Government releases ‘first comprehensive’ Energy Efficiency Strategy

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced that it will be examining the way the UK uses energy as part of its ‘first comprehensive’ energy efficiency strategy.

The Energy Efficiency Strategy, released today (12 November), outlines how the effective use of energy could help boost growth and jobs in the UK economy and save ‘up to 22 power stations-worth of energy by 2020’.

Highlighting ‘energy efficiency potential, the benefits of achieving it and [reflecting] on barriers to uptake’, the strategy is aimed at ‘changing the way energy is used’ in sectors such as housing, transport and manufacturing over the coming decades and identifies what actions could be taken now to ‘kick start a revolution in UK energy efficiency’.

Drawing on calls from evidence published by DECC in February this year, the strategy hopes to see the UK save 196 terawatt hours of power in 2020, the equivalent to the energy produced 22 power stations and outlines the government’s ‘mission to seize the energy efficiency opportunity’.

This ‘mission’ includes a £39 million cash injection from the Research Councils UK and project partners to fund five End Use Energy Demand Centres. Led by ‘leading universities’, these centres will look at what drives energy demand and how the UK can change future behaviour.

Also included in the strategy is an energy-efficiency labelling trial run by DECC with John Lewis. The label hopes to emulate the success of a similar trial in Norway that showed consumers were more likely to purchase more energy efficient goods if they were able to clearly identify the lifetime running costs of household appliances.

The Mayor of London’s RE:FIT programme on public-sector energy efficiency will also be rolled out nationwide as part of the strategy, along with a guide to help public sector organisations reduce their energy use.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker introduced the published strategy today, saying: “We have put energy efficiency at the very heart of the government’s energy policy. Using energy more wisely is absolutely vital in a world of increased pressure on resources and rising prices. Not only can energy efficiency help save money on bills and cut emissions, it can support green jobs, innovation and enterprise.

“This is Britain’s first comprehensive Energy Efficiency Strategy and sets out the action we are taking now, as well as what we will do in the future to ensure the UK continues to be a global leader in reducing energy use.”

According to the report, the energy-efficiency sector in the UK already accounts for around 136,000 jobs, and had sales of £17.6 billion in 2010/11. Sales are projected to grow by around five per cent per year between 2010/11 and 2014/15.

Three Technology Innovation Needs Assessments (TINAs) have also been published as part of the strategy, looking into energy efficiency innovation required at a household, commercial and industrial scale.

In addition, DECC will continue publishing a series of consultations to guide the implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, which needs to be fully implemented by Spring 2014.

Read DECC’s Energy Efficiency Strategy.