF press release | Friends of the Earth press release | Green Alliance press release | HCA press release | CBI press release | ERA press release | Conservative Party press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Inside Housing report | FT report
Date: 2009-Feb
A think-tank report said that government efforts to improve energy efficiency in the existing housing stock had been slow and expensive, and that the grants available were too complicated to administer.
Source: Ben Caldecott and Thomas Sweetman, Warm Homes: Delivering energy efficiency improvements in the UK, Policy Exchange (020 7340 2650)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jan
A think-tank report said that politicians had not been honest with people about the costs of developing and delivering new forms of clean energy. It called for measures to combat fuel poverty – through price controls, subsidies, or higher state benefits – and to prevent the creation of a new class of 'low-carbon poor'.
Source: John Harman, The Green Crunch: Why we need a new economics for Britain's environmental challenge, Fabian Society (020 7227 4900)
Links: Summary | Independent report
Date: 2009-Jan