Stunell reveals plans for greener, warmer homes

9.23.58am GMT Fri 2nd Mar 2007

On Sunday at the Lib Dem Spring Conference, Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell will reveal ground-breaking plans to make housing in the North West warmer, greener and more affordable.

Mr Stunell's plans follow a recent government study that found 190,000 households in the North West are living in fuel poverty. Government statisticians have calculated that there were 3,100 excess winter deaths last year in the region, of whom 2,700 were pensioners.

Commenting on his plans, Mr Stunell said:

"My plans would cut carbon emissions from homes by more than half. This would save families here in Stockport a lot of money currently being poured into the gas and electricity companies' pockets.

"Many people in Stockport can't afford to heat their homes properly. It is disgraceful that over 3,000 people in the North West died last winter because they couldn't afford to heat their homes.

"I want to see help targeted to enable older people and those with disabilities to increase the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their fuel bills. Standardised packages including insulation, draught-proofing and window, heating and light replacement would help improve the energy efficiency of all homes in the North West.

"It's simple maths: less energy wasted equals lower fuel bills, fewer excess winter deaths, less pollution and a greener Stockport." ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. Excess winter deaths figures are from Office of National Statistics website (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D7089.xls).

2. Fuel poverty figures are from Detailed Breakdowns of Fuel Poverty in England in 2004 (version 1, April 2006) obtained from DTI website (http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file29687.pdf - see 11th page of document (labelled as page 8)).

3. Mr Stunell will present his motion to Conference on Sunday 4th March. The motion reads:

Sustainable Housing

a) Heating and lighting UK homes produces 27% of the country's carbon emissions and buildings as a whole produce more than 40% of carbon emissions.

b) Though more energy-efficient homes offer greater warmth and lower heating costs, only a quarter of English homes in 2003 had more than half the recommended depth of loft insulation.

c) While the Government has raised the energy efficiency standards in the building regulations in England, their complexity and lack of transparency makes it hard for building control officers to assess if they are being met; in contrast, the energy-efficiency requirements in the Scottish Building Standards offer a simple and effective method of raising standards.

Conference believes that the UK should be at the forefront of tackling climate change, and that action needs to be taken to reduce carbon emissions from the UK's homes and buildings.

Conference further believes that doing so will produce more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable communities, with better homes for all, resulting in reduced carbon emissions, lower fuel bills and an end to excess winter deaths.

Conference therefore regrets the Government's failure to implement fully the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings by 4th January 2006; and further regrets the ineptitude of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now the Department for Communities and Local Government) in the introduction of effective labelling systems for energy performance of buildings.

Conference additionally believes that immediate action can be taken to reduce considerably the carbon emissions of both new and existing homes. Conference therefore calls for: 1. National targets to be set to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the UK's housing by at least 60% by 2050.

2. The Government to ensure effective compliance with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive before further action is taken against the UK by the European Court of Justice.

3. The thermal efficiency standards in the building regulations to be improved from 2011 so that any new house constructed after that date achieves a 'PassivHaus' standard.

4. The energy efficiency of existing homes to be improved through a set of standardised packages, including a range of insulation, draught-proofing, window, heating and lighting replacement.

5. Those schemes used to reduce fuel poverty to be targeted at increasing the energy efficiency of households in fuel poverty, thereby reducing carbon emissions permanently.

6. The Energy Efficiency Commitment on the utilities companies to be used to deliver yearon- year reductions in domestic carbon emissions, along with improvements in energy efficiency, and to change energy suppliers to energy service companies.

7. Improvements to the building regulations themselves to make them easier to understand and use, along with improvements in the enforcement regime to ensure new homes are built to the required standards.