The Energy Bill Revolution

Ed Miliband today set out in the Labour party election manifesto a commitment for a major drive on energy efficiency.

This includes a commitment to deliver 200,000 whole house retrofits per year, delivered street by street by local authorities and community organisations, zero interest loans for a million households and ensuring privately rented homes meet a decency standard which will make a further 3 million households warm. Ed Miliband also confirmed in a recent letter to the Energy Bill Revolution alliance that the Labour party would make energy efficiency a national infrastructure priority.

These commitments meet many of the asks set out by the Energy Bill Revolution alliance which is campaigning for a far more ambitious energy efficiency programme to end fuel poverty.

Ed Matthew, Director of the Energy Bill Revolution alliance, said:

“Labour has laid down the gauntlet to the other political parties by setting out a framework for a far more ambitious energy efficiency programme. A commitment to whole house retrofits, delivered street by street, zero interest loans for the able to pay and making energy efficiency an infrastructure priority is revolutionary. But this programme needs to be rolled out faster if the fuel poverty scandal is to be ended within a decade. We need all 6 million low income homes made highly energy efficient by 2025 with 2 million treated by 2020.  This can be achieved without additional borrowing if capital funds are used to help fund the programme.Labour must now confirm they will deliver this critical investment.”

Notes to editors

1. The Labour election manifesto sets out the following pledges on energy efficiency:

• We will work to make Britain a world leader in low carbon technologies over the next decade, creating a million additional green jobs. This aim will be supported by ambitious domestic carbon reduction targets, including a legal target to remove the carbon from our electricity supply by 2030, and a major drive for energy efficiency.
• We will bring down energy bills by making homes more energy efficient, delivering a million interest free loans for energy home improvements in the next Parliament. For those on low incomes, we will make 200,000 homes warm every year, delivered street-by-street by local authorities and community organisations. Privately rented properties will have to meet a decency standard, bringing warmth to a further three million homes.

2. Ed Miliband wrote to the Energy Bill Revolution on 17^th March and pledged that if Labour is elected on 7^th May they would commit to the following:

• Making energy efficiency a national infrastructure priority with a plan to insulate 5 million homes over 10 years
• Whole house retrofits for 200,000 households / year who are in or at risk of fuel poverty, saving them an average of £270 / year off their energy bills, delivered street by street by local authorities or other trusted bodies
• A free home energy report for half a million homes / year
• A million interest free loans for home energy improvements in the next Parliament
• A new standard to get privately rented households up to Band C on an Energy Performance Certificate by 2027

3. The Energy Bill Revolution is an alliance of over 200 charities, businesses and unions campaigning for an energy efficiency programme to end fuel poverty. They are calling for:

• Making home energy efficiency an infrastructure investment priority
• 2 million low income homes brought up to EPC Band C by 2020 with all 6 million brought up to this standard by 2025
• An area based, street by street delivery approach in partnership with local authorities
• Zero interest loans for able to pay