Campaigners and MPs have accused ministers of leaving vulnerable households in the cold, as new figures showed installations of insulation and boilers have sunk to their lowest levels since the government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme started six years ago. Delays to legislation were blamed by fuel poverty campaigners for the fall, which coincided with households being hit by energy price hikes. Just 2,557 boilers were installed in the last three months of 2018, 97% below the same period in 2013, the year the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme was launched. Insulation of lofts and walls has also plummeted under ECO, which enables electricity and gas suppliers to use energy bill levies to upgrade the efficiency of homes, including those in fuel poverty. There were 6,461 installations in the last three months of 2018, down 98% on the same period in 2010, according to government figures published on Thursday. Fuel poverty charity National Energy Action said the government was allowing a “chronic public health crisis” due to the link between cold homes and early deaths. The UK’s climate advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, recently wrote to the energy minister, Claire Perry, to warn insulation levels under government schemes had fallen “very significantly” since 2013.
Guardian 21st Feb 2019 read more »
Octopus Energy customers are now able to borrow equipment to help them uncover the draughtiest spots in their house, under a new energy efficiency campaign unveiled yesterday by the energy supplier. Octopus customers with higher than average energy bills can access a thermal imaging camera for free for five days, so they can find the cold spots in their homes to target with extra insulation or other efficiency measures. The company said it was contacting thousands of customers with high energy bills to offer them the use of the camera, with CEO Greg Jackson saying he hoped the scheme would spark conversations about saving energy.
Business Green 22nd Feb 2019 read more »
